2021 Safety and Justice history and background
2021 Safety and Justice history and background
TIMELINE:
- April – conceptual designs are finalized.
- July – pretrial services are expanded and crisis outreach pilot programs are launched.
- August – community meetings are launched.
- December – Benton County receives a matching grant for a new courthouse.
Facilities & Programs
In 2021, voters renewed the Benton County Public Health and Safety Local Option Levy to fund health and safety programs. This provided a planning horizon for program operations and allowed the County to focus on facilities that would house and support those programs. With the levy funding in place, the County implemented a number of the recommended system improvements.
Enhanced Accountability and Rehabilitation Opportunities
Expanded pretrial services will reduce the high rate of failures to appear in court and offer an alternative to incarceration/jail. Electronic monitoring is a tool of pretrial services to reduce the high rates of failure to appear in court. It provides notifications to individuals that have upcoming court dates, and improved ankle bracelet monitoring to keep better track of monitored individuals.
Expanded rehabilitative opportunities will be provided to adults in custody to help them prepare for life after incarceration/jail and to reconcile with the community. Examples include substance abuse meetings, parenting courses, GED preparation courses, and other self-development opportunities.
Enhanced Mental Health Services
One of the County’s goals is for all law enforcement officers in the County to participate in Crisis Response Intervention Training. This training equips law enforcement officers to better understand and interact with those in our communities who experience developmental or intellectual disabilities and those who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
In July 2021, the Benton County Behavioral Health Department and Corvallis Police Department launched the CORE program, which pairs a qualified mental health professional and a crisis intervention-trained police officer to resolve mental health crisis calls. CORE’s mission is to provide trauma-informed care to those experiencing a mental health crisis while ensuring the safety of responders, the person in crisis, and the community. Furthering this work, the County plans to open a crisis center, a 24/7, walk-in Crisis Center facility located in downtown Corvallis.
Improved Data Analysis
Data evaluation and metrics are an important feedback loop to ensure the safety and justice system is operating as intended and to identify areas for improvement.
New Facilities
Planned
The new Benton County Crisis Center will be a walk-in, treatment-centered facility and may be an alternative to the emergency room. It will also serve as a resource for community partners, from non-profits to law enforcement agencies, who need help accessing behavioral health needs for clients and community members. It will be located in downtown Corvallis.
The new Courthouse and District Attorney’s office will provide improved safety and accessibility to everyone that uses the building. The Courthouse will be funded with a 50% matching grant and the remaining costs for these two facilities will be funded through County borrowing.
A community Safety and Justice site, located one mile north of downtown Corvallis will bring justice services to a single location. This location was selected to serve as the central location for a new Courthouse and District Attorney’s Office.
Proposed
With input from County staff, partner organizations and agencies, community organizations, and residents, Benton County Commissioners voted to place a $110 million bond measure on the May 2023 ballot to fund the proposed new JSIP facilities.
A new Correctional Facility would replace the existing jail and be housed next to the new Courthouse and District Attorney’s office. The new facility would be designed to meet modern facility standards and would have increased capacity including a therapeutic area for adults in custody who need mental health and addiction services and support.
A new Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Operations Center would be co-located with the Correctional Facility, new Courthouse, and District Attorney’s office to provide operational efficiencies, and ample parking and a modern facility for these services.
2021 News
County allocated over $20 million in state matching funds to construct new courthouse – Dec. 22, 2021
Benton County is allocated over $20 million in state matching funds for the construction of a new County courthouse.
With statewide recognition for the need for a modern courthouse that meets best practice standards for safety, access and services, the County’s program was placed on a priority list by the Association of Oregon Counties-Oregon Judicial Department Courthouse Task Force five years ago. Benton County collaborated with the Oregon Judicial Department, to apply for state matching funds for a new courthouse from the Oregon Capital Construction and Improvement Fund. The matching funds enable the state to pay for half of an approximately $40 million new courthouse, with the County funding the remainder. A mandated service, building a new County courthouse to meet the needs of current and future Benton County residents is critical. The Historic Benton County Courthouse was built in 1888 and is no longer capable of meeting current accessibility, safety and trauma-informed services standards.
