Community-Based Corrections Programs

Pretrial Services - Pretrial Release Programs are funded by County governments and are available in a limited number of counties. They provide the court system with an alternative to jail (not prison). Through consultation with the judiciary, the vicitm in all cases of an assaultive nature and the District Attorney's Office, the Pretrial Release Program serves to balance the requirements of justice, victim safety and public safety with the very need to minimize jail overcrowding and to hold down operation and construction costs.

Pretrial caseworkers provide defendants released into the custody of the program with quick and easy information regarding court dates, courtroom locations and information about their attorney and how to contact them. Caseworkers also provide assault victims with an extra level of protection by being able to request orders for arrest for defendants who do not abide by their release conditions - such as having no contact with a victim or harrassing a victim.

Caseworkers monitor a pretrial defendant's compliance with their release conditions. The Court revokes clients from the program if they are rearrested for committing a new crime while participating in the program and the Court issues an order for arrest if the defendant violates any of his court-ordered conditions of release.

Sentencing Services - Sentencing Services Programs operate in 27 judicial districts. They determine a limited number of offenders' eligibility for services based on the offenders' current charges, prior criminal convictions and exposure to sentencing in the intermediate sanctions range of the NC sentencing grid. Plans may also be used for mitigation purposes in sentencing.

Sentencing Services programs receive case referrals from attorneys, judges, defendants, family members, and community agencies. Staff receive permission from the defendant's attorney to prepare a sentencing plan for the court. If the referral is from a judge, the attorney of record is notified.

A Sentencing Service plan is a written document that includes verified information regarding the defendant's current criminal charges and prior criminal record; family relationships, education, employment history, mental health diagnosis and treatment history; substance abuse diagnosis and treatment history; health history, military record/discharge, other relevant information.

Emphasis is placed on locating and enrolling defendants in appropriate local and state treatment programs where existing problematic behavior or conditions may be addressed. Staff contact record providers, family members, treatment providers, and others to gather information to ensure accuracy and to determine eligibility and acceptance into the treatment or intervention program the defendant needs. If enrollment in a treatment program requires an intake interview, staff initiate that interview and secure the records the program requests in order to have all obstacles to success removed prior to the sentencing hearing. A Sentencing Services program may charge a fee for plan preparation based on the defendant's ability to pay.

Want to find a program in your judicial district? Click here.

Criminal Justice Partnership Program - The Criminal Justice Partnership Progam (CJPP) was enacted as companion legislation to the Structured Sentencing Act in the mid-nineties. There are currently 82 programs in 92 counties.

CJPP programs were started with the specific goal of allowing counties to partner with the state to develop resources for Intermediate Sanction Offenders at the local level. Counties chose to operate Day Reporting Centers, Satellite Substance Abuse programs and offender resource centers to increase the resources in their communities.

Adult offenders convicted of a misdemeanor or felony and sentenced to an Intermediate level of punishment are eligible for participation in the program. Offenders serving a term of parole or post-release supervision are also eligible by statute, but sufficient funds are not available for counties to work with that population.

Drug Treatment Court - Drug Treatment Courts (DTC) were initially developed as a national model to do a better job of addressing the way court systems deal with substance abusing offenders. NC's Drug Treatment Courts are designed to enhance and monitor services to a limited number of chemically dependent adult offenders. Adult Drug Treatment Courts are currently operating as pilot projects in 19 judicial districts. They work to break the cycle of addiction that is at the root of much criminal activity. The DTC's work to reduce justice system, health system and other societal costs.

Offenders participating in Drug Treatment Court attend a session of court every two weeks held by the Drug Treatment Court Judge. The Judge becomes very familiar with the individual cases and works closely with a Drug Treatment Court team to keep an offender in treatment.

For a list of adult Drug Treatment Courts in North Carolina click here.

Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes - Once an offender has been convicted and placed on probation, TASC works to provide four major services for offenders who have not already been linked to treatment:

1) Screening and assessment of an offender's need for substance abuse or mental health services.

2) Treatment Matching - linking an offender to the correct level of treatment after conviction.

3) Referral to appropriate service providers after conviction.

4) Care management - TASC monitors urine tests and ensures compliance with criminal justice conditions and treatment requirements by continuous monitoring of the offender's progress.

TASC is available on a limited basis in all districts in NC. In order to be eligible for TASC, an offender must: be involved in the criminal justice system; agree to participate and have a substance abuse or mental health problem.

Residential Programs - There are several residential programs providing residential services specifically for the offender population. There are a very limited number of short term 3-6 months facilities, such as Freedom House in Orange County, that help stabilize a substance abusing offender.

There are also two therapeutic communities - TROSA and FIRST - which are run by recovering people and require a two year commitment. Therapeutic communities are designed for serious substance abusers who need an extended period of residential support and employment options to rebuild their lives.

Womens' Services - It is widely recognized that female offenders have special needs that are often not adequately addressed within the criminal justice system. The prevalence of past sexual abuse and mental health problems are just two examples of those special needs. Women at Risk is a model program headquartered in Asheville that works to address those needs within the female population. Summit House addresses the residential needs of a limited group of female offenders in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh. TROSA, in Durham, also offers program services specifically designed for female offenders.

Re-entry Programs - Almost no community services were available to help ease the transition from prison back to the community until federal funds were provided for the ReEntry program early in this decade. With those funds, pilot programs were established to use their existing networks to address housing, employment and substance abuse treatment needs of individuals coming out of the prison system.

Those federal funds (through the Going Home initiative) have now dried up, but may be appropriated again in 2008. The Department of Correction has established the Office of Transition Services to continue the interaction with pilot networks. Since funding is no longer available, it remains to be seen whether counties and local non-profits will be able to provide a limited number of services to offenders who have served their time.