What Is Community Control?
By Jonathan Blecher on May 24, 2017
Surely, you’re familiar with the term “probation.” Here in Florida, Community Control is similar to probation; Community Control is a sentencing alternative where an offender is “supervised” in the community instead of being incarcerated. Understandably, criminal defendants find Community Control an attractive option over imprisonment.
When an offender is placed on Community Control, he or she can continue working and supporting their families. Community control relieves the tax burden of incarceration and it helps the welfare system so offenders’ families do not have to turn to the state for food stamps and cash benefits.
While Community Control is much better than being behind bars, it still has strict requirements. While an offender is on Community Control supervision, they are on “house arrest.” The offender can continue attending school or working so they can support their loved ones, but they cannot do the following:
- Go out to dinner
- Go to the movies
- Go to bars or nightclubs
- Go to the gym
- Go to the park
- Go to other people’s homes
Suppose you were placed on Community Control. You wouldn’t necessarily be allowed to run to the store to buy a gallon of milk; you would only be allowed to shop for the basic necessities if other family members or roommates could not do it.
You are not allowed to make a quick trip to the corner store for diapers, formula, milk, or cigarettes unless approved by your Community Control Officer. Not only that, but you’d be required to provided receipts of your shopping receipts and they’d be cross-checked against your daily logs to ensure accuracy in reporting.
While you should be allowed to attend church, you would not be allowed to attend church recreational or social events, such as choir practice or a community fundraiser unless approved in advance. Can you take trips or visit family members’ homes for birthdays or holidays? No, you are not allowed to take any trips or leave your home to observe holidays while on Community Control.
I am only scratching the surface about Community Control in Miami-Dade County. In reality, the best way to avoid it is to beat your criminal charges in the first place. If Community Control is possibly in your future, I urge you to contact my firm for a free consultation. To learn more about my credentials, feel free to check out my attorney profile.
