Officials say levy ignores issues
By Vegar Stokset
Emeraid Contributor
Voters should s.i\ "no" to the $5.80 a year law
enforcement levy on the March ballot because
some of the programs it funds are run inefficient
ly. several local offit oils said.
Ron Chase. director of Sponsors Inc., a company
that provides transitional services to ex-con vie ts tn
Lane County, said the Community Corrections
ELECTION
SHERIFF S LEVY
(..enter ana me rorest worn.
Camp are wronglv used for
offenders who pose little or no
risk, to public safety
"Almost -ft) percent of the
levy dollars are used on pro
grams for lower risk offenders
who do not need treatment.
Chase said. "Instead, those pro
grams should be dealing with
the more dangerous criminals
who currently walk the streets ol hugene
Chijse said the sheriff's office operates with
"fear-of-failure” policies Higher risk criminals are
currently denied-act ess to the community correc
tions programs because they are perceived as less
likely to succeed. Chase said.
Capt. Ben Sunderland at the sheriffs office said
it can not let dangerous offenders into the mini
mum security programs and this prevents them
from serving some criminals. Sunderland
acknowledges these criminals currently fall in
between jail and alternative programs
Sunderland said Lane County policymakers con
tinuously examine and try to target programs to
the right group of offenders.
Chase said he is afraid if the levy passes, polit y
makers will perceive it as an endorsement of past
policies and lose the ini entive for i liange Chase
said the sheriff is currently putting repeat drunken
drivers, shoplifters and municipal code violators
in the costly corrections programs It costs Stun a
dnv to keep offenders in the forest camp.
“Inatond of wasting $1.5 million anmiallv on
low risk offenders in tin’ forest ump. th«» money
should be directed into local t rent men t program*
for sex-offenders and offenders with substance
abuse problems." Chase said
Chase i ritii i/ed the underutilization of the pro
grams Both the Forest Work Camp and the i orrei
lions i enter have been running belmv i a pat itv
while other Human Services treatment slots are
fitted up and long Waiting Hats remain *
The corrections i enter, with the < npw ity of ’ti
inmates, onl\ served -M people last month. Chase
said In addition, the forest i.amp"‘h is a i apai it\
to take care of 30 more offenders
Dave Koch, branch officer of probation and
parole, also questioned the effet liveness of current
community i Directions polit ies
Koch said it is wrong for local law enfon ement
officials lo tell voters crime will so.ir if the lev\
does not pass The fad is that many lower risk
offenders i an manage fine without supervision.
Koch said *
The state department of correi lions intends to
spend less on prison beds and more on communi
ty treatment of higher risk offender This can be
done without compromising publii safety. Ki« Ii
said.
"In the budget crunt h we are ill now . we have to
be careful where we put our money Km h said I
believe focusing on the higher-risk offenders is the
best long-term investment
lie s.ud he also believes the -fherifl s programs
should include a broader range of criminals,
including parole and probation violators Koch
wants to see more cost effei live programs in the
county that deal especially With substance abusers
and sex offenders
Koch is afraid that if the levy passes, nothing
will change in the way the county is dealing with
criminals
If a voter's sas \es' to the law enforcement
means business as usual, then I am against it.
K(« h said. "We need a change "
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