Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Larsen recently announced that the court had awarded more than $3 million to 23 courts statewide to fund the operation of intense probation supervision programs.
The Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program (SSSPP) targets high-risk felony offenders with a history of probation violations or failures.
Follow-up analysis shows that participants in these programs are less likely to reoffend and more likely to find a job and improve their quality of life, according to the court.
“Where other ‘probation-as-usual’ programs might have not worked for certain individuals, the swift and sure model promptly imposes graduated sanctions for probation violations, which sets up participants to successfully complete their probation, once and for all,” said Larsen, who made the announcement at Ingham County Circuit Court during a graduation of three program participants.
The funding for these programs “is vital to the courts and dedicated judges that operate them because it enables them to continue doing what they do best: saving lives, saving money, strengthening families, and building stronger communities,” she said.
The most recent MSC Problem-Solving Court Report, “Solving Problems, Saving Lives,” shows that:
• Swift and Sure program graduates were 36 percent less likely to re-offend, as compared to the probation-as-usual group.
• Fifty-one percent of those who entered a program unemployed became gainfully employed, either part- or full-time, upon completion of a program.
• Participants had a lower percentage of jail sentences (13.7 percent) than the probation-as-usual group (21.6 percent).
The process of awarding the grants is highly competitive and funding is limited.
While they are not considered problem-solving courts because they do not require enrollment in treatment programs for substance abuse or mental health disorders, SSSPP performance is tracked by the Supreme Court, along with that of problem-solving courts, as part of a broader performance measures initiative to monitor court performance statewide.
Data collected is used to identify and share best practices and to target areas that need improvement.
Courts receiving the grants are located in the following counties:
Allegan, Barry, Bay, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Emmet, Gratiot, Ionia, Iron, Isabella, Kalamazoo, Livingston, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Muskegon, Saginaw, Shiawassee, St. Joseph, Van Buren and Wayne.
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