Program Puts Juvenile Offenders To Work Those Convicted Of Minor Offenses Given Community Service Time

Damien, a 17-year-old from Rathdrum, spent the last week washing buses, sweeping floors, shoveling snow and picking up garbage.

He’s learned at least two things from the experience: Stealing cigarettes is a bad idea and, “I definitely don’t throw garbage on the side of the road any more. You never know when you might be picking it up.”

Damien’s learning experience is all part of a new juvenile work program called WILD Work In Lieu of Detention.

Now into it’s third month in Kootenai County, the program has kids convicted of minor offenses pay their debt to society by working in the community rather than sitting in the detention center.

“I want to impress upon them that they’ve done something wrong but at the same time have them do something productive,” said Judge Barry Watson, who developed the program with the Kootenai County Juvenile Probation Department.

Watson wanted another option for some of the youths who were committing less serious crimes. He wanted them to be accountable but he didn’t want them to add to the already crowded juvenile detention center.

A work program was already in place for adults and Watson thought it would be a good idea for juveniles as well.

Starting last October, judges began selecting youths to go through the program.

So far, 32 have been signed up. Nineteen kids have actually completed the program, said Michael Wall, who runs the program. Those who don’t show up for work are turned over to their probation officer and sent to detention.

The juveniles who go through the work program are either first-time offenders or have committed minor crimes such as theft and vandalism, Watson said. In exchange for spending 24 hours behind bars, the youth instead is given an eight-hour work day. After work, the kids are allowed to go home for the night, Wall said.

Damien and Bret, 17, of Coeur d’Alene, were each sentenced to five days in the program and spent Friday shoveling snow and sweeping floors.

Still, both said they would rather get out and work than spend time locked up.

“In detention you spend your time sleeping, eating, cleaning and being miserable,” Damien said. “You just sit in there and wait until your time is over.”

Bret said he thinks the work program is going to be a better deterrent as well.

“Detention doesn’t scare me,” he said.

“I learned my lesson,” Damien said with a wry smile Friday - his last day of labor.

Wall works alongside the kids, teaching them a strong work ethic.

The youths work mostly for local and state agencies. Tracie Anderson, fleet coordinator for the city of Post Falls, said the WILD program has been a godsend to the city garage.

The youths sweep and mop the floors, clean the bathrooms and keep the city vehicles washed and waxed.

“It’s a wonderful program,” she said. “They’re putting back into the community.”

Al Friesen, director of juvenile services, also believes the program is saving taxpayer money. It costs between $130 and $150 a day to house a juvenile in the detention center, he said.

With WILD, the youths pay $5.50 a day to cover their meals and insurance, Wall said.

Al Friesen, director of juvenile services, said the WILD program is also cutting back on crowding at the detention center.

The center has averaged between 16 and 22 inmates a day in recent weeks with the program in place. Before the WILD program, the center averaged up to 26 and 29 kids a day.

, DataTimes