(Cass County, ND) -- A program created by Cass County's Sheriff Department meant to benefit non-violent offenders is receiving national attention
Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner and Corporal Chad Violet joined WDAY Radio's The Coffee Club to discuss the Community Supervision Program. The program allows some inmates to serve their sentences in the community outside the jail, giving them the opportunity to seek services, hold jobs, and live outside the correctional facility. The inmates are constantly watched and monitored via check-in's from deputies and by GPS bracelets.
"We have two deputies that check on them on a regular basis to make sure they are abiding by the program, following through on services they may need to follow through with the court... "said Jahner, "They aren't at the jail, so it saves us some space at the jail. It's a fiscally responsible program, because by them not being in the jail, taxpayers are not paying for housing of things for them there."
Violet says there are restrictions on who can join the program. Applicants must go through a risk-assessment; which often excludes those with violent offenses, protection orders, or sex offenses against them. Violet says most participants are inmates with drug offenses.
"Getting through our program and doing this we have about a 72% success rate of them serving their jail time or even their pre-trial time on this program,"said Violet.
Both Jahner and Violet say the locally built program is beginning to build a national audience. The department says other Sheriff's offices from across the country have asked about the program and ask for assistance in replicating the program in their own home counties. Jahner says the big benefits based on reduced jail capacity, costs, and other factors.