After an appropriate period of time (as determined by the court and Community Corrections Board) Community Corrections Officers conduct a comprehensive assessment in the jail. Approval from jail staff and the probation officers are then obtained before the court is petitioned for the offender’s early release into a supervised setting of tether, residential or transitional housing and treatment.
During the alternative program, Community Corrections Officers continue to be directly involved in supervising and encouraging the offender’s rehabilitation. The safety of the public is always of greatest concern and Community Corrections Officers have the court’s authority to detain or return the offender to custody for violations of the terms or non-compliance of their court petition.
Community Corrections applications reduce prison overcrowding and control jail populations, thus saving taxpayer money. By addressing the needs of the offender for substance abuse treatment, life and employment skills, as well as providing education and housing opportunities, offenders are better equipped to re-integrate back into the community and recidivism rates are lowered.
Non-violent sentenced offenders (both felony and misdemeanor) who are incarcerated in jail may be approved for the program.
Offenders on probation and even offenders that are not on probation are eligible.
Since inception, Community Corrections programs have helped hundreds of jail and prison inmates again become productive members of society. Their lives and those of their family’s have been improved and bettered. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been saved for taxpayers in prison reduction and jail population management.