BEATRICE – An annual report from the District One State Probation Office to county officials this week shows over eleven-hundred persons were under probation services the past year.


District One has two reporting centers across the ten southeast Nebraska counties included in the district, along with two drug courts. It provides juvenile and adult probation services.  Chief Probation Officer for the District, Ashley Griess says probation works with a lot of partners.


"In 2021, we served 1,161 clients over the ten counties, for probation. We worked with district judges, county court judges....we worked closed with Region Five for behavioral health services, we worked with DHHS....and we worked closely with law enforcement, treatment providers, educators and attorneys in the counties that we serve."


In Gage County, 351 persons were provided services through probation…..293 adults and 58 juveniles. Most juveniles were ages 16 to 18…..for adults, ages 18 to 30. There was about an equal split of males and females among juveniles on probation, while the trend toward more males was seen in adult probation.


Griess said operating probation during the pandemic produced some positive change.  "The ability to use our virtual connections to be able to do things....some of our more rural counties were able to get involved in some of the programs if they have transportation gaps...and they can join that virtually."


Chris Reece coordinates the drug court program in District One, where persons who plead to a felony drug possession count can be accepted into a program ranging in length from 18 months to 36 months. Drug courts are located in Wilber and Auburn. The Wilber drug court was among the first in Nebraska. Reece said the Auburn court just recently had its first class of graduates.


"More than 80% of crime is drug or alcohol-fueled...when these folks are sent to prison more than half are re-arrested within the first year of release, and over two-thirds are re-arrested within three years of release, with a very high recidivism rate of 76.6%. To help combat this issue, there's been a development of drug courts across the United States to really help target that 80% mark that leads to the commission of crime."


Reece said drug court is about accountability of participants.  "This isn't a program where one plan fits all. It's individualized, based on a number of different assessments, and skill planning and success planning. In the first two phases, these folks meet face-to-face with the judge every week....to be accountable for their treatment and for following their structure."

Its’ estimated it costs about $7.85 per day to serve a drug court client, compared with the average cost per adult prison inmate, of $98.49 per day.