Becca Scribe, the community corrections executive director and deputy chief probation officer, told the Monroe County Board of Commissioners on June 5 that community corrections and probation operate as a single department and that Department of Correction grants fund staffing for home detention, problem‑solving courts and pretrial services.

The presentation summarized 2024 activity and outcomes and flagged funding pressure. "We receive about 1.5 little over $1,500,000 in grant funding for these specific programs," Scribe said, and added that Department of Correction grants "have been flatlined for the past 5 years." She told commissioners the state budget proposal cuts community corrections funding across the state by almost 10 percent for the upcoming two years and the county is awaiting word on its 2026 grant application.

Scribe said the county uses grant funds primarily to support staff salaries and training required to implement evidence‑based supervision techniques. "Research shows that if our probation officers and, really, all of our staff are trained and we pay attention to the fidelity of evidence based practices, that's gonna equal better client outcomes," she said.

Scribe gave outcome figures for key programs: home detention and electronic monitoring had a 93 percent completion rate in 2024; pretrial safety rates have been "fairly consistent" in recent years around 92–94 percent; pretrial success (attendance and no new offenses) was about 69 percent in 2024; drug treatment court had a 75 percent success rate; reentry court 64 percent; and she said mental health court success was lower, at about 36 percent, reflecting the complexity of that caseload.

Scribe also described operations: in 2024 staff completed more than 1,700 pretrial assessments used by judges to set conditions and noted that only a small fraction of pretrial clients are placed on electronic monitoring. She emphasized that fee collection shortfalls are being covered by other local money and that judges and probation officers do not imprison people solely for inability to pay fees. "Monroe County circuit courts and the judges do not put people back in jail solely because they can't pay their user fees," she said.

Commissioners asked operational questions. Commissioner Jones asked whether pretrial assessments were offered on weekends; Scribe said they are not and that expanding weekend coverage is a "wish list item." Multiple commissioners praised the problem‑solving courts and the department’s emphasis on evidence‑based practices and training.

The department said it will continue fidelity coaching, monthly learning teams, and data collection; it also posted a 2024 annual report online and will monitor the state grant decision.