By Cathy Higgins
BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Those convicted of misdemeanor crimes in Bay Minette will have a new sentencing alternative, beginning next month.
During Monday’s Bay Minette City Council meeting, Bay Minette Police Chief Michael Rowland announced that Operation ROC — or Recover Our Community — will be implemented during the city’s next Municipal Court session on Oct. 11.
Just what is Operation ROC?
“It’s an alternative-sentencing program,” Rowland said.
The program will give non-violent offenders the opportunity to avoid a fine and jail time by committing to regularly attending church in north Baldwin County for one year.
“They choose the church,” he said.
Rowland explained that the selected church will not make any changes. Instead, the idea is to change the enrollee’s values and focus for the better through regular exposure to that church.
To ensure cooperation, though, the pastor will keep the courts apprised of whether the enrollee is regularly attending the church.
“If they (the enrollees) don’t, they get the fine and jail time,” Rowland said.
According to the police chief, the program’s length will be the key to its success.
“There are no 30-day, drug-rehabilitation programs,” Rowland said.
But he admitted that not everyone will be curbed from committing future, worse crimes.
“Not every program is 100 percent,” Rowland said. “But corrections is not working. There are no life values and lessons to be learned by picking up trash on the side of the road.
Operation ROC is the first program of this kind.
“There’s not anything like it in the United States,” Rowland said.
It was devised over the last few months after the police interceded on a shooting-and drug incident in March.
“After that, I was approached by leaders of several churches,” Rowland said, explaining that he then challenged those leaders to come up with a crime-prevention tool.
Now, 56 North Baldwin churches have pledged to support the program, the police chief said.
“Our vision is to reduce crime, spark growth in character and ensure the offender finds help and reaps the benefits and resources the churches have to offer.”
“This is very, very exciting,” Bay Minette Mayor Jamie Tillery said. “We will be guided by great leaders in this.”
