What they’re thinking: Bruce Vander Sanden

CEDAR RAPIDS — The recidivism rates of probationers and parolees in the six-county 6th Judicial District are the lowest in the state, a recent three-year tracking report shows.

Bruce Vander Sanden, director of the district's Department of Correctional Services, said the statewide trend report shows the recidivism rate for higher risk probationers and parolees is 31.5 percent, but the 6th District is lower at 23.1 percent. The district — made up of Tama, Benton, Iowa, Linn, Johnson and Jones counties — historically is below the statewide rate, he said.

Q: What is included in this report?

A: The report includes four different probation and parole admissions groups and it shows the year they start supervision from fiscal year 2010-2013. The recidivism rates are based on three year tracking per offender. The 2013 group is the most recent in the study because this group was tracked through fiscal year 2016.

Q: What are the combined — probation and parole — recidivism rates in this district over the tracking years?

A: Fiscal year 2010, it was 22.6 percent; 2011, 19.7 percent; 2012, 19.2 percent; 2013, 23.1.

As of June 30, there were 2,775 on probation and 320 on parole. But for the entire fiscal year 2016, we served 4,723 probationers and 538 on parole.

A good comparison to the 6th is the 1st District, which includes Black Hawk, Dubuque and Delaware counties, which had a 32.9 percent recidivism rate.

The recidivism rates for the parolees is typically higher than offenders on probation. The parolees go from 36.4 percent in fiscal year 2010 to 36.2 in 2013. The probationers go from 20.3 in 2010 to 18.6 in 2013.

We are seeing more parolees because more offenders are getting out of prison, but I would prefer they have to serve parole because they transition better into the community. While on parole they are still receiving treatment, being drug tested, having home visits and being held to pay any restitution owed.

Q: Why are the numbers in this district lower?

A: I think it's attributed to the staff and our level of staffing.

The staff stays on top of probationers and parolees and addresses the violations right away. They're monitoring any issues, like if someone is missing treatment or not finding employment.

We also have great collaborative efforts and partnerships in the 6th from the social services — Area Substance Abuse Center, Goodwill, Safe Place, Abbe Community Mental Health and Kirkwood Community College — to the courts and law enforcement. We are so fortunate in that way to have these resources in the community.

The Linn and Johnson counties drug courts are included in those recidivism rates and they do such a good job.

Many districts struggle with their caseloads because of less staffing and lack of community resources. We also have a lot of residential centers — the Hinzman Center, the Lary Nelson Center and Hope House — to make those transitions out of prison more successful.

Q: How many staff are in the department?

A: We have gone down over the years going from 211 in 2011 to 186 this year. When the Anchor Center (a residential treatment center for parolees and probationers with mental health and substance abuse issues) was opened in April 2015, we added about 15 to move over there. Without Anchor, there are 171.

We also have ongoing staff training and use evidence-based practices and have staff trained in different areas to offer in-house interventions, such as Thinking for a Change — cognitive behavioral class; Iowa Domestic Abuse Program; Mental Health Diversion; and sex offender programming.

Q: Give an example of something the staff is doing to help make probationers and parolees more successful.

A: In the last few years, we have provided minimal contact for low-risk offenders because the research has shown that they do better. Many of these could be a one-time bad decision or some self-correct after being in jail or prison. The probation and parole conditions are enforced and monitored but they need less supervision. And more resources can be spent on the ones who are higher risk.

I am very proud of our dedicated staff that work day in and day out to enhance community safety and facilitate positive change in adult offenders. It is because of their work that we continue to makes significant strides toward our vision of 'An Iowa with no more victims.'