Keeping kids at home benefits everyone

Dear Taxpayers of Bonner County:

You are being asked to vote “yes” for a new detention center that will cost you 12 and 1/3 cents a day in increased taxes if your house is assessed at $100,000 after the $50,000 deduction. How many taxpayers do you know who can’t afford that cost by eliminating or reducing some of the foods, beverages, alcohol, candy, cigarettes, and coffee that are not good for you in the first place?

Remember that this is only for the next two years. Since the present facility has already been found to not be up to state requirements, it could already be condemned if the inspectors went by the book. Instead, they have given us another opportunity to rectify the deficiencies.

The alternative is to pay more than $900,000 a year to house our detainees at Kootenai County, which is a very conservative estimate.

Aside from the cost, there are many benefits to keeping our detainees in our own county:

• Their schooling is uninterrupted since their assignments are faxed to the Detention Center and overseen by Lori Stone, who has been chosen as the “Teacher of the Year.” She also has inspired many of the dropouts to work for their GEDs.

• They are closer to their families for visitation.

• They are right next door to their Probation Officer who also teaches them life skills.

• The daily amount the state allows for each student in attendance in Bonner County stays in Bonner County. If the student is being held in Kootenai County, that money goes to the Kootenai County school district.

• The juveniles can be connected to local resources, such as counseling services and jobs.

• Local control is retained as to what type of programming each juvenile receives.

• Keeps jobs and taxes local.

In working with juveniles for the past 43 years, I have seen first hand the benefits and success that comes with keeping kids within their own communities. They become vested in where they live.

ARLISA HAVEY

Director

Bonner County Youth Accountability Board

Sandpoint