Soon after the iron door clangs shut to lock an inmate into the Kitsap County jail, the detainee meets someone who finds ways to keep them from ever having to return.

The jail has a re-entry program designed to uncover the root cause of a person’s criminal behavior, tackle the issue and prepare them for release back to the community. The goal is to enable the person to turn their life around and avoid returning to lockup. The program has had impressive results, jail administrators say.

The process begins with a re-entry coordinator sitting down with a detainee soon after being booked. They brainstorm to figure out what contributed to the person coming to jail – be it alcohol or drugs, mental health issues or homelessness. Armed with that information the re-entry specialist devises a plan to connect the inmate to community services upon release.

“When (inmates) are connected to services, like West Sound Treatment or Kitsap Mental Health, then they start getting enrolled in school or they get a job and then get stable housing. They get back on track,” said Penelope Sapp, chief of corrections and head of the county jail. “The majority of people that come into the jail are using fentanyl or heroin. They don’t want to be in that position but it’s hard to just detox off of it on your own. The answer for them is getting rid of the chemical dependency piece and getting them connected to services.”

Many suffer from multiple issues. “98 percent of the people the reentry people engage with have co-occurring disorders. That means, it’s not just chemical dependency. It’s not just mental health. It’s both. We have to help them with both sides,” Sapp said.

The conversation between inmates and re-entry staff is successful when the specialist is empathic to the detainee’s needs and allows the inmate to take the lead in determining the path they want to take, Sapp said. “We have them tell us where they would want to go. We don’t just say you are going to this treatment provider. It’s better that they decide it. They are more apt to follow through,” she explained.

Two re-entry coordinators run the program. “They are essentially cheerleaders for these individuals. They want to see them succeed,” Sapp said.

Both re-entry coordinators have social services backgrounds, working with people with behavioral health issues. Mary Dee formerly worked at Kitsap Mental Health, while Regina Avery was employed at the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s re-entry program. The most important characteristic of each coordinator, Sapp offered: “They are passionate about helping incarcerated individuals find a path to success.”

The jail, located in the courthouse in Port Orchard on Division Street, housed 4,710 individuals last year. Inmates are in for misdemeanor, felony charges and probation matters. The average length of stay in the two-story facility is 34 days, which does not give re-entry staff much time to get services lined up. Whenever possible when someone is released, there is a “warm handoff,” Sapp said. “It’s not like here is a piece of paper with phone numbers, you are on your own.”

“It’s more like West Sound treatment is going to meet you at the release door. If you need a ride to Peninsula (Community Health Services) either Peninsula is going to come pick you up or we are going to put you in a cab and transfer you there. If you need to pick up a prescription at Walgreens, we will send you in a cab to get your prescription filled. We try to eliminate any possible barriers we can to make it easier for them,” Sapp said.

Upon release, people get a slew of goodies designed to increase their chances of success, Sapp said. Each gets a month’s worth of pre-paid cell phone use so they can be reminded of appointments and keep in touch with treatment providers. They also get an Orca card for transportation to appointments. The homeless get a backpack loaded with hygiene items – toothpaste and toothbrushes, soap, deodorant, feminine hygiene products – and during cold months a jacket to keep warm.

Determining the success of the re-entry program is simple, Sapp said. “It’s whether the people in the program come back to jail.”

Since its inception five years ago, the re-entry program – which is voluntary for inmates – has recorded these statistics. Prior to the program, inmate recidivism, or the return to jail rate, was 85%. The return rate for those participating in the reentry program has been- – 40% in 2019, 37% in 2020 and 2021, 42% in 2021 and 2022, 54% in 2023 and 29% in 2024.

Success stories

Sapp outlined stories of successful inmates:

– A 31-year-old man, a frequent flyer at the jail, being incarcerated 17 times on charges ranging from minor in possession and assault to escape and criminal trespass, was helped. While attending community college, he succumbed to a drug habit. He was booked into jail four times in early 2023. During his last stay in September last year, the re-entry program connected the inmate to a substance use disorder provider. He was released from jail directly into inpatient treatment, which he completed and moved to outpatient treatment. He obtained housing through Agapé. At last word, he rejoined the welding program at Olympic College. It has been a year since he was in jail.

– A 38-year-old woman had been booked 46 times in the county jail for everything from driving under the influence to arson. She suffered from substance abuse and mental health issues. During her last incarceration, the woman was screened by the re-entry program. That resulted in her being referred to mental health services, getting connected with the Department of Social and Health Services and being seen by West Sound Treatment and Scarlet Road, which works with the sexually exploited. After serving a prison sentence, she returned to the community. For the past two months, she has remained in compliance with her housing requirements, reports regularly to the Department of Corrections and has participated in mental health services.

– An 18-year-old man went from behind bars to working at the shipyard. After being booked into jail for the second time within days on a string of misdemeanor charges, the youth met with re-entry staff. He did a chemical dependency assessment and completed an application with Housing Solutions. When released from custody, he was driven directly to DSHS to obtain ID and activate his medical insurance. A housing and mental health liaison from West Sound and Coffee Oasis, a group that assists youth. Three months following his release, he remains in compliance with treatment, began visitation with his child and got a sub-contracting job at the shipyard making $51.50 an hour.

To those who question the jail using taxpayer funds on those who commit crimes, Sapp responds by saying the cost of the re-entry program is worth every penny. The program is funded by the one-tenth of 1% mental health/chemical dependency tax.

“Yes, it does cost money, but you either pay now or you are going to be paying for the next 10-15 years because these individuals are not going to get back on track without this help. We are actually saving money in the long run, because these people don’t keep coming back to jail,” she said.

Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putaansuu agrees. “If we can get people off drugs and rehabilitated, the benefit to public safety is we have fewer people committing crime to feed their drug habits,”he said.

Sapp is proud of the program. “Individuals who are incarcerated are members of our community. We shouldn’t turn our back on them,” she said.