Through HB 5006, the 2021 State Legislature approved a 50% match of approximately $20.4 million to the County. The new courthouse is one of four new facilities proposed for the County’s Justice System Improvement Program. The award of these state matching resources is contingent upon the County demonstrating the ability to provide its equal share of the project cost. These resources were contemplated to come through the County’s original bond measure date of May 2022, which has since moved to May 2023. The year-long postponement of the bond measure vote required that the County either identify another funding source for matching funds or re-request funds from the Legislature in the 2023 session.
On Tuesday, December 7, the Board of Commissioners agreed to fund the County’s $20.4 million in matching funds for the new courthouse using a combination of budget reserves and borrowing, enabling the project to advance as originally contemplated. The Board did not wish to forego the $20.4 million matching funds from the State and risk the possibility of a future legislature reducing or eliminating the award.
The Board’s decision will enable the County to execute an agreement with the state to receive an official award of the resources so that design work on the new courthouse may begin in 2022, with an estimated completion date of July 2025. A portion or all of the County’s matching funds may still be included in the May 2023 bond measure to allow the County to reimburse itself for funds drawn from reserves or borrowing. The County does not need to secure its matching funds as a $20.4 million lump sum; it can be staggered over the life of the project.
A site for the new courthouse has not been determined and will in part hinge on the outcome of the Justice System Improvement Program’s site selection process. Currently, program staff and the Board of Commissioners are contemplating two suburban sites, in west and north Corvallis, and a site downtown that is smaller in size than the suburban sites, but large enough for a new courthouse. The Commissioners will have to align on the new courthouse site in early 2022.
Related to the new courthouse, the Board recently discussed the proposed future location of the District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney currently occupies a portion of the historic Benton County Courthouse. Over the past year, the Justice System Improvement Program’s Technical and Community Advisory Committees contemplated whether the District Attorney should remain in the Historic Benton County Courthouse, or become part of, or co-located with, the proposed new courthouse. Ultimately, the advisory committees recommended the District Attorney’s Office migrate to the new courthouse, to align with industry best practices and the Justice System Improvement Program’s vision of building a justice system for the future. Similarly, District Attorney John Haroldson advocated for moving the District Attorney’s Office to the new courthouse. The Board weighed the recommendation from the advisory committees and DA Haroldson and agreed to support the move conceptually The proposed new District Attorney’s Office is estimated to cost about $16 million and is not included in the new courthouse matching funds awarded by the State. Consequently, Benton County must fund the entire $16 million to advance the County’s desire to co-locate the District Attorney with the new courthouse. A funding source, whether the result of a successful bond measure, additional borrowing, or a combination of both, has not been determined at this time.
Decision for proposed justice facilities at west site to occur in January 2022 – Dec. 7, 2021
The site selection decision for proposed justice system facilities at the west site in Corvallis is now slated for January 2022 as commissioners and program staff continue to explore all available options.
After voting last week to allow the letter of intent for the south site to expire, the Board of Commissioners is currently considering the two remaining proposed suburban sites in west and north Corvallis. The County currently has a letter of intent to purchase the west site property in Corvallis for the creation of a justice system campus, and is in negotiation on a property in north Corvallis next to Hewlett-Packard. If neither the north nor west sites come to fruition, the County has not ruled out the possibility of reconsidering the south site, should it remain available for purchase.
The County previously identified the north site as one of its top five preferred sites for a justice system campus in 2020. However, the County and landowner were unable to negotiate an agreement in early 2021 and discussions halted. In mid-September 2021, the County reinitiated discussions with a representative of McFadden Ranch, LLC., to purchase the property in North Corvallis next to Hewlett-Packard.
Commissioners remove south Corvallis site from consideration for justice system facilities – Nov. 30, 2021
The Benton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously today, November 30, 2021, to allow the letter of intent for the south Corvallis site at Kiger Island Road to expire, removing the site from its immediate list of possible locations for future justice system facilities. The letter of intent is set to expire on Wednesday, December 1.
This decision comes after an 18-month site selection process including four months of public engagement. The site selection process and criteria included refining an initial list of over 40 possible sites down to the locations and concepts currently before the Board of Commissioners.
The Board now shifts to considering the two remaining proposed suburban sites in west and north Corvallis. The County currently has a letter of intent to purchase the west site property in Corvallis for the creation of a justice system campus, and is in negotiation on a property in north Corvallis next to Hewlett-Packard. If neither the north nor west sites come to fruition, the County has not ruled out the possibility of reconsidering the south site, should it remain available for purchase.
