Circuit Court: The (BCWP) Benton County Work Program should not be confused with Public or Community Service Work and is not used to pay any fines/cost assessed by the courts. This program services the District, City and Circuit Courts in Benton County and is used for non-violent offenders with offenses such as DWI, theft, shoplifting, bad check charges (both felony and misdemeanor), battery, traffic violations & possession charges.

Those individuals sentenced by the Circuit Court as part of their probation are scheduled to work an eight (8) hour day taking their regular employment into consideration and without monetary compensation or benefits. These clients are sent to our office through the Department of Community Corrections Probation Services (DCC) and they are ultimately responsible for overseeing the required court ordered probationary time period. This is very structured for the client however our program offers flexibility based upon work and school schedules. We find that in doing this, it not only allows the offender a chance to maintain employment, alleviate jail overcrowding but also to fulfill the court order as set forth by the respective Judges. Any individual on this program is treated like an employee and is expected to abide by the same rules as anyone else at the work place. Constant communication is key, therefore the clients are required to call in if they cannot come to work due to illness and will be asked to provide documentation if two (2) or more days are missed. Any appointments or emergencies that arise such as doctors, court dates, probation appointments, funerals, etc will not be penalized however verification will be required to be provided to this office and the work place.

District Courts: The (BCWP) Benton County Work Program should not be confused with Public or Community Service Work and is not used to pay any fines/cost assessed by the courts. This program services the District, City and Circuit Courts in Benton County and is used for non-violent offenders with offenses such as DWI, theft, shoplifting, bad check charges (both felony and misdemeanor), battery, traffic violations & possession charges.

The clients ordered to contact our office by the District Courts are opting to work this program in lieu of jail time and are given a specific time period to schedule an appointment with our office. Failure to do so would result in a contempt warrant being issued. At the time of the intake appointment, the clients are required to bring in their court papers and picture identification. A personal information sheet is filled out and the program agreement must be initialed to signify that they have read and understand what they are required to do. As with the clients from the Circuit Court, the employment and or school status are taken into consideration when making the decision regarding work placement.