Department of Revenue Collections 2Intern/Volunteer Program 2Spotlight on Community Service 32014 Civil War Relay 3Sheila’s Team Update 4Steph’s Story 4

The turn of a new calendar year marks the season for government agencies to review their performance measures and begin planning for the next fiscal year. A core performance measure for community corrections is recidivism. In Oregon we measure this based upon the felony conviction rate within three years of admission to felony Probation, Parole, or Post-Prison Supervision (PPS). Data available from the state for the most recent three year period, 2008 through 2011, reports Washington County recidivism at 19.5% for probation and 23.8% for Parole/PPS. Stated another way, over 76% of those on Parole/PPS and 80% on Probation do not commit another felony crime while under our supervision.

So how does that measure up? The chart below highlights the difference between the recidivism for Washington County in relation to the statewide average:

2008/1st through 2011/1st Admissions

Average Statewide Average Washington Co. % Difference from Recidivism Rate Recidivism Rate Average Statewide

Parole/PPS 27.0 23.8 -11.85

Probation 21.1 19.5 -7.14

During the upcoming year the state measure for recidivism will expand to include convictions for misdemeanor crime. While this will be a new measure for most counties around the state, Washington County has measured misdemeanor convictions during supervision for many years. Data from combined felony and misdemeanor caseloads for the period 2011 through 2013 report a 9% misdemeanor conviction rate. Over 90% do not commit a misdemeanor crime while under our supervision.

The Washington County Department of Community Corrections has a well established reputation for being an effective leader in the area of evidence-based community corrections. We believe it is built upon the foundation of a working “change agent” relationship with our clients under supervision. As our mission states, we enhance community safety by promoting positive behavior change. The work you do matters and is making a difference in our community. Great work, folks!

Core Performance - Recidivism Review

Winter 2015

RetirementsBill Wolford retires in March after 17+ years at the Community Corrections Center as an

alcohol & drug counselor. He looks forward to spending time with his wife Nan and their grandkids, along with enjoying his hobbies of tying flies, fly fishing, making knives & leather work.

Gloria So Probation Officer, began her career in 1994 and retires on January 30. Throughout her

career she has worked primarily on low risk caseloads.

Naomi Morena also retires on January 30 after 20+ years as first a Mental Health Specialist

then PPO Supervisor, working with our mental health & multicultural clients.

Also retiring in December were Linda Brandt, Probation Officer, and Jim Conroy, Community Corrections Specialist. We wish all our retirees the best in their new adventures.

Department of Revenue CollectionsAs our clients complete their supervision and their files are discharged, any outstanding balance is sent to Oregon Department of Revenue. DOR then sends a letter to the client advising them that their outstanding balance has been transferred from our office for payment. The clients are given 30 days to contact DOR to set up a payment plan. If the clients fail to set up a plan they are subject to having their wages garnished or their Oregon tax refund withheld.

Our office submits approximately 100 new accounts to DOR each month. DOR will work the account through phone calls and letters to attempt to collect the outstanding balance. For this service DOR charges 16% of any amount collected. DOR will keep the account as long as they are able to collect from the client. If they have had an account for one year and are unable to collect anything, DOR will return the account to our office as “uncollectable.”

Last year our office submitted over $778,000 to DOR for collection. This balance includes supervision, polygraph, housing, treatment, community services and any other fee that is outstanding at discharge. We received payments from DOR totaling $268,000 and DOR returned $477,000 as uncollectable. Currently there is an outstanding balance at DOR of $2,504,919.44 for all of the accounts that they

are currently working.

Jim BrownJim recently joined the Community Corrections Center as a Corrections Specialist. He

attended Concordia University and Paramedic school. Prior to working in an on-call position at the Center, he worked in private security. Additionally he has worked in business management, as a firefighter/paramedic and as a reserve deputy sheriff. Jim and his wife Janelle (MRT & Anger Management Counselor) have two children, one crazy chocolate lab, and a cat. He enjoys fishing, hiking, and camping with family, along with gourmet cooking and barbecuing. One little known fact is that he used to have hair!

By Christy Elven

Intern/Volunteer ProgramAs we sadly say good-bye to our Intern Coordinator, Naomi Morena, we are continuing on with the program. The transition to Susan Ranger supervising the program started in December and we recently added our first Intern under that new supervision. Caitlyn Kolb, from Portland State University, joins our two existing volunteers, Kevin Novinger and Roxanne Lovelace.

