Jail release program saves county thousands

A grant-funded program designed to free up bed space at Kootenai County’s overcrowded jail may have saved the county nearly $55,000 since it started in January, the program’s supervisor said Friday.

More than 60 defendants have participated in the county’s Pre-Trial Services Program, which screens inmates for release from jail while they’re awaiting trial, said Mike Wall, the program coordinator.

Local judges say the program provides them with more information to consider when they’re determining whether to set bail or release a defendant on their own recognizance.

“Before, all we could do was rely on the defendant’s word, which you might suspect is not always the best thing, or rely on the prosecutor’s hysteria, which is the safe way, but not always the fair way to go,” 1st District Judge John Luster said Friday.

Magistrate Eugene Marano said things might have turned out differently if the Minnesota judge who let Joseph Duncan out on $15,000 bail had more information about the convicted killer’s past crimes. Duncan skipped bail and came to Kootenai County, where he killed three members of a Coeur d’Alene family and allegedly kidnapped the two youngest children from the family’s home.

“If the judge in Minnesota had this Pre-Trial Services thing in the Duncan case, he would, of course, never have let Duncan out on the low bail he did,” Marano said.

Before the program started, local judges would listen to a prosecutor’s recommendations before setting bail. Sometimes the prosecutors would have information on a defendant’s past crimes.

The judges often questioned defendants about their work history, how long they’d lived in the area and whether they had support from friends and family.

Pre-Trial Services staff ask some of those same questions, Wall said. But they also do a complete criminal history check, contact employers and friends and administer a risk assessment test to help evaluate whether the defendant is a good candidate for release.

Defendants in both felony and misdemeanor cases are considered, but Wall said individuals charged with child molestation, rape, murder or other serious crimes are excluded from participating.

Once a defendant is released from jail through the program, Pre-Trial Services staff members monitor the accused to make sure they’re meeting the conditions the judge has ordered – such as drug and alcohol testing or checking in regularly with the staff.

Wall said Pre-Trial Services attempts to eliminate missed court dates by contacting the defendants and mailing postcards as reminders.

Of the 60 individuals referred to the program, Wall said eight have not met the conditions of their release, resulting in two being re-arrested.

Kootenai County Prosecutor Bill Douglas said he has been pleased with the program.

“I think we are doing a better job of culling out those who don’t need to be sitting in jail awaiting charges,” Douglas said.

Public Defender John Adams was not available for comment. Deputy Public Defender Lynn Nelson said he liked the concept of the program but that he believed “it ignores a whole lot of rights.”

Nelson said he was headed to court Friday and didn’t have time to elaborate on his concerns.

Wall said it’s difficult to determine exactly how much money the county may have saved since the program started. He came to the $55,000 figure based on the number of days defendants in the program could have spent in jail at a cost of $60 a day.

He said he believes the savings could be enough to sustain the program once the three-year, $162,800 grant expires.

The long-term savings to society could be even greater, Wall said.

“A lot of times people go into jail, lose jobs, their family suffers,” Wall said. “Later, it comes back on the community.”