Intermittent Program
What Is Intermittent Sentencing?
When a participant receives a sentence of 90 days or less, the judge may allow that sentence to be served intermittently on the weekends. Participants serving intermittent sentences report to a designated correctional facility on Friday evenings, to spend the entire weekend in custody. While participants are serving their sentences, they are not contributing to society.
Operation Springboard, the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services in cooperation with the John Howard Society have developed a community work program (Intermittent Program) for participants serving intermittent sentences in Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.
How Does The Program Work?
All participants serving intermittent sentences are screened by institutional staff. Participants accepted into the program and referred to the John Howard Society will be issued a Temporary Absence Permit to work weekend assignments in the community as arranged by the John Howard Society. They are required to report directly to the assigned work site, for the designated period of time. The participant is confined to their home for the evening throughout the weekends. Any infringement of the conditions of the program will result in the cancellation of the participant’s participation in the program.
Who Can Benefit From The Program?
Under the Intermittent Community Work Program, participants serving sentences on weekends spend their time in the community doing unpaid work for the benefit of the community. They perform:
- Maintenance such as painting and repairing community facilities
- Removing brush along hiking trails and clearing up highway roadsides
- Cutting grass and shoveling snow for senior citizens
Who Is Eligible?
- Participants serving an intermittent sentence of 90 days or less
- Participants must continue to qualify for the program each weekend
- Participants return to the institution each weekend where they are issued a new temporary permit, which outlines placement activity
