There were 282 inmates in Schuylkill County's aging jail on Sanderson Street in Pottsville last week.

That's more than the jail's 277 inmate capacity.The problem isn't new, and now the county is under the gun to reduce chronic overcrowding. To comply with the state's demands that it cut down on the number of inmates, the county plans to send some to prisons in Delaware and Muncy.That's the quick fix. Long range, county officials have acknowledged the need for a pre-release center to ease overcrowding.In the meantime, the county's Adult Probation Department has developed a number of programs aimed at keeping qualified defendants out of jail and in the workforce.Last week, the county's prison board listened as Deputy Chief Probation Officer Neil Stefanisko outlined the programs the department offers. The programs save "jail days," on which participants would otherwise be behind bars.The specialized programsThe pre-release program was launched in September 2013 to help alleviate prison overcrowding by identifying inmates who would benefit from participation. The program is open to those inmates not convicted of violent, sexual or drug delivery/manufacturing charges.Participants' adult probation officers develop a re-entry plan which is presented to the court. Once granted permission to participate, the offender is placed on house arrest with electronic monitoring, and alcohol monitoring with a visual Breathalyzer, if applicable, and is subject to random urinalysis, referred for appropriate treatment and is required to seek employment.Last year, 138 defendants were admitted to the program. Of those, 41 were removed and returned to prison for violating its terms. Another 104 defendants successfully completed the program. In all, 12,031 jail days were saved last year. However, the program has a recidivism rate of about 30 percent, Stefanisko said.The department also operates a bail supervision program for the court. In July 2015, the department expanded the bail program in conjunction with the use of electronic monitoring.The department identifies eligible candidates by reviewing prison admission record, and a background investigation is conducted to determine a defendant's eligibility. The court reviews the information and approves or denies admission into the program.The Pre-Release Bail Program launched in July. So far, 56 defendants were admitted into the program between July 1 and Dec. 31. Of those, 12 were removed from the program and returned to prison after violating its terms. Another 24 defendants successfully completed the program. The program saved 2,543 jail days last year, Stefanisko said, and has a recidivism rate of about 21 percent.AlternativeSchuylkill County Restrictive Intermediate Punishment Program's aim is to provide a drug and/or alcohol treatment-based sentencing alternative to the court for qualified nonviolent drug and/or alcohol dependent offenders. SCRIP consists of an adult probation officer and a drug/alcohol case manager who are responsible for an offender's supervision and rehabilitation plan.An offender must be recommended to the court by the district attorney. In addition to treatment, the offender participates in life skills programming and is subject to electronic monitoring.Last year, 11 defendants were admitted to the program. Of those, two were removed from the program for violating its terms, one died, and another eight successfully completed the program.SCRIP, which had an average of 18 offenders last year, saved the county 6,593 jail days. The program has a recidivism rate of about 18 percent.The Work Release Program's goal is for inmates to keep their current jobs or find new ones while serving their sentences. The inmate learns life skills in budgeting money and living cooperatively in a group environment.The department verifies employment and supervises inmates granted work release status. An inmate who was not granted work release at time of sentencing can apply for the program after serving one-third of the sentence.A total of 221 inmates were in the program last year, and the county collected $40,772 from them for room and board, with an additional $12,780 collected for costs, fines and restitution.The Schuylkill County Vocational Rehabilitation Program provides structured rehabilitative services to jailed offenders who have a history of substance abuse and have been chronically unemployed or underemployed.The specific goal is to increase their employability upon parole by offering vocational programs. The participant must qualify for placement in the Work Release Program. Job skills are learned through on the job training.SurveillanceLast year, the program served 107 inmates, who completed 227 jobs for the community and performed 1,362 hours of work.The Driving Under the Influence Electronic Surveillance Program targets the DUI offender who would normally receive a jail sentence of up to 90 days.The offender is sentenced to intermediate punishment, with part of the sentence served on electronic surveillance. The offender receives five days of electronic monitoring for each day that would have been served in jail.If the minimum required sentence exceeds 90 days, the offender serves a portion of the sentence in prison, followed by a period under electronic surveillance and probation.While on electronic monitoring, the offender receives frequent Breathalyzer tests. Treatment is a requirement of the program. Once the offender is removed from electronic monitoring, he is placed on Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoringfor at least 30 days. He is also placed on intensive supervision while on SCRAM.Last year, 122 defendants were admitted to the program. Of those, eight were removed for violating its terms. Another 112 successfully completed the program.The county saved 10,390 jail days, and the program has a small, 7 percent recidivism rate.