Show All Answers

1. What is Community Corrections?

Community Corrections is a program that was established with the passage of Michigan Public Act 51one of 1988. P.A. 511 establishes a statewide policy for locally developed and operated corrections programs for non-violent offenders. Pursuant to P.A. 511, the Michigan Legislature annually considers appropriations legislation for Community Corrections Programs which are administered by the Michigan Department of Corrections, Office of Community Corrections to eligible local units of government.

The 34th Circuit Community Corrections Programs has been a recipient of P.A. 511 grant funding since 1991. Programs are administered to the 3 counties of the 34th Circuit Court jurisdiction, which included the Counties of Arenac, Ogemaw and Roscommon.

Roscommon County serves as the fiscal agent for the program and the Community Corrections Office is located in
Room 42
Roscommon County Building
500 Lake Street
Village of Roscommon
Roscommon, MI 48653-7690

2. Who normally qualifies for P.A. 511?

P.A. 511 Community Corrections Programs were created for adult (18-years and older), non-violent offenders, including both misdemeanants and felons. Eligible participants must have no pattern or criminal record or violent or assaultive offenses. On an individual case basis, offenders with 2 assaultive convictions in the previous 5 years may be allowed to participate, especially if the assaultive offense was committed while the offender was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Typically, participants in Community Corrections are offenders sentenced for misdemeanors or felony crimes related to: substance abuse (alcohol or drugs), retail and other fraud-related crimes, property crimes (breaking and entering, burglary, malicious destruction of property), probation violation, traffic crimes and public order offense violations. Offenders are motivated to participate in P.A. 511 programs because they can earn early release time, in addition to Sheriff’s good time, through community service work performed and for the successful completion of 511 programs. This enables the Sheriff’s Departments to make better utilization of county jails.

A Criminal Sexual Conduct in-jail and outpatient mental health treatment program for offenders sentenced for CSC2 and CSC4 offenses is offered. CSC offenders are not eligible to earn early release time through P.A. 511 participation due tot he nature of the crime(s). The CSC Mental Health Treatment Program is considered a prison diversion program - which is why it is funded under P.A. 511.

3. Why Community Corrections?

Crime rates and the cost of prison and jail construction and prisoner incarceration have increased dramatically over the years, thus placing a great burden on taxpayers. State and local officials continuously grapple with these matters. Further compounding problems and frustrating criminal justice professionals is the tendency for most offenders to re-offend upon release from prison or jail. This tendency to re-offend is called “recidivism.”

In order to stave off recidivism, criminal justice professionals continuously work to perfect or create corrective rehabilitation programs to administer to offenders during and following incarceration, or in some cases, in lieu of incarceration. It has long been held in criminal justice field that prisons and jails should be reserved primarily for housing and rehabilitating more violent security risk offenders and incorrigible habitual offenders.

Community Corrections programs evolved from the growing need to create and administer alternative sentencing programs to non-violent misdemeanants and felons. The objectives of Community Corrections are to lower State prison commitment rates by diverting non-violent offenders from State prison system and to improve utilization of our county jails. Alternative sentencing sanctions are imposed on non-violent offenders to achieve these objectives.

4. What does alternative sentencing do?

Alternative sentencing reduces crowding in state prisons and county jails by placing non-violent offenders in structured programs which do not jeopardize public safety. In this way, low-risk offenders are able to pay back victims and society through restitution and community service work. Community Corrections is working to develop additional middle-range sentencing options for the courts in every jurisdiction throughout the State.

With the goal of reducing recidivism, Community Corrections offers an array of treatment and educational services to non-violent offenses. The 34th Circuit Community Corrections Program enables local government officials and citizens to become involved in the development and operation of its alternative correctional programs through participation and/or inputs to its planning and decision making process through the 34th Circuit Community Corrections Advisory Board.

5. What is the 34th Circuit Community Corrections Advisory Board?

The board was formally established on Sept. 2, 1992. The board is comprised of a broad base of community interests including representatives from government, the judiciary, criminal justice practitioners, educators, business persons, clergy, citizens, news media and service providers. Appointments to the CCAB are made by the respective member county board of commissioners. The current county members are: Arenac, Ogemaw and Roscommon Counties.

All CCAB programs are primarily funded with P.A. 511 grant monies from the Michigan Department of Corrections, Office of Community Corrections, Each member county provides in-kind match to the grant via office and meeting space, utility overhead expenses, and shared use of office equipment and vehicles (when available).

The 34th Circuit CCAB meets bi-monthly, usually on the first Wednesday of the month at 4:30 p.m. Meetings formerly were rotated among the three member counties. On June 2, 1999, the CCAB approved a By-Law change to conduct all regular bi-monthly meetings are the centrally located Ogemaw County Building in West Branch. Meeting schedules are posted in each member county building. Meetings are open to the public and opportunities for public comment are provided at each meeting.

6. What is the purpose of the Community Corrections Advisory Board?

The purposes of the CCAB is to (a) Serve as a regional board in evaluating, identifying and developing community corrections programs, address criminal justice issues and take other action deemed appropriate and necessary in this arena, (b) develop a regional comprehensive community corrections plan and apply for funding tot he Office of Community Corrections to finance and implement the plan, (c) serve as an advocacy group for community-based corrections efforts, and (d) provide community feedback on proposed corrections rehabilitation programs.

7. What violent offenses are ineligible for this program?

Persons convicted of or awaiting sentencing, and pre-trial for commission of violent offenses are not eligible to participate in the P.A. 511 Community Corrections Program. A full list of ineligible violent offenses is available

online.