Ransom County Gazette • Monday, August 26, 2019 • Page 5 Fourth in a series Is North Dakota’s criminal safety net too thin? By Sam Easter services to 60 to 100 people every One driver of crime — and sig- “In the business world, they ND Newspaper Association month. nificant drug issues — is the grow- say time is money,” Enget added. Editor’s note: This series, spon- Martin’s work coincides with ing opioid crisis. The National In- “Well, time is life, in this case.” sored by the North Dakota News- a wave of criminal justice reforms stitute on Drug Abuse’s latest data Wamstad, the Grand Forks paper Association and the Grand that have come to North Dakota showed 9.2 drug overdose deaths County State’s attorney, sees the Forks Herald, aims to answer in recent years. In the state De- per 100,000 in North Dakota in solution in more local resources. questions at the difficult intersec- partment of Corrections and Re- 2017, — far lower than the nation- “If we’re going to expect our tion between budget crunches, habilitation, administrators are al rate of 21.7, but still the second local communities to be addressing criminal justice and the well-being increasingly less preoccupied with highest year on record. and rehabilitating and punishing of North Dakota’s communities. As exacting punishment on prisoners According to the North Dakota these people that have commit- rising prison populations stress the and more concerned with creating addiction counselors’ state licens- ted these very serious crimes, we state’s corrections system, how will good future neighbors — offering ing board, the number of licensed need to make sure that our local state leaders address what some volunteer-led astronomy classes or counselors in North Dakota has probation officers, parole officers, say is a risk to public safety? rethinking harsh prison discipline. hovered at roughly the same point jails, treatment facilities — the list FARGO — The first thing As many leaders there are fond since 2014, oscillating between could go on and on — we need to Adam Martin ever stole was a of saying, most North Dakota fel- 371 and 436 through 2018. make sure that they have adequate bouncing balloon from a drug store ons will someday live next door Kurt Snyder, executive direc- resources before these folks are in Breckenridge, Minn. He says he to someone. How would they like tor of the Heartview Foundation being pushed back to their home doesn’t know why he did it. He just them to behave? — which has multiple addiction communities,” she said. did. But some of those reforms are treatment facilities in North Dako- Martin agrees. He said it’s al- “And I got caught. And my also coming as the state’s prisons ta — pointed out that a portion of most as if patients in need of treat- dad told me, ‘Today, it’s balloons. near capacity, and state’s attorneys those are administrators, not prac- ment need to check at least one Tomorrow, it’s going to be cars,’” worry some changes — like the titioners. of a list of boxes — insurance, Martin said. “I always thought he Parole Board’s increasingly earlier “I think that the short answer or wealth, or even just a criminal was just full of it. That’s a big shift. releases, or the Legislature’s gener- is yes, we need more,” he said. He background — to get treatment. But he was right.” ous use of probation — are making pointed out that state counseling That’s why he feels F5 services are Martin, now 37, grew up in communities less safe. resources like Free Through Re- so important. Moorhead, Minn., and soon grad- “I think it’s not just limited covery have helped significantly, “But trying to get people to see uated to more serious crimes. Al- to pushing that capacity problem as well — launched by the Legis- that, they’re just like — so you most a decade has passed since onto parole and probation,” Grand lature in 2017 to the tune of $7 mil- want to give drug addicts free ser- the worst of his court docket. But Forks County State’s Attorney Ha- lion and renewed and expanded in vices? Or you want to give felons he still remembers small details of ley Wamstad said. “It’s also push- 2019. “The longer answer is that, free services?” Martin said. “No, the things he did; in at least one in- ing that capacity problem on to our I believe that in the last few years, I don’t want to give free services. stance, getting drunk before scuf- local jails, pushing that capacity we’ve seen a lot of silos, where ad- I want to help people. You know fling at a bar and stealing a car. A problem onto our local treatment diction was a siloed service — we what I mean?” litany of offenses turns up in both centers.” see so much more collaboration Minnesota and North Dakota court Like Wamstad, advocates like (now) ... so there is a real joint ef- Director Ransom County Social Services, Code, as more fully appears from the Peti- records — fleeing police, domes- Martin say that one of the best pre- fort on the part of local and state ABBREVIATED Jana Sholhjem, LGAL, tion, a copy of which is on file in the office tic assault, driving 85 in a 55 zone, scriptions for that problem is more authorities to address this issue. Public Notices Samantha Reamann and Cody Devold of the Clerk of the District Court of Ransom writing a bad check, terrorizing, resources. That helps, without a doubt.” NOTICE OF INTENT A public notice is information informing citizens Respondents County. burglary, driving while impaired. “I think the argument of, ‘We’re ‘Time is life’ TO AMEND of government activities that may affect the THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA TO 2. If you fail to appear personally and citizens’ everyday lives. Public notices have been THE ABOVE-NAMED RESPONDENTS; bring said child before the Court at said time “I think the reason I overcame moving the problem down the riv- But resources don’t always ADMINSTRATIVE printed in local newspapers, the trusted sources for 1. You and each of you are hereby and place the Findings and Recommen- what I was doing is because, in- er’ — I think there’s some legiti- reach everyone. Enget, the Moun- community information, for more than 200 years. RULES summoned and required to appear person- dation of the Judge of the Juvenile Court, stead of getting sent to prison, I got macy to that,” he said, referencing trail County state’s attorney, said relating to the Practice of North Dakota newspapers also post public notices ally and bring the above-named child(ren) made by this court at a hearing had herein sent to a long-term treatment cen- a shift some see from crowded the state has failed to help rural Clinical Laboratory Practice that are printed in newspapers on before the Juvenile Court at the Ransom will become final. www.ndpublicnotices.com at no additional charge to County Courthouse 206 5th Ave W., Lisbon, 3. You are entitled to legal counsel in ter,” he said. That was in 2010. prisons to crowded parole and pro- addicts. What little local resourc- ND Board of Clinical units of government. North Dakota, on September 11, 2019 at these proceedings if you desire. If you are In 2016, Martin went on to bation caseloads. “(But) I’ve al- es there are for drug rehabilitation 1:30p.m. or as soon thereafter as the parties unable without undue financial hardship to Laboratory Practice found F5, a Fargo-based organiza- ways been a believer that we need is mostly concentrated in nearby will hold a public hearing to address proposed IN JUVENILE COURT, can be heard for the purpose of a hearing employ counsel the Court, upon request, tion that helps reintegrate criminals to move up the river. So preven- Minot, creating “two classes” of changes to the N.D. Admin. Code COUNTY OF RANSOM on a Petition filed with the Court alleging will appoint legal counsel for you. STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA. the above-named child(ren) to be subject Dated August 13, 2019 into North Dakota’s everyday life. tion, working with kids in the ju- offenders: the urban dwellers who 2900 E. Broadway IN THE INTEREST OF A.R. & K.R., to the provision of Chapter 27-20, North Mark T. Blumer Some people have the money they venile detention centers. Working have a shot at help, and the rural Suite 2 CHILDREN Dakota Century Code by reason of the fol- District Court Judge need to rebuild their lives. Others, with kids in the alternative schools, ones who live a long drive away — Bismarck, ND 58501 Shantel Froelich, LSW, Petitioner, lowing: that the said child(ren) falls within Publish August. 19, 26, & September 2 Martin said, have nothing, and still or … in the foster care system.” if they even have a driver’s license. Vs the meaning of Section 27-20-02 of the said Tues., Oct. 15, 2019 more lack the skills they desper- ‘We need more’ In his county, with a population 9:00 to 11:00 AM ately need to break the cycle of One of the starkest examples of barely surpassing 10,000, the prob- A copy of the proposed rules may be recidivism. His organization helps that gap is in the state’s resources lem is pressing. obtained by writing the North Dakota Biesterfeldt Site on North Country Trail them find housing, a job and a way for drug offenders.