X

Alabama Certain Enforcement Supervision

The Alabama Certain Enforcement Sanctions program is a supervision model that mirrors the Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement program. ACES supervision is ordered by the probationary judge and clients are closely supervised and participate in a daily hotline call, which is also called a color code. This call allows participants to get three to five drug tests a month without the extra cost. The client contacts a toll-free number daily to receive their color and must report in for a drug screening.

Maintaining employment, paying supervision fees and observing court ordered monies are all requirements for participants. The behavioral matrix for ACES sanctions differs from standard procedures. This includes having violations for missing drug screens, altering or refusing drug screens, and eluding treatment. The sanctions are proportionate to the violation.

ACES probation is open to felony offenders being supervised by the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles who fall in the following risk categories:

  • Ohio Risk Assessment System assessment score is deemed as Moderate Risk or High Risk.
  • At the court’s discretion, felony offenders with a Low Risk ORAS score who have prior probation violations on the current case may be included in the ACES population, in lieu of revocation.
  • Felony offenders with a Very High Risk ORAS score are eligible for ACES upon completion of their recommended custodial placement.
  • Violent and sex offenders can be included in the ACES population.
  • Felony offenders who are sentenced to a split to high intensity probation for the duration of a sentence that would have normally been served with Community Corrections are eligible for ACES as a method of supervision during this time. This may occur in areas where no Community Corrections program is available.
  • Only Alabama probationers supervised by officers in the sentencing county can be placed on ACES.

ACES is not voluntary for probationers and candidates are not offered legal incentives to participate.

Probationers are advised of the terms and consequences for violations of their probation and ACES participation. ACES participants are arrested if a violation is detected and the judge signs an order imposing a sanction based on the matrix. Continued violations are addressed in a consistent manner to ensure fairness. ACES and similar programs typically lead to lower recidivism rates by not waiting to act until a probationer becomes a repeat offender. The use of swift and certain sanctions encourages sobriety and rule compliance.

Amy McDill | Alabama Certain Enforcement Supervision District Manager

Amy McDill serves as the District Manager of Special Populations Alabama Certain Enforcement Supervision for the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. Her role is vital in providing rehabilitation to offenders. As manager over ACES, her responsibilities are to monitor and review ACES related work and activities of officers who supervise offenders placed on ACES, train new officers with an ACES caseload, serve as a liaison to the community, assist in the collection and preparation of data for grant reporting purposes, and assist with the development of policy as it relates to the program.

In October 2003, McDill joined the Bureau as a Probation and Parole Officer for the Birmingham Field Office. From 2004-2008 McDill served various field offices. In February 2008 she was promoted to Senior Probation and Parole Officer for the Ashville Field Office. In August 2014, she was promoted again to District Manager and transferred to the Columbiana Field Office. In November 2017, McDill transferred to Special Populations as District Manager over the ACES Program.

She is certified by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission, National Criminal Justice Information Center and OS Chemical Spray. She is also certified as an instructor in Vanguard Level I and Level II Strategic Self-Defense and Gunfighting Tactics, as well as being a trainer in Motivational Interviewing. She actively assists the Training Division in various programs, including training on the current case management system and Offender Automated Supervision and Investigation System. 

McDill received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Forensics with a minor in Law Enforcement from Jacksonville State University. She also has her master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Jacksonville State University. 

Prior to the Bureau, McDill was employed with the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office as E-911 Dispatch Supervisor and with Cleburne County E-911 as a dispatcher. Her career also included serving as a Police Officer for Weaver Police Department in Calhoun County. 

She currently serves as a board member for the state chapter of the Southern States Police Benevolent Society.