Criminal Defense Lawyer
When thinking of the criminal justice system and the outcomes of going through the system, many people think of incarceration. Whether this may be jail or prison. However, there are many other alternatives to incarceration that are given instead. These can also be commonly referred to as community corrections. Since many prisons and facilities are becoming overpopulated many judges have moved to sentencing more of these community corrections. One of which is community service.
The Community Service
The community service aspect requires someone to complete a set amount of hours set by a judge to complete within a time frame. These hours take the place of a sentence. However, this form of sentencing is usually given to those who have low level offenses. If not completed there is the possibility of revocation and having to serve a set amount of time in jail. Though, for some who are sentenced to probation this may be a term of condition for them.
Intermediate Sanctions
Another form of community supervision is intermediate sanction facilities. These facilities help to bridge the gap between incarceration and parole. Typically, this is used for those who are on probation and are facing revocation. These facilities help to understand the offender’s likelihood to reoffend as well as their criminogenic needs, the sentence for these facilities can range from 45 to 120 days. Overall, these facilities are meant to be a treatment-like facility to help the offender and be a step before probation revocation. Some examples of intermediate sanctions are house arrest, financial sanctions, treatment, and so on.
Probation
A more commonly known alternative to prison that many people are aware of is probation. Probation works in a plethora of ways and there can be differing conditions of probation depending on the crime. Probation has a set amount of time decided by a judge that can range from months to years. During a probationers time they may be subject to different fees, and other obligations or else risk revocation. Some of these conditions include required meetings with probation supervisors, community service, and attending some sort of treatment. Furthermore, some may be required to move address, work a full time job, and the list goes on.
Day resource centers are also another alternative to jail that is also more rehabilitative. For example, there are opportunities for educational attainment and getting a GED. They also offer a variety of different classes such as anger management, substance abuse classes, as well as many others. These centers are typically used for lower level offenses and focus primarily on treatment as opposed to incarceration. Many who are sent to these centers are referred by parole officers. This is also another alternative to possible revocation and allows them to either complete their sentence or allows them to continue forward on probation.
If you are in need of a well-experienced Criminal defense lawyer you can contact Brandy Austin Law Firm, PLLC where they can resolve a wide range of law areas.