The Herald-Palladium
ST. JOSEPH — Berrien County has been awarded a $304,626 grant to continue a program that uses immediate jail sentences to punish people who break the rules of probation.
The county Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved the grant agreement, which provides funding through Sept. 30 for the Swift and Sure Sanctions program.
The county Trial Court operated a pilot version of the program since 2011.
Jenny Grimm, criminal justice grants coordinator for the county, said the program targets high-risk felony probationers who have histories of not following the rules.
Before Swift and Sure, technical violations such as being caught drinking usually resulted in a warning not to do it again.
Offenders quickly learned that they could get away with some violations.
Now, a person placed in the program who is caught in a first-time violation can expect an immediate three-day jail sentence.
“We’re hoping the state continues this program,” Grimm recently told the county board’s Administration Committee. “It’s been successful.”
Probationers in the program may be required to submit to random drug testing. Each person is assigned a color and must report for testing after receiving a call naming their color.
Testing positive for drugs or alcohol results in jail or another sanction.
Those placed in the program typically have histories of probation violations and substance abuse problems.
The grant includes funding for jail costs and medical treatment of inmates.
In 2012, the state judiciary and Department of Corrections budgets included funding for the program. It was offered to counties that have unified trial courts and drug courts.
The 2013 budget began Oct. 1, and it expanded the program to allow more counties to apply.
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