There is an odd relationship between the Iowa Department of Corrections (IDOC) and Community-Based Corrections (CBC). It’s a stranger marriage than you’ll find in any Ozark Mountain community. However, Beth Lenstra, with the Iowa Legislative Services Agency (LSA) – Fiscal Division, has prepared a two-page summary of the CBCs that simply and thoroughly explains the history, programming, and other facets of the CBCs. It is located at: http://www.legis.iowa.gov/DOCS/LSA/Fiscal_Topics/2012/FTBAL003.PDF
Even after reading the LSA’s clear explanation, it remains a mystery as to how these two entities are separate, yet combined. Years ago, I was in charge of an eighteen-month long dislocated workers grant. The half-million dollar grant came about because of a plant closing that affected over 600 hard-working Iowans. In assisting unemployed workers with their needs, I was employed by a conglomeration of local governments, regulated by state standards, and disbursing federal money with federal, state, and local oversight. But still, I find it difficult to understand the connections between the IDOC and CBCs.
One of the problems to understanding this arrangement is the CBCs’ lack of a spokesperson for all eight District Departments. It would be much easier to understand if there was a state office for the CBCs. But then, they wouldn’t have a need for local boards. But why should local boards approve a budget, only to have it march through the IDOC offices for oversight? I know the answer, but it doesn’t make sense to me. If there was a central office for CBCs, and they could go directly to the Legislature for budget approval, it wouldn’t be a regional program anymore; it would be a state agency. Besides, if each individual CBC had to go directly to the Legislature for funding you can imagine the competition between the eight districts. It’s bad enough that the CBCs have a slight touch of competition with the IDOC. Things do appear to be working well as it is. Nonetheless, I would prefer to have a bit more separation in the process.
Maybe I’ll try to understand hockey, instead.