Judge: Reduce recidivism, make system more efficient

• Boles

Pierce County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Boles talked about the court system Thursday to Prescott Kiwanis. -- Photo by Jason Schulte

Talk about it

PRESCOTT--Reducing recidivism and efficiency were the two main topics of Judge Joseph Boles’ speech to Prescott Kiwanis Thursday.

“In this country and especially this state, we spend a lot of money on incarceration and putting people in jail and prisons,” he said. “It’s a huge issue for taxpayers because are we getting our monies’ worth?”

Therefore, Boles talked about Veterans Court and Drug Court, two programs the county has introduced within the last six to eight years to reduce the rate.

Boles said if the court system finds out if the defendant was a veteran, they are given the option to participate where they could connect with resources at the Veterans Administration as part of resolving the case.

“They have great resources there,” Boles said of the VA, highlighting their Mental Health and Chemical Dependency programs.

For more please read the Jan. 30 print version of the Herald.

Tags: news, crime, courts, prescott, wisconsin