Benton County Issues RFP for Criminal Justice Project

By CN Staff

BENTON COUNTY, Ore.—Benton County is now inviting bids for a project involving improvements to their criminal justice system. An excerpt from the official issued by the county is below, and more details can be garnered at their website: https://www.co.benton.or.us/criminaljustice/page/criminal-justice-systems-improvement-rfp

Benton County (County) is requesting proposals from qualified individuals/firms (Proposers) to conduct predesign work for facilities which support the County’s Criminal Justice System Improvements project (CJSI). This is Phase II of a three phase initiative; Phase I resulted in a comprehensive assessment of the criminal justice system and treatment / services needs for corrections-involved individuals. Phase II is the predesign work outlined in the attached RFP, up to and including passage of a county-wide Bond Measure for financing. Phase III will include site acquisition, architectural services, construction, furnishing, equipping, and service delivery from the new facilities, as well as an evaluation of efficacy. Phase III is a future project and not part of this RFP.

In general, the predesign work will include working with County Board of Commissioners (BOC), County administration, County staff, project manager, and community stakeholders to identify which facilities will be included in the CJSI project, building locations, designs, and costs in a manner that is Bond Measure ready. That work should include, but not be limited to a conceptual design phase and a schematic design phase.

Benton County has invested resources into services and facilities assessments in addition to literature reviews on evidence-based practices for crime reduction. Community members have also been engaged in discussions regarding their vision for the County’s criminal justice system. These qualitative and quantitative data elements were integrated into an overarching vision for Benton County’s criminal justice system. That vision is based on an equitable system that combines corrections responses and treatment options.

In terms of the treatment options, local planning groups are reviewing treatment services that address criminogenic factors and also services for corrections involved individuals with behavioral health needs (mental illness, addictions, and intellectual and developmental disability). Local workgroups are conducting feasibility assessments and business plans for new services, e.g., pre-trial services and a potential crisis resource center. The predesign work includes incorporating the finalized treatment approaches into facilities designs.

The predesign consultants will assist the County’s work to finalize which facilities will be in the CJSI project. The facilities under review and which need to be finalized in the predesign work include the crisis resource center, transitional housing, jail, courthouse, and aspects of the law enforcement center. There are also concurrent efforts and partial funding options for the new courthouse which require required specific tasks and timelines to be incorporated into the predesign work.

It is critical to the success of this project that this work be conducted in collaboration with County administration, staff, and community stakeholders, and result in a cost efficient and sustainable design.