Local probation officers putting more focus on how they handle people in effort to better help them and reduce recidivism
The Lyon County Probation Department is joining a nationwide movement that focuses on long-term progress and the elimination of recidivism.
Three members of the department presented in front of the Lyon County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to update their efforts to change the relationship between DOC agents and their clients.
“Our way of doing business may be a little bit different than in the past as far as probation goes, how we’re supervising,” Fifth District DOC Program Director Shanell Schneider. “When we’re meeting with folks, we want to make our time very useful with them and try to change behavior and looking for the driver of their behavior.”
Schneider said this approach elevates what the DOC is trying to accomplish with its clients. Obeying court orders is still a given, but the new-look, one-on-one relationship will study patterns of behavior in hopes of changing their thinking so “we don’t have this revolving door with individuals anymore,” said Schneider.
Brad Odegard, DOC district supervisor for the Marshall District, said the new approach is not a shift in what agents are doing.
“The biggest shift in this year with agents is we’re doing skill-directed practice with agents’ coaching circles … we are reviewing audio tapes of interactions between agents and clients and gaining skills on communication, building trust,” Odegard said.
Odegard said the process is designed to dig deeper into the rehabilitation of clients, especially high-risk clients.
The program uses what are called decision points, Odegard said, which he described as a very intense way of digging into a person’s thought process and what’s driving that behavior.
“This is a nationwide movement,” he said. “We’re not creating anything new that has not been tested to really try to focus on getting long-term progress for folks so they’re not coming back through our doors — the jails, the court system.”
The Marshall District covers Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Pipestone, Cottonwood and Jackson counties.
“As a group, we get together and practice together and build skills together as we try to hopefully have a greater impact on recidivism,” said Odegard. “Our goal — we are hired to protect the public, and that’s what we plan to do.”
In other business Tuesday …
• On a 3-2 vote, the board approved commercial tax abatements for Redwood River Rentals LLC for 2026 with an estimated total of $1,976.14; SR Auto Repair Garage LLC for 2026 with an estimated total of $2,768.26; and Rebound Partners — for an approximately 84-room Hampton Inn Hotel for 2028 (estimated) to be built in Marshall — with an estimated total of $58,934.80. Rebound Partners had orignally asked for a 10-year abatement. Voting against were commissioners Rick Anderson and Tom Andries. The proposed abatement of the county portion of property taxes is for a term of four years, and the county portion of the increased tax would be reduced as follows: Year 1: 80%; Year 2: 60%; Year 3: 40%; Year 4: 20%.
• During a public hearing, the board, acting as the Lyon County Drainage Authority, moved to grant a petition for John Engles for the partial abandonment of County Ditch 15 for the purpose of wetland restoration through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
The petition asserts that this section of CD 15 Branch 1 Fork will no longer serve a benefit or purpose for the drainage system because of the drained wetland restoration and upland protection goals of the State’s perpetual conservation easement.
No other portions of the CD 15 drainage system will be modified as part of the partial abandonment, and the remains portions of the system will continue to function in their current condition.
