IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County will explore becoming part of a state-funded community corrections program based in Marquette County, potentially reducing the number of people sentenced to prison.

The county board heard a presentation Monday from Trevor Kadlec, manager of Marquette County Community Corrections. One of the program’s key features is access to the Tri-Cap addiction treatment center in Saginaw, Kadlec said.

Marquette County may soon regionalize its program, which opens the door for Dickinson and Alger counties to join, Kadlec said.

After hearing 95-B District Court Judge Julie LaCost endorse the concept, commissioners agreed to research it. There is a June 1 deadline to apply for state funding and Marquette County would be the fiduciary, Kadlec said.

Current programs listed in Marquette County include:

— Pretrial risk assessments aimed at identifying a defendant’s likelihood of appearing in court, potential risks to public safety and chances of violating bond conditions.

— Pretrial supervision, which focuses on court appearances and public safety.

— Moral reconation therapy, a cognitive-behavioral approach to positively address an offender’s ego, social, moral and behavioral growth.

— An opiate-methamphetamine specific program that utilizes the 150-day Tri-Cap treatment facility. Treatment plans are tailored to each offender’s learning and motivation level.

— Substance abuse testing, mainly for pretrial defendants with a current self-identified substance abuse issue or documented recent history of substance abuse.

Programs are grant-funded by the Michigan Office of Community Corrections/Department of Corrections under Public Act 511 of 1988, Kadlec said. The overall goal is to reduce the long-term impact and cost of incarceration without jeopardizing public safety.

The program is “not an end-all be-all,” Kadlec told the board, but there “really is no catch” in funding it.

If a regional entity forms, a Dickinson County Board member would be appointed to the program’s advisory board.

In other action Monday, the county board:

— Approved a request from Sheriff Aaron Rochon to hire a full-time road patrol officer to replace an officer moving to part-time status. The hiring will maintain a staffing level of nine full-time officers, including one who is assigned half-time as a resource officer at North Dickinson County School. Two of the officers work solely in Breitung Township under a contract with the county. Menominee County, with a population slightly less than Dickinson’s, has 15 road patrol officers, Rochon said.

— Approved the appointment of Erika Racine of Vulcan to the Dickinson County Brownfield Authority for a term expiring July 31, 2028.

— Named Commissioner Victoria Jakel as the county’s representative to the NorthCare Network Substance Use Disorder Policy Board. The board advocates in the planning, development and provision of substance abuse services for the 15 Upper Peninsula counties. It is comprised of one delegate appointed by each county board.

— Will meet next month in a closed session to provide direction to Controller Brian Bousley on upcoming negotiations with unionized employees. The county is in the final year of four-year collective bargaining agreements.