Probation Services
The mission of the Probation Services Unit is to ensure a culture of Juvenile Justice Professionalism by pursuing excellence with the courts, community, case management and compliance.
Juvenile Probation Officers (JPOs) are responsible for conducting investigations of youth and families, making recommendations to the courts, and monitoring and supervising youth ordered to probation. Probation Officers have frequent contact with the youth based on risk and need and ensure that the families are provided with the necessary resources for rehabilitation and to meet all court ordered requirements for the successful completion of probation. In collaboration with community partners, the Probation Services Unit provides supervision strategies and effective interventions to adjudicated youth to increase public safety, promote behavioral change with youth and prevent recidivism.
The Probation Services unit provides client-centered services by improving efficiency and effectiveness through the implementation of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs). EBPs include programs that have been found to be effective and replicable when implemented under the highest-level of scientific scrutiny. JPOs utilize Effective Practices In Community Supervision (EPICS) with all moderate and high risk youth in an effort to promote core correctional practices by using cognitive based approaches to skill build during their everyday interactions with adjudicated youth to target their criminogenic needs. Research has proven that traditional probation supervision is not effective in reducing recidivism with youth and families; therefore, the EPICS model of community supervision adheres to the Risk Need Responsivity principle and utilizes enhanced efforts that have been proven to reduce recidivism. Cognitive-behavioral interventions that address the delinquent thinking pattern characteristics of many offenders has consistently been found to be an effective rehabilitative strategy for both juveniles and adults.
Purpose: To ensure youth and families are afforded opportunities to complete community service hours that are court-mandated as restitution or in lieu of fees. Additionally strengthening communities by providing opportunities for youth and families to engage in positive and community-based activities.
CIP Techs provide the assignment and referral to approved local sites to juveniles and families to complete community service hours.
Approved sites include nonprofit or government agencies. Examples of these sites include Parks and Recreation centers, street maintenance departments, and social service programs.
Approved sites are provided with guidelines to which they must follow when working with Juvenile Justice involved youth and families.
Both juveniles and families are to coordinate with the site and schedule days and hours accordingly to meet hour requirements.
CIP technicians conduct regular check-ins to ensure the safety and welfare of assigned sites.
CIP technicians provide group supervised projects (On and Off-site).
Parents/guardians are responsible for the transportation of Juveniles to and from community service projects as needed.
Projects are held during times that do not conflict with normal school scheduled hours.
Projects are designed to provide pro-social activities and provide community engagement.
Field Compliance
To provide the highest level of support services to the Department and partnering County entities that increases performance capabilities while also ensuring public safety through the oversight and supervision of juvenile justice involved youth while in the community.
Global Positioning System Monitoring (GPS) trouble shooting, installs and removals, adjustments, and diagnostic when and as needed.
Ensure that GPS devices are operational and all GPS equipment is collected and returned to the department. To include retrieving GPS devices from the field.
Returning of equipment to the provider for service and or replacement.
Troubleshooting devices in the office or at the Juvenile’s home to ensure compliance with GPS terms and conditions are met.
Coordinate with the provider of SCRAMnet when extra assistance on mapping when needed.
Report to JPD as needed on Saturday or Sunday if necessary, after contacting family in order to correct any tampers that occur over the weekend.
Clean and disinfect any and all E.M. equipment after use and before installation
Monitor and assist JPO’s with tracking and mapping of juveniles activity via SCRAMNET Dashboard and GPS mapping, phone calls and home visits.
Review mapping and provide input to JPO’s on valid movement vs drift points : GPS Compliance entry in JMIS, Analytics, SCRAM Report.
Contacting juveniles and JPO’s regarding juveniles battery status or critical alerts such as tampers, lost communication, location, zone alerts
Document daily contacts in a timely manner and report concerns and/or violations in to JMIS. Email JPO, SJPO, and FCCIS with any concerns or non-compliance.
Pattern of Life analysis
Transport Juveniles to and from medical /psychological / court appointments as needed
Transport families to and from appointments (psychological evaluation) when necessary as instructed by the court.
Transport officer keeps track and schedules appointments with the service provider for the juvenile when necessary
adjusting for overlapping appointments, schedules, and court dates
Transport juveniles to and from out-of-town placement via ground or air
Provide assistance to JPO with additional visits / calls on Drug Court, ISP, Level III, Level IV, Deferred Prosecution Program and SHOCAP.
Assist with coverage of drug court visits in absence of drug court FCO
Adjust for coverage of calls/visits with area partner: holiday coverage, sick, vacation, transports, trainings etc...
Conduct urinalysis tests as scheduled
Conduct breathalyzer tests
Document drug test results in JMIS
Package and ship samples to lab for further analysis when disputed.
Document and distribute paperwork accordingly.
Provide assistance via partner visits with SHOCAP JPO’s when EPPD Officers are unavailable
Additional assignments such as messages to families that don’t have a phone, Order of Court Setting Signatures, Ect…
Conduct scheduled mail run duty to ensure that documents are sent and received from court house and JPD.HR, MDR building,
post office, drop off warrants at the jail, Family Youth Services Building, Purchasing, District Clerk, etc.