While jail is a common form of punishment in the wake of a conviction for a serious crime, it’s not the best solution for all offenders. For certain low-level and non-violent offenders, judges oftentimes look at alternative forms of sentencing that could be better suited to the individual and the community as a whole. One such alternative to a standard jail sentence in Minnesota is what’s known as “Sentence to Service.” In today’s blog, we take a closer look at the benefits of the Sentence to Service program in Minnesota.
What Is Sentence To Service?
Sentence to Service is a work program in Minnesota that allows select low-level and non-violent offenders to complete community projects instead of spending their time in jail. All of the programs are slightly different, so we’ll use the Hennepin County Sentence to Service program as an example.
In the Hennepin County Sentence to Service program, eligible low-level offenders can complete community service projects instead of spending their sentence in jail. For example, instead of being given a year in jail for a second-degree gross misdemeanor DWI, a judge might hand down a suspended sentence that involves 30 days of Sentence to Service. In order to avoid the year in jail, one condition of sentencing would be to complete 30 days of the local work program.
Examples of types of work projects completed through Sentence to Service programs include:
- Mulching/Landscaping community areas
- Picking up garbage along roadways
- Laying sandbags to help prevent water overflow or flooding
- Playground equipment assembly
- Graffiti/litter cleanup
- Tree planting/pruning/trimming
- Janitorial services
- Storm damage cleanup
- Snow removal
Individuals sign up for projects through a local county website and can choose to work either a four-hour half day shift or a full-day eight hour shift. There are different programs for both adults and juveniles who have been sentenced to a service program in lieu of jail time.
A Sentence To Service program is beneficial on many levels. For starters, workers gain real life skills that they can use in the real world or to find employment once their program is complete, and they get to pay their debt to society outside in the fresh air instead of sitting in a jail cell. Communities benefit by getting communal projects completed that they may not have otherwise had the budget to complete, allowing taxpayer dollars to be spent on other ventures. The program also helps to reduce jail crowding and expenses related to housing an inmate for an extended period of time.
If you’re wondering if a Sentence To Service program may be an option for you if you’re facing a criminal charge, bring it up to your lawyer. Obviously we’ll work hard to get your charges reduced or dismissed, but if a conviction occurs, we can push for alternative options during the sentencing period.
For more information about the Sentence to Service program in Minnesota, or to talk to a lawyer about your defense options if you’re facing a criminal charge, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
