County commission approves correction grant application

A grant application for St. Joseph County’s Community Corrections was approved by commissioners Tuesday.

The grant seeks nearly $175,000 from the Michigan Department of Corrections. According to Erin Goff, community corrections coordinator, the funding would be put in the agency’s 2019 budget and go toward programs that serve as alternatives to incarceration.

Goff said the request is a renewal and does not require any matching funds from the county.

The grant funds more than half a dozen programs, including Moral Reconation Therapy, “Thinking Matters,” Day Reporting, Domestic Violence Intervention and Gatekeeping.

No more than 30 percent of the grant will go toward administrative costs, Goff said.