Viewpoints: Jail is broken. How the county is fixing it

• County-run jails and probation are often the introduction to the criminal-justice system for many young people and adults
• We’re adopting strategies so that when prisoners do get out, they’re less likely to commit new crimes and return
• We have recruited top criminologists to develop and independently evaluate Smart Justice programs

In an era of partisan politics in which policymakers disagree about virtually everything, a widely diverse coalition has emerged around criminal justice reform.

Personalities and factions from both the right and left — the “tea party” and the ACLU, the Koch Brothers and George Soros, victims’ rights advocates and prison reform activists — all agree that what we’re doing now isn’t working. And it’s expensive, very expensive.

So, despite natural suspicions, they’ve started collaborating on better models.

Most of the advances so far have come from the states, governors and legislatures in Texas, New York, Ohio, Georgia and California. They have turned to enhanced risk assessment, alternatives to incarceration and evidence-based programs to achieve positive results.

While much has been written about federal and state prison policies, not much has been said about county-run jails and probation, which are often the introduction to the criminal justice system for many young people and adults.

With nearly 52 percent of our Maricopa County budget being spent on criminal justice and public safety, and more than 100,000 people — including some repeat offenders — cycling through our jails each year, we are implementing some of the same data-driven policies with encouraging outcomes. Scarce resources must be targeted to where they will be most effective.

Incarceration is exactly what some criminals deserve, and it has public support. Some offenders are just too dangerous to be released into society. But reliance on a one-size-fits-all approach has been unsuccessful. Incarceration can be overused and costly.

Research shows that a significant proportion of crime is committed by a relatively small group of persistent offenders. Estimates indicate as few as 5 percent of offenders can account for 40 percent of crimes. It makes sense to keep the most dangerous away from society for as long as possible.

But all of those sentenced to Maricopa County jails will get out within one year. Our opportunity is to adopt strategies so that when they do get out, they’re less likely to commit new crimes and return.

That’s why my colleagues and I on the Board of Supervisors have embraced our Smart Justice Initiative. Smart Justice brings together all the county criminal justice players — the Sheriff, County Attorney, Superior Courts, Correctional Health, Probation, Public Defender, County Manager’s Office and other related departments — to focus on best practices and adopt evidenced-based policies and programs.

Five big reforms

We have recruited top criminologists to develop and independently evaluate Smart Justice programs. If a program works, we expand it. If it doesn’t, we make a change, always going back to the data. Key policies and initiatives include:

-- Improved assessment of offender needs and recidivism risks. In December 2011, Maricopa County implemented the Recidivism Risk Score (“Proxy Score”) to assess the risk level of individuals booked into jail. Other assessments are done at time of sentencing and while under supervision of the probation department. These risk assessments help us focus costly interventions and treatment on moderate and high-risk offenders.

-- Rigorous programming to address “criminogenic” factors (i.e., likelihood to commit crime). For real change to occur, destructive thinking patterns must be addressed. Thinking for a Change (T4C), a national 25-session program, is used within the jails and in adult probation.

-- Enhanced curriculum for MCSO’s substance abuse program, ALPHA. Criminal behaviors often include drug abuse, and the more we can reduce chemical dependency, the better chance we have to reduce criminal behavior.

-- Rethinking our approach toward the mentally ill. Our jails house more individuals in need of behavioral health services than any other facility in Arizona. Some offenders might not be in jail if their needs were met. There are also criminals with mental illness. We have to be sophisticated enough to address the needs of both. We are collaborating with community partners to divert individuals from jail when appropriate and develop better transition planning so treatment initiated in jail continues once offenders are released.

-- Focusing on women in jail. The number of women incarcerated in Maricopa County (approximately 18 percent) resembles the national average. However, this number has remained stable while the number of males has decreased over the past decade.

The emotional and social cost of incarcerating mothers is extremely high, particularly for children. Especially when, according to the American Jail Association, women are much less of a public-safety risk than men. We need to do better.

Despite our strong partnerships, the challenge is immense. However, I’m proud that Maricopa County’s Smart Justice is ahead of the curve on many issues. And we will continue to look for results that both save taxpayers money and increase the safety of our communities.

Denny Barney lives in Gilbert and represents District 1 on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.