The County previously identified the north site as one of its top five preferred sites for a justice system campus in 2020. However, the County and landowner were not able to reach a favorable conclusion and discussions at the time halted. In mid-September 2021, the County reinitiated discussions to purchase a property in North Corvallis next to Hewlett-Packard with a representative of McFadden Ranch, LLC.
Commissioners defer site selection decision for justice system campus – Oct. 31, 2021
The site selection decision for Benton County’s Justice System Improvement Program has been delayed as Commissioners and program staff review public engagement findings and evaluate all available options.
Originally scheduled to take place at the October 19 Board of Commissioners Meeting, one of several site decisions is now scheduled to take place at a special Commission Meeting on Tuesday, November 30. A purchase and sale agreement must be made by December 1 for the south site and December 16 for the west site.
“Taking this additional time to thoroughly examine all of our options is beneficial to both the Justice System Improvement Program and our community,” said County Chair, Xan Augerot. “In the final weeks of our first round of public engagement this fall, we heard many of our community members ask us to slow down our decision-making process to provide time to evaluate all merits of our proposed sites as well as examine the possibility of an alternate site.”
The County currently has letters of intent to purchase two properties in west and south Corvallis for the creation of a justice system campus. Though the County has letters of intent for those properties, program staff continue to explore all opportunities for potential site locations.
In mid-September 2021, the County reinitiated discussions to purchase a property in North Corvallis next to Hewlett-Packard with a representative of McFadden Ranch, LLC. The County previously identified the north site as one of its top five preferred sites for a justice system campus in 2020. However, the County and landowner were not able to reach a favorable conclusion and discussions at the time halted. The site selection process and criteria included refining an initial list of over 40 possible sites down to the locations and concepts currently before the Board of Commissioners.
County to host virtual meeting on Justice System Improvements Oct. 13 – Oct. 11, 2021
Benton County’s Justice System Improvement Program is set to host its second large virtual community meeting of the year on Wednesday, October 13 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. The meeting follows a virtual event held in early September to introduce the program and set the timeline for the public.
Beginning late July, the County began targeted public engagement for site concepts for future justice system facilities. Launching engagement efforts by hosting small group discussions with key justice system stakeholders, the County then moved to presentations with neighborhood associations, the local business community, and community-based organizations.
In September, the County broadened the public engagement opportunities to include all members of the public. At the September 8 virtual meeting, the County presented the refined concepts that staff presented to stakeholders earlier in the summer. From there, the County drew on the community feedback gained during the summer, along with the groundwork laid by the design consultant, DLR Group, to begin site selection discussions with the County’s Board of Commissioners.
Now, the County is returning to the public to summarize the previous four months of public engagement efforts and provide opportunity for comment. In the meeting, participants will learn more about the site selection process and criteria, which included refining an initial list of over 40 possible sites down to the locations and concepts currently proposed. Participants will also hear from each of the commissioners about their personal considerations ahead of final site selection deliberations.
Over the last year, Benton County renewed its Public Health and Safety Local Option Levy, critical to the operational maintenance of Benton County’s justice system. Benton County Justice System Improvement Program staff collaborated with both a Technical Advisory Committee and Community Advisory Committee, Operations Team, the City of Corvallis, and the Benton County Board of Commissioners throughout the Predesign process, under the guidance of engineering and design firm DLR Group, to arrive at the site-specific concepts currently under consideration for the November 2022 bond measure.
Community members can register for the October 13 virtual event at https://bit.ly/BentonCoGov-JSIP-Webinar2.
County to host virtual community meeting on Justice System Improvements September 8 – Sept. 3, 2021
Benton County’s Justice System Improvement Program is set to host its first large virtual community meeting on Wednesday, September 8 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. The meeting marks the kickoff of the Program’s broad public engagement efforts as it prepares for a November 2022 bond measure.
Beginning late July, the County began targeted public engagement for site concepts for future justice system facilities. Early efforts included hosting small group discussions with key justice system stakeholders. The County then moved to presentations with neighborhood associations, the local business community, and other community-based organizations.
Now, the County is broadening the public engagement opportunities to include all members of the public. In the September 8 virtual meeting, the County will present the refined concepts that staff presented to stakeholders earlier in the summer. From there, the County will weigh community feedback and other factors to further refine facilities site concepts.
