Wayne County community corrections board pushes outreach, data tracking after low utilization; member says state 'targeting' county

At a Wayne County Community Corrections Advisory Board meeting, Administrator Lester Thomas outlined a plan to boost utilization of county-funded community corrections programs by increasing outreach to judges and prosecutors, producing a concise program handout, and arranging site visits so decision‑makers can see services firsthand.

Thomas told the board he has been meeting with stakeholders including Tamela Aiken (court services director), Angela Astorio (manager of pretrial services) and Nicole Gilbert (Indigent Defense Services) to explain available programming and build partnerships. He said staff also observed in‑jail classes to learn what is working: "one domestic violence class had seven participants, and the cognitive behavior therapy class had 11," which informed his outreach strategy.

Thomas proposed a simple "cheat sheet" for each program containing three elements: who is eligible, how to refer and why the program matters. He said drafts will be reviewed by the full board before distribution to judges, prosecutors and partner agencies so referrals are consistent. "We have the programs, and programs are free — we have grants for it," he said, urging clearer communication so the court system can maximize use of available services.

Board members emphasized that in-person visits matter. Dr. Keisha Allen, a new board member and CEO of BFDI International Training Institute, said seeing programs changed her view: "You actually being there that changed your perspective" and urged the board to "set up a time and place for those people who we are asking to do these referrals to actually visit these places." Janella Robinson added that probation officers historically visited vendor sites with judges, which built trust and increased referrals.

The board discussed how to target outreach. Several members recommended prioritizing judges who handle treatment dockets (veterans, drug, sobriety and mental‑health courts) and arraignment judges, rather than trying to reach every judge in the circuit.

Thomas also floated forming three board subgroups focused on utilization tracking, program evaluation/evolution, and vendor collaboration (space and referral-process issues). Some members supported breaking tasks into narrower teams; others warned of governance and attendance problems. Attorney Paul Bruno said he was "very, very reluctant to have subcommittees," adding, "We are the subcommittee," and cautioned that extra layers could dilute decision-making.

Ebony McCann, Transition Services Division Director, noted statutory and bylaw limits: the meeting referenced a state provision the participants referred to as the "PA 5 11 statute," which, McCann said, "speaks specifically to who can sit on the board and make decisions for community corrections." She said any changes to membership or bylaws would need alignment with the state community corrections advisory board, Wayne County Commission and corporate counsel.

Members also discussed using technology to monitor utilization. One participant pointed to the county jail dashboard (sheriffconnect.com) and suggested adding fields so the board could track referrals and occupancy in near real time. Thomas said staff will begin presenting utilization statistics for the five programs funded through the CCAB grant at the next meeting so the board can compare actual referrals with targets and identify gaps.

The meeting entered a brief political dispute: Attorney Bruno said, "It is my opinion that we are being targeted by the state without justification," and criticized recent budget reductions. Thomas replied that the board should "focus on maximizing our utilization" and avoid becoming mired in politics; other participants reiterated that state funding is tied to utilization and urged steps to increase referrals.

There were no public comments. A motion to adjourn was moved and seconded, and the chair called for "all in favor," receiving "Aye." The meeting was adjourned. Next meeting materials are expected to include utilization data for the five funded programs.