Winona County highlights Rep Plus reentry outcomes, approves strategic review contract
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Summary
The Winona County Board received a detailed review of the Rep Plus reentry assistance program, including participant and budget data, and approved a $10,000 local contract with the Justice Management Institute to help CJCC develop strategic planning and data capacity.
The Winona County Board on Nov. 4 heard an in-depth presentation on Rep Plus, the county—s reentry and prevention program, and approved a contract with the Justice Management Institute (JMI) to support strategic planning.
Gwen Herbert, executive director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), told commissioners the program has moved beyond jail reentry to include people with any justice contact and is available only to Winona County residents. Through the third quarter, staff met with 304 people, 92 accepted the program (up from 60 last year), 55 engaged with High Wythe Valley case managers, 119 funding requests were approved and 22 participants graduated. Herbert said the program had a 21-person wait list for the first time since she took the role.
Herbert outlined the 2025 budget tied to Rep Plus: the jail social worker salary and fringe costs plus $64,200 for contracted services and supplies; $49,200 specifically for recovery-support funding and $15,000 for program management (Herbert—s contract hours). She also said the county received $60,000 from the opioid settlement fund this year and has requested the same for 2026.
The board pressed for county-specific return-on-investment (ROI) numbers. Herbert cited national research ranges of $3 to $7 saved per dollar and said Rep Plus showed a 15% recidivism rate among program graduates versus roughly 40% statewide and about 70% nationally, but she acknowledged Winona County lacks an automated system to compute a local ROI. "I wish I had the data like that for Winona County specifically," she said, noting the CJCC has applied for grant funds to build better data collection.
To strengthen program planning and evaluation, the board approved a contract with the Justice Management Institute, a national CJCC technical-assistance provider, with a local match of $10,000. Herbert said JMI would conduct interviews, support strategic planning and help CJCC refine data approaches. The contract was described as funded from an existing professional services line; Commissioner Begley moved to approve and Commissioner Olsen seconded the motion, which carried on a voice vote.
Commissioners urged staff to "monetize" outcomes so the county can present clear taxpayer savings or costs when budgeting. Several members also raised sustainability concerns, noting the county cannot shoulder all program costs from property taxes and should continue to seek state and federal funding partners. The board took no additional action on Rep Plus beyond approving the JMI contract and receiving the update; commissioners asked staff to return with improved local performance data and any grant outcomes.