The Butte County Sheriff’s Office has an Alternative Custody Supervision (ACS) unit responsible for supervising offenders in the community who were sentenced to serve time in the custody of the Sheriff. Prior to being placed in the program, the offenders are assessed to determine the level of risk their placement in the community would pose to public safety. If the risk is determined to be reasonable, and the offender meets other program requirements, he or she may be accepted into the program.

Currently the program has the capacity to supervise 200 offenders within the community. Correctional Deputies assigned to the ACS unit supervise the offenders by conducting regular and unannounced home visits; ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of participation on the program and provide basic case management. The ACS unit uses both Radio Frequency (RF) and Global Positioning System (GPS) equipped ankle bracelets to monitor offenders placed on the Sheriff’s ACS program. Offenders are required to remain at their residence, unless they are working, attending classes or have permission to leave.

The Sheriff’s Office also has a Day Reporting Center (DRC), where offenders placed on the ACS program meet with Correctional Deputies and programming staff to participate in evidenced based classes designed to address their individual criminogenic needs and reduce recidivism. Offenders have access to a variety of services and programs at the DRC.

The services and programs available at the DRC are designed to promote rehabilitation during participation in the program and encourage success post-release.  Based on assessed criminogenic needs, offenders are provided with opportunities to participate in various Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) classes including:

• Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT),
• Staying Quit (Relapse Prevention),
• Coping with Anger (Anger Management),
• Parenting and Family Values,
• Something For Nothing (Theft Awareness),
• Taking the High Road (Drug Education), and
• Breaking the Chains of Trauma.

In addition to the CBT classes provided, offenders will have access to reintegration services such as:

• Online GED preparatory class,
• Individual tutoring,
• College Readiness program and counseling services,
• Job Readiness class, and
• Computer Literacy program or a more advanced Basic Computer Tools and Techniques class based on assessed skill-level.

 The Sheriff’s Office also maintains partnerships with various community organizations to provide opportunities that promote offender success including:

• Seeking Safety, a mix-gendered healthy relationships class offered by a licensed clinician from Catalyst Domestic Violence Services;
• Craving Identification Management (CIM), a psychoeducational course designed by Dr. S. Alex Stalcup; and both Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings.

 Additional programming is offered through other collaborations and partnerships with other stakeholders throughout Butte County including:

• Butte County Meth Strike Force,
• Child Support Services,
• Department of Employment and Social Services (DESS),
• Drug Endangered Children (DEC),
• Butte County Public Health,
• The Butte County Library – Literacy Services,
• Alliance for Workforce Development
• Butte County Fire Safe Council

 The Sheriff’s Office has also teamed with a group of Chico State professors and criminal justice interns working to evaluate the Sheriff’s Alternative Custody Supervision (ACS) program.  To date, the team has released two reports documenting their findings and recommendations.  Recommendations for improvement have been implemented and the reports indicate that the Sheriff’s ACS program is accruing success. The reports can be viewed by clicking on the link below: