Problem
Problematic Behavior Or Activity
The most frequent crime in Linn County is methamphetamine possession, with 523 charges filed in 2012 and 494 charges in 2013. At the end of calendar year 2013, Linn County Parole and Probation supervised 613 people on post-prison supervision and 627 on felony probation; 44 percent of these offenders had a history of drug crimes.
Linn County’s child abuse and neglect rate is 1.5 times greater than the state average and the county also has a disproportionate number of children in foster care. The regional rate of illicit drug use among women is 10 percent, twice the national average. Linn County exceeds the state’s percentage of children entering foster care with “parental drug abuse” as the reason for removal.
As of February 2015, Linn County’s 7.3 percent unemployment rate exceeded the state average of 5.8 percent. The proportion of Linn County families with incomes below the federal poverty level is also higher than the state average, with 24.9 percent of children living in poverty in 2014.
The 2012 Linn County Community Needs Assessment ranked alcohol and other drug abuse as the second-most-pressing health problem in Linn County, after obesity. High rates of unemployment and poverty contribute to high rates of drug-related crime, and high rates of child abuse and neglect.
Solution
Program Description
In 2014, Linn County revamped its Community Intervention Program (CIP) in order to offer services targeted at the county’s problems. CIP previously included services such as in-jail mental health services for the uninsured and community supports such as shelter, rent assistance, transportation, and identification. CIP now targets medium- to high-risk offenders on probation and provides access to the following:
- A mental health specialist in the jail who identifies offenders with mental disorders that will interfere with a successful transition—and to help arrange treatment in the community
- Immediate access to a substance use disorder (SUD) assessment
- Certified recovery mentors
- Rural transportation to cognitive-behavioral groups
All expanded services now focus on intervening more effectively with repeat drug offenders. The program relies heavily on Linn County Parole and Probation staff, who identify priority offenders based on their Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) assessment, as well as other tools, such as the substance use disorder assessment. Priority offenders receive increased supervision intensity and are referred to peer recovery services.
Based On Research
The CIP relies heavily on these evidence-based practices:
- Public Safety Checklist for Oregon
- LS/CMI
- Motivational Interviewing
- Moral Reconation Therapy
- Thinking for Change
- ASAM criteria
- Criminal Sentiments Scale
- Matrix Model
- South Oaks Gambling Screen
- Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy
- Seeking Safety
- Contingency Management Model
- Nurturing Parenting for Parents in Addiction Recovery
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Funding
This program is funded by a $373,251 grant through the state’s 2015-2017 Justice Reinvestment Grant Program. The grant supports the following:
- Alcohol and other drug specialist (to conduct jail assessments and outreach)
- Jail mental health specialist
- Probation officer
- Housing, identity documents, transportation assistance, and shelter beds
- Peer recovery mentor
Outcome
Program Impact
Desired outcomes include the following:
- Increase the number of offenders who are assessed using the LS/CMI.
- Increase the number of offenders who are actively supervised.
- Increase the percentage of offenders accessing treatment for a substance use disorder within three working days from their release from jail.
- Increase the number of offenders who receive substance use disorder assessments in the jail prior to their release.