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Three‑year jail‑diversion pilot posts high completion rates and low recidivism; board discusses expansion and female program options
Summary
The Community Offender Rehabilitative Treatment pilot (LightShare court program) diverted about 316 low‑level felony defendants over three years, achieved an 89% completion rate and an 86% 12‑month non‑recidivism rate; staff said financial savings roughly offset program costs and recommended continued investment and consideration of a female residential option.
Health and Human Services staff presented the final report on the three‑year Community Offender Rehabilitative Treatment ("court") pilot on Wednesday, showing strong completion and recidivism results and positive cost implications.
Kim Hirsch, Criminal Justice System Coordinator, summarized that the program used a 40‑bed facility at LightShare and admitted low‑level male felony offenders for 30–120 days of secured residential treatment. Over the pilot the program served an average of about 105 clients per year (98 in FY22, 106 in FY23, 112 in FY24), achieved an average completion rate of 89%, and recorded a three‑year average 12‑month non‑recidivism rate of 86% among completers.
Using the county’s model (106.34 jail bed days saved per diverted client at $118.53 per day), staff calculated first‑year per‑client jail‑bed savings of $12,604 and estimated cumulative recurring savings across cohorts of approximately $10.4 million; the program’s total expenditures over the pilot were $8.76 million, a difference staff reported as roughly $1.6 million net benefit when considering jail bed savings and booking costs. Commissioners praised the results and discussed extending similar services to female inmates; staff noted housing configuration currently limited admissions to men but identified potential future sites and options.
