Carbon County is looking for over $12,000 to help continue to operate its Restrictive Intermediate Punishment program.

During the county commissioners' meeting on Thursday, the board voted to approve the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency grant application requesting match-free funds in the amount of $12,953.The money will be used by the adult probation office for purchasing additional home monitoring ankle bracelets, supplies and daily monitoring fees. Currently the county has about 15 units.The RIP program allows the courts to sentence offenders with minimal crimes, such as second and third DUI offenses, to the home electronic monitoring program instead of prison.In 2015, the county was awarded $10,888 in state funding to help continue the program operations.In other matters, the commissioners acted on or discussed the following items:• Approved a grant application through Act 101, Section 903 Recycling Coordinator Grant, requesting a 50 percent reimbursement of recycling hours and other eligible expenses for 2015. The estimated amount is $2,169.87.• Approved a proclamation naming April as Parkinson's disease Awareness Month in Carbon County. Parkinson's is a chronic, progressive neurological disease and is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the country. It affects somewhere between 500,000 and 1.5 million people nationwide, and the figure is expected to double by 2040.• Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard announced that April is Autism Awareness Month, and for the second year, Carbon County's courthouse and courthouse annex are lit up in blue to help raise awareness.• Approved the hiring of Bernard F. Ogozalek Jr. of Lehighton as a seasonal park ranger II, Charles J. Puzzetti III of Weatherly as a part-time dispatcher/trainee at the communications center and Stephen P. Vlossak Sr. of Palmerton as a temporary assistant public defender, all effective April 11.• Approved the employment separation of Michael P. Gough of Easton as a temporary assistant public defender, effective April 8.• Approved the resignation of Rudy O. Lopez of Allentown as an aging care manager II, Area Agency on Aging, effective April 6.• Approved the court appointment of Tammy S. Smith of Lehighton as a clerical specialist in the Juvenile Court office, effective April 18.• Approved the change of status for CrystelL. Stein of Lehighton from domestic relations specialist I to domestic relations specialist II, effective April 7.