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Wayne County CCAB reviews program utilization, readies FY2027 MDOC grant application
Summary
At a meeting lacking a quorum, Wayne County Community Corrections Administrator Lester Thomas reviewed utilization and spending across CCAB-funded programs, reported two pending referrals for the HEAT violence‑prevention program, and said staff will apply for the FY2027 Michigan Department of Corrections grant via IntelleGrants to try to maintain funding.
Lester Thomas, administrator for Wayne County Community Corrections, told the Community Corrections Advisory Board that several vendor programs are using only a fraction of their FY2026 allocations and that staff will pursue the FY2027 Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) grant to sustain funding.
"You all should have a handout. It says CCAB Utilization Report April 2026," Thomas said, then summarized monthly new‑client counts and spending. He reported the Center for Family Development was allocated $125,000 and had used about 13.6% of that allocation through February; Lake Ridge had a $175,000 allocation and had used roughly 30%. Thomas said ETRS domestic violence programming in the jail had used about 19% of its $50,000 allocation, and ETRS community domestic violence services had used roughly 18% of $175,000.
Thomas also updated the board on the violence prevention program known as HEAT. He said the program was recently amended to be HEAT‑only, the change was approved by MDOC, and the county now has two pending referrals for HEAT: "we've actually have two pending referrals for that program, finally. So, um that's some good news."
On grant strategy, Thomas said the FY2027 MDOC application opened this week and that the county will submit electronically through IntelleGrants. "We're going to start reviewing the data and submit the application," he said, adding that staff will aim to document utilization and program improvements so Wayne County can at least maintain its current funding.
Board members pressed staff to use the grant application period to identify gaps that MDOC is likely to fund. Member Janella Robinson urged the board to craft recommendations for the next fiscal year, stressing vocational education as a high‑need area in Wayne County and asking the board to identify partners and gaps rather than duplicate existing services. "This is the time that we should start looking at recommendations for the plan moving forward for the next fiscal year," Robinson said.
Thomas noted MDOC has signaled three priority needs when considering funding: criminal‑personality treatment, vocational education, and social‑isolation interventions. He said MDOC prefers to fund gap programs that are not already widely available in the community and that the CCAB must be able to demonstrate how proposed programming uniquely addresses those needs.
Thomas also shared statewide figures from Public Act 511 for FY2025, noting that pre‑trial supervision funded under PA 511 served about 22,800 defendants statewide with a 90.3% appearance rate and a 95.6% public‑safety rate, and that roughly 24 counties received pre‑trial funding. He said Wayne County is exploring whether pursuing PA 511 pre‑trial funding is feasible locally.
The board did not take formal votes because the meeting lacked a quorum. Thomas said staff will continue gathering data, refine the FY2027 application materials in coordination with MDOC, and bring proposed materials to the board for review and approval when quorum allows.
