After a defendant has been convicted of the crime they've committed, they will be sentenced to a suspended sentence. A suspended sentence is a jail sentence for up to 180 days; however, they will suspend the jail time if they comply with their court ordered conditions. These conditions vary, and can include counseling (substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health, etc.), community service, electronic monitoring/house arrest, DUI school and Victim Impact Panel, and other conditions that vary case by case. 

The Department of Alternative Sentencing ensures compliance with these conditions and works with community agencies and the defendant to maintain compliance, as well as informing defendants of resources for, not only the conditions, but for their personal life such as education, employment, etc. 

There are two levels of supervision for those on a suspended sentence: informal and formal probation; those placed on Formal probation have more stringent guidelines.

The Department of Alternative Sentencing only supervises those who have misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor level charges, with some felony charges included (such as DUI 3^rd). Any person convicted of a felony level charge is either sentenced to prison, or placed under supervision of Parole and Probation