Matthew Roetter Candidate for Hayden City Council

12/01/2020

A few months ago, the Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) tried to place a Connection and Intervention Center (CIS) on Hess Street in Hayden. In response, the City of Hayden sent a letter to Mr. Josh Tewalt, Director of the IDOC and Governor Little. We had some very important questions to ask regarding proposed IDOC Correctional Facilities in Hayden or Kootenai County.

1. What are the locations?
2. When will they be operational?
3. How many felons will be serviced?
4. Will they service violent criminals and or s*x offenders?
5. Provide studies and plans for the facilities, along will reports of how effective they are for reducing recidivism?

Please note the last paragraph of the letter, “The City’s purpose in requesting this information is to ensure transparency is being provided, not only between levels of government, but also with the public.”

The letter is dated October 20, 2020, and Mr. Tewalt has failed to respond to it. I do not trust the IDOC and I am extremely angered by the placement of the IDOC CDA-CIS in Coeur d’Alene.

11/29/2020

The Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) has placed a correctional facility approximately 1300 feet away from Sorenson Elementary School in downtown Coeur d’Alene. It is called a Connection & Intervention Station (CIS) and is located at 421 E. Coeur d’Alene Ave.

Please note the IDOC- CIS “SAFETY THROUGH CONNECTION” disclosure, “CISs will serve probationers at high-risk for reoffending and probationers and parolees who are struggling with supervision”. The IDOC will not identify if convicted felons, convicted s*x offenders, violent criminals or drug abusers will be located at the CDA CIS.

The one CDA CIS will cost Idaho taxpayers approximately $ 1,125,000.00 per year to operate. The Florida Corporation, Geo Reentry Service LLC will collect $ 4,500,000.000 per year to operate the four Idaho CISs. It is obvious that GEO is more interested in making money than protecting Coeur d’Alene elementary school children by placing the correctional facility so close to Sorenson Elementary School.

During the 2020 Idaho Primary Election, 78% of Kootenai County voters said no to an Idaho Department of Correction facility being placed in Kootenai County. Why can’t the IDOC understand the word NO? Because the IDOC has an annual budget of $300,000,000.00 and they do whatever they damn well please. It is all about the money and I do not trust them.

09/02/2020

I am against the placement of a Prison Reentry Center in the City of Hayden by the Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC). During the November 2019 general election, voters were asked if they oppose or support an IDOC Prison Reentry Center. 78% of Kootenai County voters did not want a Prison Reentry Center in the county and 84% of Hayden voters did not want one in the City of Hayden.
It was reported in the media that Mr. Josh Tewalt, director of the IDOC stated; “If a community does not want an IDOC Prison Release Center, we will not build it there”. In response to his statement, the City of Hayden sent him a letter stating the Prison Release Center is not welcomed in Hayden.
Even though voters in a huge majority and the City of Hayden sending a not welcomed letter, a few months ago the IDOC tried to locate a facility on Hess Street in Hayden. This recent action by the IDOC has angered me because the IDOC just poked the citizens in Kootenai County and Hayden in the eye. I do not trust the IDOC in locating a Prison Release Center in Kootenai County, nor should Kootenai County citizens.
I believe the most effective and least costly way to rehabilitate criminals is with a faith based system, not the state. Again, I do not trust the Idaho Department of Corrections strategies.

Planning and zoning commission finalizes preliminary ordinance regarding reentry center

03/06/2020

The director of the Idaho Department of Corrections Mr. Josh Tewalt told me during a lunch meeting that Lewiston, Idaho wanted the new Prison Release Center. I contacted the Editor of the Lewiston Morning Tribune who then assigned a reporter on the story. Here is the reporter’s article.

I do not trust the Idaho Department of Corrections.

Josh Tewalt, the director of the Idaho Department of Correction, has apparently been telling officials in Kootenai County that Lewiston is “welcoming” to a planned 100- to 130-bed work release

03/06/2020

The director of the Idaho Department of Corrections Mr. Josh Tewalt told me during a lunch meeting that Lewiston, Idaho wanted the new Prison Release Center. I contacted the Editor of the Lewiston Morning Tribune who then assigned a reporter on the story. Here is the reporter’s article.

I do not trust the Idaho Department of Corrections.

Josh Tewalt, the director of the Idaho Department of Correction, has apparently been telling officials in Kootenai County that Lewiston is “welcoming” to a planned 100- to 130-bed work release

02/21/2020

Here is an update to the Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) proposed prison release center. On February 11, 2020 during the Hayden City Council meeting, I made a motion to approve a letter sent to Mr. Josh Dewalt, director of the IDOC, with it being copied to Idaho Governor Brad Little. The motion was approved and the letter was sent. Here is the letter for your review.

My position on the IDOC prison release center in Hayden is as follows:

1. Since Josh Tewalt stated to a number of local individuals including Duane Rasmussen, Debra Rose and myself, "Lewiston wants the IDOC prison release center". My response is let Lewiston have it.

2. A prison release center does not enhance the health, welfare and safety of Hayden and therefore, I do not welcome it since it has the opposite effect.

3. The IDOC prison release center will hold prisoners that do not qualify for probation. They are still serving their penalty imposed by the Court for violation of Idaho Law.

4. A prison release center is not a "half way house", typically housing individuals who are on probation. I support the concept of a faith based "half way house" since they work on changing the heart of the individual. Faith based programs are more effective and cost much less then rehabilitation programs run by the IDOC.

5. I fully understand that Idaho's prison population is overwhelming the IDOC ability to house prisoners. My solution is that the IDOC should build a larger prison in Boise to relieve the overcrowding.

6. Several individuals including myself have requested from Mr. Tewalt two IDOC studies which he claims exist. They compare recidivism rates of the old IDOC model without prison release centers with the new model with prison release centers, as proof that they work. To date, Mr. Tewalt has failed to produce the studies. Therefore, I can only conclude that I do not trust the IDOC or Mr. Tewalt and I do not trust either with the safety of Hayden citizens. I have grandchildren who live in Hayden.

7. I am concerned that an IDOC prison release center will morph into a full blown prison as our population accelerates, as it is now.

8. The placement of a prison release center in Hayden will cause property values to decrease, crime will increase and property taxes will increase to hire more Sheriff Deputies to protect the population.

11/07/2019

These are just some of my Grandkids, I have a total of six and I dearly love them all. The first time one of them says Papa my heart just melts. Papa is easier to say than grandma so I get the heart melting first.

I have identified them as the Roetter Machine behind my successful re-election. They are the future generation that must be involved in the political process to protect our democracy and freedoms we enjoy. Hopefully they learned just a little bit of the political process and will sometime run for office.