What are Some Alternatives to the Standard Method of Incarceration in the State of FL?

One of the most common forms of punishment imposed for committing a crime in Naples, FL is being sentenced to incarceration. Incarceration as you know it, involves an individual being detained and required to spend a specified period of time in jail or prison. Individuals are often sentenced to jail when they are going to be spending a short period of time detained or while they await the arrival of their trial date. Prisons, on the other hand, are used to house inmates who are in for lengthier sentences.

When a crime carries a jail or prison sentence, not always will the inmate who receives this sentence be required to spend the duration of it behind bars. There are actually alternatives to this standard method of incarceration. If you are facing jail time or know someone who could potentially be sentenced to incarceration, read on below to find out what these alternative options are.

 

1. Probation

Probation “is a court-ordered term of community supervision under specified conditions for a specific period of time that cannot exceed the maximum sentence for the offense” [Source: Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)]. The court shall establish all conditions of the probation sentence of which all must be met. In the event one or more of the conditions that are established are violated, the convicted individual could be faced with the initial sentence that would have been imposed had probation not been an alternative method available to them.

When a person is granted probation as opposed to incarceration, they shall be assigned a probation officer who they must check in with and abide by all rules that are set. Performing community service hours, following a curfew, and paying a fine each month are only some of the things an individual may be required to do while on probation in the State of FL.

 

2. Community Control

Community Control “is not intensive probation, but a distinctive type of program that is punishment oriented and allows offenders to serve their sentences confined to their homes under “house arrest” instead of prison.” House arrest, like probation, help address the issue of prison overcrowding “without jeopardizing the safety of the community.” When a person is placed on house arrest, they shall be:

• Confined to their residence unless they are permitted to go to work, perform community service, or participate in a self-improvement program.
• Required to do public service work for nonprofit and governmental agencies to make reparation to society.
• Required to pay monthly fees to the State to offset costs.
• Required to complete daily logs that will account for the activities they participate in and their time.
• Required to maintain employment to support themselves and their families.
• Ordered to submit to a urine or breath test at any given time.
• Required to participate in self- improvement courses to improve their chances of rehabilitation.

 

3. Work Programs

Depending on the degree of the crime an individual was found guilty of committing, they may be eligible to participate in a work program rather than be sentenced to prison time.

 

4. Work Release Programs

Rather than house an inmate in the local jail or prison, an individual might be permitted to partake in a work release program. Unlike being confined to the jail facility, an inmate is housed in a separate facility where he or she is allowed to leave to go to work and must return by a specific time.

[Source: FDLE].

 

If your loved one was arrested in Naples, FL or you are facing a jail sentence for a crime you committed and want to decrease your chances of being incarcerated, contact Naples, FL criminal defense attorney Michael M. Raheb today.

The Law Offices of Michael M. Raheb, P.A. is located at:

3606 Enterprise Avenue, Suite 358
Naples, Florida 34104

Phone: 239-226-0889

Website: www.michaelraheb.com