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Commissioners endorse expanded pretrial access to Belknap County 'core' treatment program
Summary
County staff proposed formalizing court‑clinician assessments so pretrial inmates can participate in the county 'core' treatment program and receive credit toward future sentenced treatment; commissioners approved the change by motion and voice vote.
Belknap County commissioners approved staff’s recommendation to formalize pretrial access to the county 'core' treatment program by having the court clinician assess inmates on the community‑corrections side. The change is intended to allow pretrial participants to complete program components that would reduce required treatment time if later sentenced.
Michelle, a county staff member who presented the proposal, said the county will continue to use the 12‑week model as the standard for sentenced participants, but pretrial participation and clinician assessment would allow participation credit that could reduce later sentenced treatment time and increase opportunities for earlier work release and community transition. Michelle said the change should not increase current costs and that the model could expand treatment access for people awaiting trial.
Commissioners asked whether there were any foreseeable downsides; Michelle and other commissioners said they did not identify significant cons. Commissioner Hodgees moved to approve the change, another commissioner seconded, and the board approved the recommendation by voice vote; the transcript does not record a roll‑call tally.
Next steps: staff will coordinate with the court clinician, public defenders and the county attorney’s office to operationalize assessments and enrollment procedures for eligible pretrial participants.
