Polk County commissioners agree to provide letter of support for Justice Reinvestment Program preliminary application

Polk County commissioners on April 8 agreed to provide a letter of support for a preliminary Justice Reinvestment Program application that seeks to continue funding a qualified mental health professional and a half-time case manager who serve people in the county jail, and to fund prescriber hours for incarcerated individuals.

The proposal, presented by Jody Merritt, Polk County community corrections director, asks the board to sign a letter indicating the county intends to submit a preliminary application for the state Justice Reinvestment Program (JRP). Merritt said the preliminary filing does not include a budget and is due April 18; the final application — if the county proceeds — would include a budget and additional detail. "The preliminary application is just, are you going to apply?" Merritt told the board.

The preliminary JRP filing, Merritt said, would identify the county's existing program, which currently funds a QMHP in the jail and a half-time case manager who is based in the community corrections office. The program also pays for prescriber hours to provide medication to people in custody. Merritt said a Local Public Safety Coordinating Council subcommittee discussed the preliminary application and recommended moving forward with the same program; if additional funding is available in the final application, the county could consider adding another half-time jail staff member.

A commissioner who spoke during the item characterized the state's preliminary process as burdensome and uncertain. "This feels like the state trying to figure out how to build the airplane, not actually building the airplane while we're trying to fly it," the commissioner said, adding frustration with repeated state and federal application processes that leave local officials without clear parameters for budgeting. Merritt responded that the county could revise the final application if needed and noted that the county had indicated in the preliminary that it might apply for a competitive personnel grant attached to the JRP; Merritt said saying "yes" now preserves the option to pursue that competitive grant, while saying "no" would forfeit the option.

Commissioners signaled support for the preliminary filing and the letter; one commissioner asked whether a formal motion was required and the board proceeded without completing a formal, recorded motion. Commissioners also voiced general support for the work Merritt described. "It means something to me in our department, so I appreciate your support," Merritt said.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of agenda: approved by voice vote (aye). Mover: not specified; second: not specified; tally reported as three ayes. - Approval of minutes (March 25): approved by voice vote (aye). Mover: not specified; second: not specified; tally reported as three ayes.

What the preliminary application requires and next steps

Merritt told commissioners the preliminary application asks only whether the county intends to apply and requires letters of support from the community corrections director, the presiding judge, the district attorney, the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council (LPSCC), and the board of commissioners; the final application will include a budget and more detailed questions. Merritt said the county must submit the preliminary by April 18. She said the competitive portion tied to the JRP is focused on personnel and would require any funded staff to support the broader JRP activities.

No ordinance, resolution, or binding contract was adopted during the discussion. The board recorded consensus support for a letter of support and agreed to proceed with the preliminary filing timeline described by Merritt.

The meeting adjourned after the item.