BEDFORD — The Lawrence County Commissioners approved two appointments to the Community Corrections Advisory Board and received a first-quarter update from the Department of Corrections during their meeting Tuesday at the Lawrence County Courthouse.
Chad Shew, director of Community Corrections, submitted recommendations to fill two vacancies on the advisory board following resignations. Bryan Shepherd was recommended to serve as the Mental Health Provider, and Dustin Gabhart was recommended as a Community Member. The commissioners voted on the appointments individually and approved both.
Shew also presented first-quarter statistics for 2025. According to the report, the department served nearly 7,000 days of electronic monitoring, resulting in a cost savings of $516,000 in jail expenses for the county. As of the report, there are 66 individuals on home detention, 15 in the alcohol program, 30 on the road crew, and 65 completing community service.
A total of 1,044 community service hours were ordered during the first quarter, which Shew noted was significantly less than normal. Of those hours, 128 were completed in the Town of Oolitic, 423 with the City of Mitchell Street Department, and 554 through the weekend road crew.
The road crew contributed labor to the pancake festival, assisted the Men’s Warming Shelter, and has been active during the mowing season. They are also expected to assist at the 4-H fairgrounds in the coming weeks.
The commissioners thanked Shew for the work he and his department continue to provide to the community.
