Treatment Court Judge Christie Timko attended the regular meeting of the Harney County Court on Dec. 19 to discuss reentry court.

This new program will help people who are coming out of prison or local control “reintegrate into our community in the most positive fashion,” Timko explained.

Reentry court is similar in structure to treatment court, which is a criminal court for felons who are convicted of crimes and have an addiction to drugs and alcohol that leads to criminal activity. Both courts require treatment, include high-intensity community supervision, and use a process of rewards and sanctions to change behavior.

“Every two weeks, [participants] are given a requirement, a list of things to do, and when they come back to court, they have to show what they’ve accomplished,” Timko said, adding that rewards for accomplishments include time off of community service, credits for future sanctions, and small gifts such as toothbrushes.

“A lot of the progress and programs in treatment court have been studied, and they would apply to our reentry population,” Timko said, noting that Harney County is the first county in the state of Oregon to receive a grant to start a reentry court program.

“The state has allotted grant funds trying to do new methods to stop our recidivism rate,” she said, explaining that recidivism is the rate at which people are rearrested and return to prison. “Nationwide, 65 percent are rearrested and put back in prison within two years. So, nationwide, they’re trying to figure out how do we stop this flow?”

Timko said she’s spent the last two years studying programs across the nation to determine how to implement reentry court in Harney County.

Although they are structured similarly, the treatment and reentry courts have some notable differences. Treatment court is an option in lieu of prison, and participants have to be addicted to drugs and alcohol. Reentry court captures the post-prison population. Participants don’t have to be addicted to drugs and alcohol, but they are considered highly likely to reoffend.

“They’re assessed and they are deemed that they’re going to keep committing crimes unless we do something different,” Timko said. “So it’s just a lot broader and a lot harder population than treating somebody who’s just addicted with criminal behavior.”

Harney County Commissioner Patty Dorroh asked whether court obligations could interfere with employment. Timko acknowledged that “employment is one of the highest-ranked options to keep somebody out of prison,” and said efforts are being made to adjust treatment schedules. However, she noted that treatment court participants are so highly addicted to drugs and alcohol that they’re unlikely to hold a job until they receive treatment.

“You’ve got to choose. You can work, lose your job, and go to jail or you can do your treatment upfront so you can hold down your job and have a life,” Timko said.

Reentry court participants will also receive treatment for addiction (as needed) as well as therapy to address their criminal thinking errors.

“When you have somebody coming out of prison who has multiple felony convictions, they’re not highly employable, and that’s one of the reasons for this program,” Timko said. “We’re hoping in time it will get a reputation to show that we can grow some very reliable, hardworking employees.”

The program will only be offered to people who are required to reside in Harney County as a post-prison condition.

“Reentry court has to offer the deal,” Timko said. “A judge cannot mandate that we take anybody.”

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Harney County Commissioner Mark Owens contacted Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) District Wildlife Biologist Rod Klus regarding funding or materials for private landowners outside of the agricultural community who want to fence off deer.

Klus said there isn’t a state fund for that, but ODFW may be able to provide other methods for keeping the deer away.

“If that’s not successful, on occasion, they have found used materials or materials on site that they can help with. They don’t have a fund for it, but they want to work with the citizens,” Owens said.

“They say the best way to keep the deer out of town is stop feeding them in the winter,” he added, noting that the cities of Burns and Hines are working on ordinances to address the issue.

Owens also stated that the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved rules for a new urban deer control program, and the city councils are working with ODFW to determine whether they want to pursue it.

•••

In other business, the court:

• discussed the 2018 Harney County Fair, Rodeo, and Race Meet Financial Review with Fair Manager Jordon Bennett.

“Overall, our revenue and expenses were both up,” Bennett said.

He and the court then engaged in a lengthy conversation concerning options for cutting costs without sacrificing quality;

• received Public Notices of Water Use Requests on Dec. 11 and Dec. 18. Owens will review them and report back to the court.

Owens also followed up on a water use request that was discussed during the Nov. 21 county court meeting. He explained that the application to split a permit was part of a real estate transaction;

• received an update from Dorroh regarding unlicensed contractors.

During the Dec. 5 county court meeting, Paul Zipser of Burns Electric and Dale Houck of Great Basin Plumbing reported that people are doing electrical, plumbing, and other work without the proper licenses or permits.

Dorroh said she met with Zipser and Houck to hear their concerns and discuss the role of the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. She added that she’s looking at processes used by other counties and plans to hold additional meetings.

Harney County Judge Pete Runnels said he talked to Sheriff Dave Ward about enforcement.

“It’s totally within our right to do this. We’ve just got to figure out a good, fair system, not jump on people we shouldn’t be,” Runnels said, adding that he’d like to see something in place in the next one to two months;

• plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with Grant County for septic inspections.

“We hope to take over their septic inspections Feb. 15,” Runnels said, noting that this will help Harney County’s inspector, Jesse Barnes, get the hours she needs;

• approved a court order appointing Vicky Clemens as justice of the peace pro tempore for Harney County Justice Court from Jan. 1-7, 2019.

Although she was elected to the position, Clemens will not be sworn in until Jan. 7. Current Justice of the Peace Donna Thomas is ineligible to serve in January because of age restrictions dictated by state law;

• approved a court order appointing John Lamborn and Judge Kathy Stinnett as justice of the peace pro tempore for Harney County Justice Court for the 2019 calendar year;

• approved Resolution 2018-20 appropriating funds due to unexpected occurrence or condition.

Harney County Treasurer Bobbi Jo Heany explained that the Public Health Department is participating with the Oregon Health Authority in a new Reproductive Health Equity Grant, and the anticipated revenue is $7,343;

• approved Resolution 2018-21 appropriating funds due to unexpected occurrence or condition. The fairgrounds received an insurance payment for property damage that incurred during the May 25 windstorm;

• approved and signed its comments regarding the South Silvies Complex Grazing Allotments Environmental Analysis.

The analysis will examine the reauthorization of grazing on three allotments (Big Sagehen, Silvies, and Bridge Creek), which are all under one ownership and located 18 miles north of Burns.

“I’d say 70 percent of our comments come directly from the ranch,” Owens said. “We reviewed them all. We support them, so we’ve included them;”

• approved its comments on the Rattlesnake Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project.

The purpose of the project is to reduce fuels, alter fire behavior, and move the area toward historical fire behavior and frequency with historical effects on vegetation.

Owens said the court supports the project and efforts to reduce fuel loads in the forest.

“We just ask for it to be a little more aggressive,” he said.

Runnels said a constituent shared concerns about proposed road activities, which were included in the court’s comments;

• received correspondence from Forest Service Contracting Officer Arnie J. Cole regarding the Coxie DXPre SBA and Bear DxPre timber sales;

• noted that the county court offices will be closed on Dec. 31.

The next meeting of the Harney County Court will be held Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, at 10 a.m. in Runnels’ office at the courthouse.