We get many emails from interested candidates, and a small number of those follow through by downloading and sending in our intern application. Once chosen, a criminal background check is conducted, followed by fingerprinting and obtaining County identification. Visit our website for information about our Intern/Volunteer program, as well as our department application.

In the past, Parole and Probation Officers have not always been able to utilize interns and volunteers due to the time it takes to train them. We believe this can be a win-win program, providing experience for those interested in a career in Community Corrections, while helping decrease the workload of Officers. In an attempt to do that, volunteers/interns will receive one-on-one training in many areas such as file closures, kick down summaries, report writing including bench reports, violations reports and warrant requests. In addition, they will be taught to write sanctions, do filing, and contact clients for appointments as well as a number of other duties. After an intern/volunteer is sufficiently trained to work on their own, they will be assigned a team to work with. It is our hope that each team will be assigned an experienced, self-motivated intern/volunteer to help with large caseloads.

We appreciate the support of our interns and volunteers and remember that many of us got our start that way. We welcome any suggestions you may have for improving the program as we move forward.

By Susan RangerAndreas CorreaAndreas is a new Corrections Specialist at the Corrections Center.

In addition to working at the CCC, he also attends PSU and previously studied human physiology and law in Stockholm, Sweden. Originally from Sweden, Andreas is a former member of the Swedish Coastal Rangers, an amphibious special operations unit of the Swedish Navy. He also has worked as a personal trainer, martial arts instructor, and in various security events. One little known fact is that Andreas was a former featherweight champion in Mixed Martial Arts and took bronze at the 2012 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Championships in Long Beach, California.

On December 7, three teams from Community Corrections competed in the 2014 Civil War Relay, a one-day, 52-leg relay celebrating the football rivalry between U of O and OSU. The route began in Eugene and wound through the countryside, ending in Albany. The three teams were from the Community Corrections Center, Probation & Parole, and P&P Supervisors. The Supervisors team, consisting of Joe Simich, Susan Ranger, David Bellwood, Michael Mollahan, Tim Vice & driver, Steve Berger, finished with the fastest time. The Probation & Parole Team participants were Brooke Vice, Diane Doty, Melqui Arroyo, Kaela Watson, Naomi Rios, & driver, Pedro Rios. The CCC team participants were Danita and Larry Gorman, Andreas Correa, Kaylynn Berios, Meredith Smith, Ken Rolfe, and driver, Michele Scholl. Congratulations to all!

Kaylynn BerriosKaylynn has accepted a PO position with the department, beginning in February.

She came to Washington County in 2013 as a supervisor at the Community Corrections Center. Prior to her arrival, Kaylynn was the Director of Children and Adult Community Services in Fort Meyer, Florida (yes, she chose beautiful Washington County over dreary ol’ Florida). Her education includes a bachelors degree from Kansas State University and Masters in Criminal Forensics from Florida Gulf Coast University. Those who have worked with Kaylynn over the last couple years can appreciate the positive and professional approach she brings to the P&P division and know she’ll be a great fit with our team.

Spotlight on Community ServiceFor the past 12 years our Community Service Program has been coordinated by Bernadine Marcom (you might note the recent name change). In September, Bernadine tied the knot with Ray Marcom and changed her name from Evenson to Marcom.

As the Community Service Coordinator, Bernadine manages over 800 community service clients. Community Service is an alternative sentencing program which the courts may use instead of fines or incarceration. Clients are required to provide volunteer labor on a work crew or approved community non-profit agency. Bernadine tracks client hours and monitors due dates to ensure clients comply with the sentence. Those who do not complete community service hours as directed are referred back to the court. Failure to complete community service hours may result in a violation hearing or warrant, unless waived by the court.

Additionally, Bernadine volunteers time for the Northwest Community Service Association Board. The group recently implemented the OATS Program (Offender Accountability Tracking System) which is our community service database. This program allows the Department as well as the Courts to share data. Also, by utilizing Laserfiche, Bernadine has transformed the entire program from paper to digital files; saving paper, time, and money.

If you have suggestions or questions regarding Community Service feel free to

contact Bernadine at 503.846.3730.

By Theresa Hunker

Oscar EstradaOscar recently joined the Community Corrections staff as a Corrections

Specialist. A graduate of Forest Grove HS, he has worked for Washington County for the past eight years; first at Harkins House Juvenile Shelter, and then with Animal Services. Oscar is married, and has a 17-year old son and 15-year old daughter. He enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, and watching his kids play sports. Oscar is the youngest of 13 brothers and sisters, and is a diehard Steelers fan.

