The Stearns County Board of Commissioners voted today to eliminate the $100 fee charged to worksites that use Sentencing to Service (STS) crews. That fee will be eliminated through 2013, leaving it open for discussion in another year. In lieu of the worksite fee, the Board agreed to charge a $230 annual Supervision Fee to offenders who serve on the STS crews.
Sentence to Service is an alternative to jail or fines, allowing clients re-pay the public through community service work, such as painting projects, landscaping, clean-up, and building projects. Work must be completed at a non-profit or government organization: churches, schools, cities, townships, counties, parks, DNR or hospitals (there are over 300 sites in Stearns County). Most of the work is done for cities, and second is for Stearns County. A smaller portion is done for the DNR and non-profits.
In November of last year, the Human Services Board established the $100 worksite fee for 2012. In April, Commissioners approved suspending the fee due to unforeseen difficulties in implementation. Community Corrections convened a study group, which recommended eliminating the worksite fee and instead charging STS clients a supervision fee.
“We think this is the best way to realize revenue for this program; charge the clients instead of the non-profit and government worksites,” said Community Corrections Supervisor, Becky Bales Cramlet. “We believe the worksites are helping these individuals by keeping them out of the criminal justice system, by assisting them in learning skills and re-integrating them into society.”
The total cost of running the STS program is $400,000. Stearns County receives nearly $150,000 in state subsidies. A day in jail is valued at $191.51; in 2011, the STS program saved 1,670 jail days or $319,821. Anticipated revenue from the worksite fee for 2012 was $12,000. The projected revenue in supervision fees is $13,500.