SANDPOINT — Bonner County Justice Services may soon welcome its first intern in approximately 25 years, but commissioners are seeking more details before approving the temporary paid position. 

The Justice Service department will bring back a request for a temporary intern for the department. The hourly, part-time position would be compensated for $20.27 an hour, for a total of 20 hours a week for five pay periods. The department estimates the position will cost approximately $4,054, with the funds to be taken from the cigarette tax and JCA Grant fund.  

The request came from Justice Service director Ron Stultz, who announced that the department had been approached by a senior from Lewis and Clark College’s justice program, asking if it could fulfill a 135-hour internship requirement with the Bonner County department. Stultz said the department hadn’t had an intern for over 25 years, and he believed the department could benefit from the internship and potentially attract the individual to work for the juvenile detention center after graduation.   

Commissioners Asia Williams and Brian Domke opted for the department to bring back the request later to address specifics of how the department would work with the college for which the intern would receive credit. Williams also requested an explanation for why the internship would be paid; a practice she said isn’t always necessary when college credit or requirements are involved.  

Though the request was approved through all the necessary review processes, auditing, risk, and legal, commissioners still sought information on how the intern position would run and how the potential intern would be treated compared to a regular-staffed position.  

In a memorandum submitted to the board, the intern would be responsible for a variety of entry-level and developmental duties. The position would provide assistance to juvenile probation, juvenile detention, community services, and other department programs, according to a memorandum submitted to the board.  

Commissioners did not vote for next steps on the proposed program but suggested that Stultz consult with other departments that may have already utilized interns, such as the county’s prosecutor’s office and road and bridge.