Commission appoints community corrections committee

In an effort to both reduce the number of people sent to the Tygarts Valley Regional Jail and provide better rehabilitation for non-violent offenders, the county commission appointed a community corrections committee Tuesday. The committee will look at the possibility of a full-fledged Community Corrections Board that will be able to seek grant money for programs.

The committee—Prosecuting Attorney Walt Weiford, Sheriff Bob Alkire, Magistrate Doshia Webb, Commissioner Martin Saffer and Home Confinement Officer Kevin White—will also determine whether or not a partnership with Greenbrier County would be feasible.

Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties make up the Eleventh Judicial District.

Enhanced probation, day-fine programs, community service, restitution, home confinement, substance abuse programs, sex offender containment, licensed domestic violence offender treatment programs and drug courts are all possibilities in the program.

A Community Corrections Board could enhance the programs already in place in Pocahontas County, as well as increase the number of programs available.

Magistrate Doshia Webb said the county is already doing some of the things Community Corrections provides for, but without the grant money available to fund them.

"We're a step ahead of Greenbrier County," she said.

Webb said the goal is to make lawbreakers productive members of society before they become repeat offenders. Another goal is to help stabilize those with mental health issues, she said. Often, she said, those with mental health issues self-medicate, which can cause repeat offenses.

"They become not only mental health issues, but substance abuse issues," she said. "And they're 80 percent more likely to repeat offend. That's pretty significant."

Treatment of both issues reduces the likelihood of repeat offenses, Webb said. The missing cog is being able to track those mental health issues, she continued.

Prosecuting Attorney Walt Weiford suggested a signed release from those individuals Webb assigns to a mental health agency.

As far as community service, Webb said people sentenced to that task had done work at the court house and cleaned a Civil War cemetery at Durbin.

BIPS, Batterers Intervention Program, Webb said, could serve those offenders who suffer from control issues rather than anger management issues.

Commissioners Reta Griffith and Martin Saffer noted that already existing or soon-to-exist services in the county could supplement the program.

Griffith said Denmar Correctional Center has vo-tech and education programs that could combine with Workforce West Virginia, while Saffer said Snowshoe Mountain Resort's coming career center in Marlinton could provide training, as well.

Partnering with Greenbrier County would leverage better finances, Griffith said.

The committee will decide whether a single county or multi-county application is more beneficial and which programs benefit the most offenders.

According to home confinement officer Kevin White, 21 people are now on home confinement and about 23 are on unsupervised probation. The per diem cost at the regional jail is nearly $50. The big thing with Community Corrections is accountability, rehabilitation, education and restitution, White said.

Griffith said people must be eligible to participate in Community Corrections and likely would be different offenders than those eligible for home confinement.