Connection, change and community

Jul. 9—Right across the parking lot from the District 2 Probation and Parole Office sits a little building that is making a big impact for those in the criminal justice system.

The building is the location for GEO Reentry Services for Lewiston's Connection and Intervention Station. GEO Reentry Services partnered with the Idaho Department of Correction to help people in probation and parole reduce their risk of reoffending through multiphase and evidence-based programming.

If there is a service the person needs then GEO Reentry Services finds a community resource for that person.

"(Community resource referrals) is a huge thing for us, connecting with the community. I always tell people it's always in our title, 'connection and intervention,' " said Evette Navedo, the statewide program manager for GEO Reentry Services. "And then how do interventions impact their behavior? How did it change their thinking?"

Referrals from probation and parole

A client's journey into GEO Reentry Services starts with a referral from probation and parole. When referrals are made probation and parole does assessments that examine criminal risks. For example, unemployment can increase the risk of reoffending. If a person is unemployed when they go into the GEO program they can get assistance to find a job and therefore reduce that criminal risk.

Lewiston's District 2 Probation and Parole Office is unique in the state because of its proximity to GEO Reentry Services. The day a client is referred for the program they are walked over to the building.

"Our main office is right next door, which has been a really important aspect of the partnership and keeping clients engaged and connected," said Summer Overberg, district manager for probation and parole.

Section supervisor for probation and parole, Tyler Reynolds, said that probation and parole's part in the process doesn't end with the referral. They have regular meetings with the staff at GEO Reentry Services and the program participants to discuss the client's progress or see if there's anything they need to intervene with. All it takes is a phone call sharing their concerns and probation and parole can come over for an appointment with the person and the staff at GEO to help.

"Sometimes there are situations where it needs to be addressed quickly and we have a great relationship with the staff here," Reynolds said. "We work very closely with them. We are very intertwined in managing the client and really getting them the resources they need."

Programming and services

Lewiston's GEO Reentry Service program is a Connection and Intervention Station, which means the first thing they provide to their participants is resources in the community. Those resources could be transportation by providing bus passes for clients; assistance for substance abuse or mental health treatment, which would include referrals for services; or finding employment or housing.

"(We're) always looking to continue to collaborate with that, always looking for more community partners," said Katie Moss, Lewiston's program manager.

After people get the resources they need they start program orientation, then they go into "starting point" before beginning phase one, which focuses on providing essential needs.

"It's going to be hard to focus on the program if you don't have your basic needs met," said Lindsey Harris, behavior change manager.

Harris works with 16-21 people at a time for individual cognitive behavioral sessions and assigns people into groups based on their needs from an assessment. Those assessments tell Harris "who are you, how are we going to help you and what's going to be the most important thing for you."

The assessments help the phase two portion of the program, which is tailored to each client. After the assessment and the basic needs are met it builds the foundation people need to move forward, which then allows them to set their goals. All the participants must check in five days a week and the program is generally 6-9 months.

There are also different groups that people can participate in for the phase two part of the program, such as anger management, parenting, social skills, life skills, exploring trauma and healing trauma.

In phase two everyone in the program has to complete Moral Recognition Treatment, known as MRT, which is a type of therapy treatment.

"In order to pass (treatment) you have to actually do book work, you have to actually present stuff, you have to do something in order to pass the step book," Harris said. "You can't just show up and pass, you have to do something in order to pass."

For example, step one is honesty, so clients have to be honest before they can go on to the next step. They can also return to the first step if they are later dishonest about something, like using drugs, and they have to restart all the steps from the beginning.

In phase three, clients finish up the core programming from phase two and the check in days are less. Sometimes people in phase three end up moving back to phase two if they are struggling.

Next is the after-care phase where participants have graduated from all the required groups and check-ins are once a week or once a month.

"We're just solidifying that behavior change and letting you go," Harris said.

Participants can't graduate from the program without having stable living conditions, employment and being sober for at least 60 days, although most participants who graduate are sober for longer.

Sometimes people return to GEO Reentry Services for help if they are having difficulties after they graduate, and others return to share their successes.

"Just because you're not here any more doesn't mean we don't still care, (it) doesn't mean we're not still here for you and they know that," said Zola Morris, substance abuse counselor. "We always say, 'we love it when they come back,' and they do. Sometimes it's to share their successes, sometimes it's because they're struggling. I'm just really glad we have created that environment."

Looking for a change

Brice Downey has been in the program for about 60 days. He's in phase two and working toward phase three. He's already made it to step four and is almost done with his recovery management group.

Downey has homework every week and has found that the people at GEO Reentry Services are easy to talk with. Sometimes he comes to the building to "B.S. with the staff" and hang out.

"People here are really understanding. They'll talk to you like they're your friends," Downey said. "People are here to help you and change your life."

He was initially referred to the program in June of last year.

"I wasn't ready to change yet," he said.

Then Downey was a passenger in a vehicle crash that killed two people on the 1400 block of Idaho Street.

"I survived that wreck," Downey said and then he had a daughter. "It changed my life."

By participating with the Connection and Intervention Station he's hoping to continue to change his life in a positive direction.

Starting the program in Lewiston

Each one of the seven probation districts in Idaho has a GEO Reentry Service program, with other locations in Boise, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Nampa-Caldwell, Pocatello and Twin Falls. The Idaho Legislature approved funding for the Idaho Department of Correction to provide community services for individuals on probation and parole throughout the state.

"It stemmed really from the Department of Correction wanting to find another avenue in which they could give another tool to probation officers to work with those in the community to reduce the amount of prison being the only option and giving people the opportunity to develop skills so they can still stay in the community with their jobs, with their family," Navedo said.

The Idaho Department of Correction partnered with GEO Reentry Services, which has about 80 offices nationwide, and saw its success rate in other states.

In Idaho, GEO Reentry Services has a capacity to serve approximately 700 individuals and currently has about 550 participants. The Lewiston office is at about 80% of capacity and also has a satellite office in Moscow.

"I think what's great, too, is the various offices in Idaho are in different parts (of the state) and we have different communities and different needs ...," Overberg said. "Lewiston is different from Boise, which is different from Idaho Falls. ... (We have) the ability to modify as needed to make the program really work for Lewiston."

Monitoring success

GEO Reentry Services celebrated its two-year anniversary Thursday for the Lewiston Connection and Intervention Station. In that time they've had two graduations.

To keep the Lewiston program going in the right direction, GEO Reentry Services reviews where people were at when they started the program and where they were at by graduation to show how the program is working. Morris also said that participants fill out a survey so the Lewiston program can know what's made the most impact for the clients and what areas can be improved.

"It's one thing to have a program, then it's another thing to see, is it effective?" Navedo said. "If it's not effective then what do we need to modify?"

In 2022, across the state of Idaho 1,173 participants were served by the program as well as 1,355 people referred to the program with an average daily population of 444 people enrolled. Programming at the seven Connection and Intervention Stations in Idaho resulted in reducing criminal risk scores of individuals by an average of 36%, which correlates to a reduction in recidivism. Along with the recidivism reduction, 73% of drug tests came back clean, 99.75% of breath alcohol tests came back clean and the employment rate for participants was 82%, according to the program outcomes for GEO Reentry Services in Idaho.

By looking at the positive changes from last year, GEO Reentry Services can build on its successes to keep growing the impact of the Lewiston Connection and Intervention Station.

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.