The letter broached the issue of incarceration of persons convicted of nonviolent felonies and petty misdemeanors.
The Rappahannock Regional Jail offers many evidence-based alternatives to costly incarceration through our Community Corrections Division, and is one of the 10 Virginia pilot sites for the implementation
This is being implemented within the entire Community Corrections Division at varying levels including: community-based probation, pretrial services, work release, electronic incarceration, and drug court.
Community Corrections staff are trained to work with nonviolent defendants and offenders in building motivation and strengthening their commitment to making changes in their lives.
The staff helps offenders to gain improved self-control, increase their circle of caring, engage offenders in pro-social values and situations, provide substance abuse services, and identify primary healthy relationships.
Research shows that placing low-risk offenders with high-risk criminals increases the low-risk offender's risk of re-offending and returning to the criminal justice system. Therefore, alternatives to costly incarceration that are evidence-based are fiscally sound policy.
Community collaboration through the Community Criminal Justice Board has begun to address this topic.
Such collaboration is needed to address the issue of the growing inmate population and calls for evidence-based programs to reduce recidivism, which translates into a safer community.
Joseph Higgs
Stafford
The writer is superintendent of the Rappahannock Regional Jail.