Read the full story in the Murfreesboro Post by Sam Stockard

The Rutherford County Commission faces a March 31 deadline to find a new probation case manager with Pathways Community Corrections set to get out of the business.

The county and PCC are both being sued by a group of probationers claiming they are "victims of an extortion scheme" designed to extract as much money as possible from them.

In a 21-0 vote this past Thursday (2/11/16) night, the commission opted to extend the contract of Pathways Community Corrections until the end of March and then go a new direction. Mayor Ernest Burgess is set to make a recommendation at a Feb. 22 meeting of the commission's public safety committee.

"We will have to have a mechanism in place to manage probationers starting April 1," Burgess said. "It's highly sensitive and in the midst of all this litigation going on."

Burgess said PCC's parent company was bought out last summer by Molina Healthcare of California, and the company decided to drop probation services after the lawsuit was filed.

The county could contract with another vendor or take on the service itself, Burgess said, though he noted he has no direction from county commissioners on which route to take.

The entire process will need to be evaluated to determine the financial impact, including revenue collected from court fines and fees vs. the cost of management and staff, Burgess said.

"They have to have a profit motive or they wouldn't be in place," Burgess said of probation service companies. "One has to assume there's enough revenue to cover your costs."

PCC does not charge Rutherford County a fee but makes its money off fees paid by probationers.

A PCC office manager said more than a year ago the company closed 7,191 cases and collected $4.1 million fines in 2013 for Rutherford County. From 2009 through 2013, it closed 32,200 cases and collected $17.1 million for Rutherford County, the official said.

However, Rutherford County budgets only about $1.4 million in revenue annually from court fines and fees.

PCC was prepared to drop its probation services here this week but agreed to maintain operations until the county could work out a new arrangement by the end of March, according to County Commissioner Doug Shafer, who chairs and public safety committee.

Read this ENTIRE story by Sam Stockard in the Murfreesboro Post HERE.