By: Associated Press//October 30, 2013//
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin county officials are reconsidering ending a program that supporters say has been effective in keeping low- to medium-risk offenders from returning to jail.
Portage County’s Volunteers in Probation program pairs offenders in central Wisconsin with mentors who help re-integrate them into the community after their release.
Stevens Point Journal Media reports the program had been expected to close with budget cuts. But Portage County Board Member Mike Wiza has introduced a budget amendment to restore the $50,000 funding for the program.
Portage County’s 2014 budget is about $110 million.
The County Board is expected to vote on budget amendments Monday.
Information from: Stevens Point Journal Media, http://www.stevenspointjournal.com