The Judicial Department shall:

(1) Oversee and coordinate the implementation of alternative sanctions for both the regular criminal docket and the docket for juvenile matters of the Superior Court;

(2) Evaluate the effectiveness of alternative sanctions and their impact on juvenile and adult offenders, prison and jail overcrowding, court backlogs and community safety;

(3) Plan and establish new alternative sanctions;

(4) Develop criteria for determining the types of offenders appropriate to receive alternative sanctions and for determining the effectiveness of those sanctions for specific offender populations;

(5) Contract with nonprofit organizations providing alternative incarceration programs, halfway houses and other similar services;

(6) Contract for independent evaluations with respect to the use of alternative sanctions;

(7) Apply for, receive, allocate, disburse and account for grants of funds made available by the United States, the state, foundations, corporations and other businesses, agencies or individuals;

(8) Enter into agreements with the United States which may be required to obtain federal funds, and do all things necessary to apply or qualify for, accept and distribute any state and federal funds allotted under any federal or state law for alternative incarceration programs;

(9) Enter into contracts and cooperate with local government units and any combination of such units to carry out the duties imposed by this section;

(10) Enter into agreements necessary, convenient or desirable for carrying out the purposes of this section with foundations, agencies, corporations and other businesses or individuals; and

(11) Accept gifts or donations of funds, services, materials or property from any source and use such gifts or donations as is appropriate to implement the provisions of this section.

(P.A. 90-213, S. 1, 56; P.A. 95-225, S. 36; P.A. 02-132, S. 46.)

History: P.A. 95-225 amended Subsec. (b)(1) to require that the office oversee and coordinate the implementation of alternative sanctions “for both the regular criminal docket and the docket for juvenile matters of the Superior Court” and Subsec. (b)(2) to require that the office evaluate the impact of alternative sanctions on “juvenile and adult” offenders; P.A. 02-132 deleted Subsec. (a) re Office of Alternative Sanctions, deleted Subsec. (b) designator, replaced “The duties and responsibilities of the office shall be to” with “The Judicial Department shall”, deleted former Subdiv. (5) re annual report to the General Assembly, renumbered existing Subdivs. (6) to (12) as Subdivs. (5) to (11) and made a technical change.