NORWICH – It’s a lot of work pleading for $2,400 from New York State, but when the result is keeping offenders out of jail, members of the Chenango County Safety & Rules Committee believe it’s well worth it.

Last week the committee stamped its approval on a 24-page specialized drug and alcohol treatment document that requires the coordination of an advisory board of 20 local criminal justice officials. The report must be submitted annually to receive Alternative To Incarceration (ATI) program funds from the New York State Division of Probation and Correctional Alternatives.

The ATI program is designed to reduce recidivism, promote public safety and enhance defendant/offender accountability through community corrections. The board is mandated to regularly analyze the county jail’s population, examine the program’s investigation and supervision activities, determine needs and develop and review annual plans and quarterly reports.

“You do one heck of a job for the county, but you have a lot of hoops to go through the get $2,400 from the state,” said committee Chairman Alton B. Doyle, R-Guilford.

According to Chenango County Probation Director Laureen Clarke, all of the program’s goals for 2008 were achieved and exceeded. She projected that the ATI board would conduct 75 pre-plea/pre-sentenced investigations when they actually completed 90. In addition, more than twice as many offenders, 44, were served than were projected, and more than twice as many offenders, 23, successfully completed the program than were expected to.