Governor Gretchen Whitmer has appointed Berrien County Commissioner Chokwe Pitchford to the Michigan Community Corrections Board.
Community Corrections Board members serve in an advisory capacity and they are charged with reviewing and recommending improvements to corrections programs.
Pitchford said the corrections system currently does a good job on the punitive side – arresting, prosecuting, incarcerating; but where there’s opportunity is in rehabilitation.
“How do you keep someone from getting into that system and then once they’re in it how do you get them back into society in a way where recidivism isn’t as high,” said Pitchford.
Commissioner Pitchford said whether they’re in law enforcement, working in the jail, or the community at large, all stakeholders want to see people leave the corrections system in a better position than when they entered.
After the required Senate confirmation, Pitchford will serve a four-year term. He replaces Sheriff Paul Bailey whose term expired at the end of March.
In addition to advising, the board is charged with approving many components of community corrections programs including goals, program guidelines and standards, and procedures for corrections program funding.
