District Judge Eric Fancher said community corrections programs have grown as alternatives for nonviolent offenders. He said many jails and prisons are crowded with little room for additional inmates.

He said those are also factors in paroles of some inmates.

"They may serve only a third of their sentence," he said. "That is kind of distressing if you are a victim. You may see him sentenced to five years and then see him two years later in Wal-Mart."

He said judges have no control over inmates once they are in prison. He said he would like to see truth in sentencing guidelines presented so victims' families would know more of what to expect.

He said Drug Court, which sends drug users to rehabilitation rather than jail, is one form of community corrections that avoids jail time. He said the participants are tested regularly to make sure they are not still using drug while in the program.

He said those kinds of options are never used for violent crime offenders, however.

He also talked about bonds, saying people sometimes don't understand why those arrested can get out of jail on bail bond.

"Bonds are designed to guarantee that the person will show up in court," he said. "They have to be reasonable. They can't be used to punish someone."

Large dollar bonds are set only in cases where the crime is particularly heinous or there is concern that the person arrested may flee before trial or be a danger to society.

Fancher said speaking to the Midfield group was a homecoming for him. He is a 1975 graduate of Midfield High School.

Fancher, a Republican, is running against Democrat Joan Singleton in the Nov. 2 general election. Although the district judge position is in the Bessemer Cutoff Courthouse, the candidates must run countywide.