Sheila’s Team UpdateWhat a difference a year has made! Happy Birthday IRISS. Over the past year we have made a lot of progress and continue to evaluate our program and refine our skills. Dawn and Mike have done an excellent job, their personalities and dedication to helping our clients is the perfect fit for IRISS.

As of 9/1/14, Jaree began taking all of the new general downward departures. This change, which we call secondary IRISS, was made to allow for easier transition into intensive supervision should the client require a higher level of supervision. Jaree kept her existing female caseload and took on the new assignment. Jaree is a superstar and cares deeply for her clients. Thank you Jaree!

I want to extend a BIG THANK YOU to my team: Janice, Lindsay, Corinne, Jason, Erin, Dan, Dave, Sue, Chelsea, Lisa, Dawn, and Mike. I’m amazed every day by your dedication. Accepting of change and progressive movement, thank you for helping me build this team and work towards professional excellence.

Finally my “Above and Beyond” award goes to Corinne Day and Sue Martin. Corinne took it upon herself to help a client who could not afford a walker and personally delivered one to the client. Thank you Corinne for taking the time to notice what the client’s needs were and respond personally! Sue Martin took time out of her life and helped a client transition from this life to the next. Sue was called by the hospital as the “next of kin” due to this former drug court client not having anyone who was stable enough to respond. Sue comforted and sat with this client while she passed and then helped the family take care of her apartment and two dogs, ABOVE AND BEYOND!

Steph’s StoryIt was March of 2012 when I started down a quick path of destruction. One shot of dope sent me to my knees and paved the way to total loss... loss of everything. My son, my job, my property, and eventually, my freedom. My first interaction with the police was in August 2012; a short five months after my first shot of meth. It led me to inpatient treatment for two weeks and then thirty days outpatient. I got a job and I was staying clean, but I was still living in my addiction. I stayed clean until October 11, 2012, when I officially lost custody of my son. After that, it was game on! I went on a devastating run, leaving a wave of pain and destruction behind me. I was arrested the night of November 14th, 2012 on commercial delivery, manufacturing and possession. I took a plea and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

I will never forget the rainy, lonely drive from Washington County Jail to Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. All the horrible things I had done came flashing back! Eight months of active addiction and I had destroyed my life. I lost everything I had, lost myself, and gave up my son. For what? A trip to prison and a class B felony that will follow me forever.

At this point, I knew that I had one of two choices, continue to live in my addiction and become another statistic, or use this time to become a better me. I made the choice to rebuild my life! I spent the time I was incarcerated healing, growing, and learning about myself. I discovered who I was and who I wanted to be.

I was unable to see my son the entire time I was down. Instead of playing the victim, I put myself into a parenting class and reached out to people on the inside who could help me become the mom my son deserved. I took Pathfinders, which is a cognitive thinking class, I worked on my recovery and built a support system of people for when I got out. On October 18, 2013, after being incarcerated for 11 months, I was released to the loving arms of my mom. I was able to see my son for the first time in a year and I was ready to take all I had learned inside and use it to rebuild my life.

I moved into the House of Hope, a faith-based women’s recovery home, and surrounded myself with women I could learn to trust. I dived into meetings and job searching. I knew I wanted to make it, it was going to take work. I had a mentor who pushed me and encouraged me to believe in myself, gave me resources, and led me to a group that led me to a job.

I was hired at Shari’s on November 14, 2013, exactly one year after my arrest date, as a host and a baker. Today, I have been with the company for over a year and am now an Assistant Manager. Even with my felony charge, I am trusted to help run a 1.5 million dollar store! I have a car, a valid drivers license and a home of my own that I share with my amazing girlfriend! I have a sponsor, I still attend meetings and I work my steps. Doing the right thing definitely isn’t easy, but I know where I was, where I am and where I want to be. In the time since my release from Coffee Creek, I have had amazing opportunities, rebuilt relationships, and become a woman I am proud of. I had the opportunity to thank the officers who arrested me, I have a job I love, a HUGE support system, over 2 years of continued sobriety and am active in the lives of my loved ones, my family and friends, and especially my son. I have a healthy relationship with a woman who loves me unconditionally and I am present for her.

Today I am free from active addiction, I get to help others who are struggling and if

my story touches one life, then none of it was in vain!