“Our small group discussions have provided us with feedback and ideas on conceptual designs of sites and facilities that are enormously helpful as we strive to build a justice system to meet the needs of Benton County residents for the next 40 years,” said Nick Kurth, Justice System Improvement program manager. “Going into our larger public engagement sessions, I am hopeful to hear from all corners of the County, to understand how the needs and concerns of the broader community align with those of our community organizations and businesses.”
Identifying and implementing improvements to the justice system has long been a priority for the County. Between 2017 and 2019, the County conducted the Criminal Justice System Assessment. The findings of which inform today’s Justice System Improvement Program. Over the last year, Benton County renewed its Public Health and Safety Local Option Levy, which is critical to funding Benton County’s justice system operations. Additionally, Benton County Justice System Improvement Program staff collaborated with both a Technical Advisory Committee and Community Advisory Committee during its current Predesign Phase, including refining an initial list of over 40 possible sites down to the locations and concepts now presented to stakeholders and the public.
Community members can register for the September 8 virtual event at https://bit.ly/BentonCoGov-JSIP_Webinar.
Public engagement underway for County’s Justice System Improvement Program – Aug. 12, 2021
Last month the Benton County Justice System Improvement Program began targeted public engagement for site concepts for future justice system facilities.
Engagement efforts launched with small group discussions with key justice system stakeholders including law enforcement agencies, elected officials, municipalities, behavioral health and social services providers, and Oregon State University.
This month, furthering outreach, the County is engaging with neighborhood associations, the local business community, and faith-based and community-based organizations. The County will draw on the community feedback gained during the summer and refine facilities site concepts based on stakeholder feedback.
“Our community conversations have created a wonderful opportunity for meaningful dialog with many of our key stakeholders,” said Xan Augerot, Benton County Board chair. “I am grateful to serve in a community that cares so deeply about improving our justice system, to provide equity and accountability for at least 40 years into the future.”
Next month, the County will broaden the public engagement opportunities to include all members of the public. On September 8, the County will host a virtual event that will include the refined concepts that were presented to stakeholders earlier in the summer.
Over the last year, Benton County renewed its Public Health and Safety Local Option Levy, critical to Benton County’s justice system. Additionally, Benton County Justice System Improvement Program staff collaborated with a Technical Advisory Committee and Community Advisory Committee to refine an initial list of over 40 possible sites down to the locations and concepts now presented to key stakeholders.
Community members can sign up for email updates to receive engagement opportunities and updates for the Justice System Improvement Program.
Community Advisory Committee for County’s Justice System Improvement Program to meet Tuesday, April 20 – Apr. 15, 2021
Benton County’s Justice System Improvement Program will hold it fifth Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, from 3:00-4:30 p.m.
The CAC is one of two advisory committees on the Justice System Improvement Program, with the other being the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). While the CAC comprises community members throughout Benton County, the TAC consists of individuals from key stakeholder groups that have more specialized knowledge of the program and the 2019 Justice System Assessment that guides their work. Both committees will advise City and County leadership and the Program Manager on critical decisions.
The CAC’s focus is the Justice System Improvement Program, and specifically Predesign Phase efforts. The committee’s input will help prioritize and narrow the many recommendations from the Justice System Assessment on proposed facilities and programs. The committee’s current work is focused on conceptual designs that will be shared broadly with the public for feedback this summer.
Attendees can join the meeting here: http://bit.ly/BentonCoGov-JSIPCAC4
Meeting ID: 984 7183 3909
Community Advisory Committee for Benton County’s Criminal Justice System Improvement project to meet Tuesday, Feb. 16 – Feb. 12, 2021
Benton County’s Criminal Justice System Improvement project will have its third Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, from 3:00-4:30 p.m.
The CAC is one of two advisory committees on the Criminal Justice System Improvement project, with the other being the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). While the CAC comprises community members throughout Benton County, the TAC consists of individuals from key stakeholder groups that have more specialized knowledge of the project and the 2019 Criminal Justice System Assessment that guides their work. Both committees will advise City and County leadership and the project manager in critical project decisions.
The CAC focuses its scope of work on the Criminal Justice System Improvement project, specifically the Predesign Phase. The committee’s input will help prioritize and narrow the many recommendations from the Criminal Justice System Assessment on proposed facilities and programs.
Attendees can join the meeting here: http://bit.ly/BentonCoGov-CJSI_CACmeeting3
Meeting ID: 984 7183 3909