Inmate Programs and Services

Read about the intake process below:

1. An inmate must be recommended by the court, meet the eligibility criteria of the department, and be recommended by Classification staff.
2. They will be submitted to the Medical Unit for medical clearance.
3. Upon receiving a medical clearance, he or she will be approved for participation and transferred to the Work Release Housing Unit.
4. Fees—There is no urine testing lab fee for inmates who work Baltimore County work details such as MES, Highways, etc.
   1. There is one-time $25 nonrefundable urine testing lab fee for inmates who will be working at outside employment. If an inmate is on the Work Release Program and has paid their lab fee, then they are not charged the same fee again if transferred to the Home Detention Program.
   2. There is a $60 weekly board fee for inmates employed outside the facility.

1. Participants approved by the court and the Department of Corrections for participation in the Home Detention Program receive orientation, including a review of program rules and regulations, and are advised of the penalties associated with violations.
2. Department staff verify home residence and an acceptable living situation. 
3. Inmates are instructed on the proper use of the monitoring equipment, which is tested to verify that it is operational.
4. Inmates are escorted to their residence by department staff, and after a visual check of the residence for security concerns, the equipment is installed, and the transmitter (ankle sensor) is placed on the participant.
5. Staff again reviews the proper operation of the equipment with the participant, including an explanation of all computer-generated violations.

Participants are required to:

• Report to the Home Detention Office on a weekly basis to report job-related changes
• Provide verification of any court-ordered treatment program and any changes in their living situation.
• Pretrial participants are required to submit to weekly urinalysis. Sentenced participants are required to submit to random and probable cause urinalysis. A Breathalyzer test can be conducted at any time. 

Staff responsibilities include:

• Monitoring program participants 24 hours per day, including:
  • Incoming calls
  • Adjusting schedules for approved absences from the home
  • Violations—Handling minor rule violations administratively.
  • Employment, medical and dental treatments, counseling, etc., are all verified and documented
• Conducting weekly telephone calls to the employer
• Conducting random home and work visits to monitor compliance with program rules.

Staff will seek an explanation for all computer-generated violations by attempting to make contact by telephoning or visiting the participant. If a participant’s whereabouts cannot be determined:

1. The police will be contacted.
2. A criminal report will be filed.
3. Staff will request an escape warrant from the Court Commissioner’s Office.
4. The referring judge will be notified of all changes in custody status or escapes.

Program violations such as positive urinalysis or Breathalyzer will result in an inmate’s removal from the program and the return to confinement in the detention center.

1. Call the Community Service Office at 410-512-3343 to make an appointment at the Towson Office.
2. The Community Service Program charges all offenders a nonrefundable $30 dollar administrative processing fee due at the time of the interview. The fee can only be paid at the Baltimore County Detention Center's Finance Office. Only cash or money orders (made payable to Baltimore County, Maryland) are accepted.
3. The department has a list of private nonprofit and government worksites that have agreed to our established criteria. Work assignments are made by the inmate's Community Service Case Manager, who has the final decision of where the inmate will perform the hours. Assignments will be made in the inmate's community if possible, but will mostly be determined by:
   1. The inmate's skills
   2. Where they live
   3. Where there are openings
   4. Their employment/school schedule:
      1. If they are unemployed, employed part-time or are a part-time student—They will be required to work at least 16 hours per week on a regular predetermined schedule.
      2. If you are employed full-time or a full-time student—They will be required to work at least eight hours per week on a regular predetermined scheduled. They will set up a work schedule with your worksite supervisor giving specific dates and times for each week.
4. If you do not adhere to the rules and regulations, you will be terminated from this program. Termination will result in you returning to court for a violation of probation or your case being returned to the State’s Attorney’s Office for prosecution, where you may receive one or more of the penalties you were trying to avoid.

If you need to have your hours transferred to another jurisdiction, your Community Service Case Manager will make that determination. Since your case originated in Baltimore County, we retain custody of your case reporting any infractions directly to the court.