Contact the Officers
Peter J. Newbert: (440) 326-4717
Bryan Thomas: (440) 326-4716
Fax: (440) 326-4735

A grant was received from the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction in 1996 to provide an ISP Program to the Municipal Courts. This program is operated through the Lorain County Adult Probation Department. There are two Officers in this program.

Its target population is those offenders who have been convicted of a misdemeanor of the first degree, such as Domestic Violence and Theft. Emphasis is placed on offenders who have a substance abuse problem, prior record, and pose a significant risk to re-offend. These offenders would normally be sentenced to the County Jail.

Offenders placed on this program will be drug tested randomly once a month. At least two face-to-face contacts will be made with the offender per month of supervision. Offenders will be referred by the Court, through their staff (probation officers, bailiffs, clerks, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, advocate group) prior to sentencing. Offenders who already have been sentenced to jail, can be interviewed by the staff for placement upon request of the Court. Offenders on general Municipal Probation can be stepped-up to this sanction if warranted by technical violations.

Sanctions within this program include verbal/written reprimand, increase in contact level/drug testing, home curfew, assessment, house arrest/electronic monitoring, residential treatment, revocation of probation and returned to County Jail.

Case can be moved to a less restrictive setting if Municipal Probation services are available. The offender must complete six months on this program, and accrue no major violations and/or new arrests. Drug screens must be negative for at lease three months. The offender must have completed substance/mental health assessment, if ordered, as well as currently completing special conditions. If the Court does not have a probation department, a request will be made to terminate the probation period.