In July, the Sherburne County Board voted to switch the county’s probation system from a County Probation Officer (CPO) system, to a Community Corrections Act (CCA) system for 2015.

 

A CPO supervises all juvenile and adult misdemeanor offenders residing in the county. Adult felons are supervised by the Dept. of Corrections (DOC).

 

Under a CCA, all juvenile and adult offenders, even felons, are supervised by the county probation department.

 

The switch not only gives the county more centralized control, it also stabilizes its funding source.

 

Before the switch, the county depended on state reimbursements for 50% of probation officers’ salaries and benefits. The state hasn’t paid the full 50% since 1996. The county received just 29% in 2013.

 

Under a CCA, the county will receive funding from the state that follows a specific formula based on population and percentage of felony case filings, juvenile case filings, gross misdemeanor filings and convicted felony offenders not sentenced to prison.

 

By Minnesota Statute,  all CCAs are required to form an advisory board. That board must consist of at least nine members who represent law enforcement, prosecution, judiciary, education, corrections and social services. The board also needs a representative from the county board, a citizen member and a member of an ethnic minority. All terms are two years.

 

Earlier this month, the Sherburne County Board approved a list of members for the CCA Advisory Board at the recommendation of Probation Director J Hancuch. 

 

Those members include Hancuch, Deb Anderson, DOC District Supervisor; Mark Kolbinger, Principal of Becker High School, Sheriff Joel Brott, with Chief Deputy John Starry as alternate; Chief Deputy Sam Wertheimer of the Sherburne County Attorney’s office; Judge Mary Yunker, Mary Jo Cobb, Director of HHS with programmer Amanda Larson as her alternate and John Klossner, Chief Managing Attorney from the public defender’s office.

 

The board also appointed Commissioner Rachel Leonard, who volunteered to be a member of the advisory board.

 

Still to be included are a citizen representative and a member of an ethnic minority.

 

There is no specific maximum number of people allowed on the board. There are 33 different counties in the CCA system and their advisory boards are all different, said Hancuch.

 

“Some counties have all their commissioners on the advisory board and each commissioner has a citizen representative, so there’s different formats,” he said. 

 

“We had discussions at corrections committee to keep it a little smaller, and as we work through and time goes on, we can adjust it. My recommendation is initially to have the statutory required number.”

 

Commissioner Felix Schmiesing felt all the commissioners should eventually be members the advisory board.

 

“I think this is an important committee. We’re all learning about it and I think we should move everybody through it so they have a chance to experience it and understand it,” he said. “I think it’s an opportunity for all of us to know how it’s working.”

 

Members of the board agreed to rotate membership each time a term expires.

 

The first meeting of the Sherburne County CCA Advisory Board is set for Jan. 15. Members will elect officers, establish meeting protocol and review applications for a citizen representative and an ethnic minority member and bring a recommendation to the commissioners for approval.

 

Likely the main focus for the board through April 1, says Hancuch, will be completing a comprehensive plan similar to the department’s current annual reports, but with additional financial information and addition of adult felony supervision.  Moving forward, the Sherburne County CCA Advisory Board will serve in an advisory role to the county board in identifying, developing and implementing sound correctional practices in Sherburne County.