July 18th through the 22nd is National Probation Services Week, a time for communities across the nation to recognize the men and women who work each and every day to supervise the offenders in our communities, and who also provide support mechanisms to assist the people they supervise to get housing, jobs and substance abuse treatment.
This year the efforts of many communities involved in ‘Justice Reinvestment’ are being highlighted.
According to Lassen County Chief Probation Officer Jennifer Branning, Justice Reinvestment is a, “data-driven approach to improve public safety, examine corrections and related criminal justice spending, manage and allocate criminial justice populations in a more cost effective manner and to reinvest savings in strategies that can hold offenders accountable, decrease crime and strengthen neighborhoods.”
“Today in America,” according to Branning, “there are over 5 million adults on community supervision and most of these individuals are monitored by pre-trial, probation and parole officers.”
Monitoring may take the form of home contacts, drug testing, making sure the offender attends counseling sessions and helping offenders to find suitable housing and employment. Many officers also supervise offenders using electronic monitoring equipment which requires expert knowledge of newer technologies.
Budget shortfalls and economic realities mean that community corrections professionals must be creative in finding solutions to make sure those they supervise have the support needed to find jobs, housing and treatment. By collaborating with community leaders and volunteering their own time off work many officers are making a difference while faced with expanding caseloads and additional responsibilities.
Members of our community are encouraged to join together during Probation, Parole and Community Supervision week to honor those who work to make our communities a safer place to live. Everyone is invited to stop by and visit with the Probation Services folks at a special event held this Friday, July 22nd, at the Juvenile Detention Facility on Chestnut Street in Susanville at 1:00p.m. Refreshments will be served.
Wonder what the Probation Department does? Here is a list of just some of the ways the department keeps us safer here in Lassen County.
- Investigates and makes recommendations to the courts relative to the sentencing of individuals convicted of crime;
- Assumes responsibility for supervision of those persons who are placed on probation and returned to the community;
- Interacts with the probationer for purposes of deterring the probationer from re-offending and encouraging, instead, his rehabilitation;
- Keeps complete and accurate records of results of probationary supervision and reporting promptly and accurately to the court the results of supervision and any violation of court orders or the terms and conditions of probation;
- Receives referrals from law enforcement pertaining to allegedly delinquent or beyond-control minors, evaluates and processes those referrals for purposes of either referring those cases for services or to the DA for filing a petition for intervention by the Juvenile Court, or in the case of beyond-control allegations files the petition itself; operates and manages the County’s juvenile detention/residential treatment facilities and home supervision program.
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