Goals and Staff Functions
Goals
Kent County OCC works toward:
- Decreasing the prison commitment rate in Kent County
- Promoting the use of community-based sanctions as sentencing options for non-violent felony offenders sentenced to probation or jail
- Evaluation and auditing of Kent County OCC-funded agencies to ensure quality services are provided to enrolled offenders
- Ensuring that Michigan Office of Community Corrections funds awarded to Kent County OCC are fully maximized by funded agencies and Kent County
Staff Functions
Kent County OCC staff carry out a number of functions throughout the year
with a primary emphasis on the monitoring of OCC-funded programming to ensure
contract compliance and effective treatment services. When an issue has been
noted with the programming funded by Kent County OCC, it becomes the responsibility
of Kent County OCC staff to review the reasons why the issue has developed
and to request/require modifications to the program to ensure that the issue
has been resolved in a positive manner. Staff are also responsible for the
collecting, entering, and interpreting of felony offender sentencing data
in Kent County. Statistical data collected and reported to MOCC, CCAB, and
other local criminal justice stakeholders includes (but is not limited to)
jail utilization data, disposition rates, and program enrollment/termination
information. Monthly invoices are also collected from each funded agency
and reviewed for accuracy and to make certain that each program is meeting
its stated utilization goals.
County Jail Reimbursement
Another responsibility of Kent County OCC staff is the County Jail Reimbursement Program (CJRP). This program allows each county in Michigan to seek reimbursement from MDOC for housing eligible offenders within local jails that would have historically received a prison disposition. Offenders who are eligible for reimbursement can receive a per diem of $43.50 per day reimbursement for their stay in the Kent County Correctional Facility for up to 365 days from the date their sentence begins. From FY 2000 through FY 2009, Kent County has received a total of $10.1 million dollars in CJRP funds.
Kent County OCC staff took over responsibility for the Michigan CJRP from the Kent County Sheriff’s Department during fiscal year (FY) 2000. This change was done as Kent County OCC staff has greater access to sentencing information and other data which enables for the better identification of CJRP-eligible offenders.
Eligibility criteria can be modified from year to year to better reflect
the population of offenders that can be truly considered “prison bound”.
For example, in 2006 a blanket reimbursement for all OUIL III offenders was
eliminated and this group of offenders must meet the same sentencing guideline
(SGL) scores and prior record variable (PRV) scores as all other offenders.
The eligibility criteria for FY 2010 has not yet been decided upon by MDOC.
Kent County OCC continues to track offenders who receive jail sentences so
reimbursement can be requested once the CJRP eligibility criteria is established.
