Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette Keweenaw County Board VP Del Rajala waselected by the Board to represent the county on the Marquette Community Corrections Advisory Board after the Board unanimously approved a motion to join the program.

EAGLE RIVER – Last week, the Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to join the Marquette Regional Community Corrections program. Trevor Kadlec, director of the Marquette Regional Community Corrections, addressed the Board, informing them that the MRCC funding application for FY 2027 has been completed and now includes Keweenaw County.

Kadlec said the funding application is a two-part request for the county’s approval, and also to appoint a trustee to the Community Corrections Advisory Board.

“The Board has in-person meetings, usually in Marquette, around five times a year,” he said, “typically on Wednsedays.”

The MRCC is moving outward, particularly in pre-trial areas, Kadlec said.

“We do a pretrial and sentence balance,” he said. “Those are our two target populations and our goal is to reduce recidivism and to also save taxpayers money not not paying people to go to prison.”

By that process, MRCC is saving taxpayers money, and at the same time saving family members and those in the justice system.

Last month, 97th District Court Judge Nicholas Daavettila, 97th District Court judge addressed the Board at its regular May meeting, expressing his support for the program.

“One thing I have always lacked as a District Court judge is the ability to to really, appropriately, monitor folks who have been arrested for a crime, and then bonded out at arraignments,” he said.

Bond conditions can include no contact orders, restrictions from drugs and alcohol, etc. but there is not an effective method for the court to monitor if those on bond are complying with court orders until a subsequent time he sees them at court hearings.

“Partnering with MRCC, we’d be in a position to have what I’ve always been looking for,” said Daavettila, “and I know Judge (Brittany) Bulleit, with Circuit Court, has been looking for as well: a pretrial services officer, basically.”

Board Vice Chair Del Rajala made the motion to join. He said he was on the Board of the now defunct Tri-County Corrections Program, which was not nearly as extensive as the MRCC.

“MRCC is certainly more robust than our previous county corrections program,” he said.

The motion was supported by trustee Randy Eckloff and unanimously carried.

The second part of the application process, Trustee Bob DeMarois nominated Rajala to serve on the MRCC Advisory Board, which was also supported by Eckloff. Rajala said after considering the information on the program, he felt it was worthwhile.

“This sounds more aggressive and far more, I think, better than what was out there,” he said.