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County attorney seeks $31,500 to expand victim–offender dialogues; volunteers, prosecutors report 7% recidivism in program
Summary
Polk County Attorney’s Office requested $31,500 to expand a victim‑offender dialogue program that staff say handled roughly 800 dialogues last year and shows a 7% early recidivism rate compared with a roughly 34% three‑year average in Iowa; volunteers urged the board to fund expansion to double capacity.
The Polk County Attorney’s Office asked the Board of Supervisors to consider adding $31,500 to expand its victim–offender dialogue program, which prosecutors and volunteers said is reaching roughly 800 participants a year and has produced a low early recidivism rate in internal tracking.
A county official relaying program metrics said the office conducted about 800 community‑represented and victim‑offender dialogues in the past year and reported a 7% rate of participants picking up another charge in early follow‑up — compared with an average general three‑year recidivism rate of about 34% in Iowa, the presenter said. County staff said the program can only run a fraction of the sessions it could if it could pay more facilitators.
County Attorney staff and volunteer mediators described the program in public comment. Cassidy, who schedules and runs dialogues, told supervisors the $31,500 would roughly double the program’s capacity. Volunteer mediators who spoke at the meeting described the dialogues as restorative and said they regularly see offenders acknowledge harm, identify steps to avoid reoffending and report positive outcomes.
Why it matters: Prosecutors and volunteers said the program lowers reoffending among low‑level cases, reduces court time and provides a path for offenders to accept responsibility and propose restitution or behavioral changes. The county attorney’s representatives asked the board to consider funding at least part of the package; some supervisors expressed interest in finding funds for the program.
Details and debate - Request amount: $31,500 for the victim‑offender dialogue program (County Attorney’s Office request, cited by staff). - Program scale: roughly 800 dialogues conducted in the past year (staff statement). - Early recidivism metric: program participants picked up another charge at a rate of about 7% during the tracked period; county staff contrasted that with a roughly 34% statewide three‑year average. - Use of funds: pay facilitators and expand capacity; staff said better compensation would allow the program to serve roughly twice as many participants.
Public testimony Several volunteers addressed the board in support. Anne Rezarch, a long‑time mediator with the county, described being skeptical at first and later becoming a strong advocate after seeing participants engage, accept responsibility and commit to change. Cindy Erickson, another volunteer, said she had conducted dozens of dialogues and described consistent positive outcomes. Both volunteers urged the board to fund expansion.
Board reaction and next steps Supervisors expressed interest in the program and asked staff to consider whether the $31,500 can be found in current allocations. Marasco and board members said they would continue to examine decision packages and possible reallocations in coming budget discussions.
Ending note Prosecutors and volunteers characterized the program as a low‑cost alternative that reduces recidivism among lower‑level offenders and frees court resources; board members signaled they would continue to weigh funding amid other budget pressures.
