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PROGRAMS
AND SERVICES
Adult Services
Investigations
State law mandates that a pre-sentence investigation (PSI) be
prepared and submitted to the court prior to sentencing on most
felony convictions and on certain misdemeanors. In preparing
the PSI's the Probation Department interviews victims to assess
the extent of physical, psychological or financial injury. After
a thorough investigation of the offender, including the individual's
criminal, social, scholastic and employment histories, as well
as an examination of alcohol and substance abuse, the department
makes a sentencing recommendation to the judge.
In addition to helping judges decide on an appropriate sentence,
the reports afford officers the opportunity to recommend appropriate
conditions for offenders placed on probation. We prepare approximately
30,000 reports on incarceration-bound defendants annually,
and another 25,000 for defendants expected to be placed under
community-based supervision.
Supervision
After a conviction at trial or a plea of guilty, eligible
defendants may be placed on probation by a judge for a specific
period of time in lieu of incarceration. Probation sentences
range from one or three years for a misdemeanor to five years
for a felony. Our newly restructured system uses a team approach
to supervision which includes counseling and referrals to
community resources for specific treatment needs. The supervision
curriculum includes cognitive-based group instruction for
those at highest risk of recidivism among our population.
The Department makes sure that the offender meets any conditions
set by the judge including restitution to victims, community
service and drug treatment. The goal is to encourage the probationer
to become a law-abiding member of the community, with emphasis
placed on the deterrence of future violent behavior. The Department
is utilizing technological enhancements to augment supervision
and to improve data collection and retention. Included in
this initiative is the introduction of multimedia, highly
interactive reporting stations that rely on hand geometry
to verify identification.
Intensive Supervision Program (ISP)
The Intensive Supervision Program (ISP) provides an alternative
to incarceration for carefully selected felony offenders citywide
for whom comprehensive alternative sentencing plans have been
developed. It also serves as an intermediate sanction for
low-risk felony offenders who have violated the conditions
of regular probation. ISP provides intensive and comprehensive
supervision in the community, ensuring that the offender receives
the necessary services and complies fully with the conditions
of his or her sentence. In addition to frequent meetings at
our Probation offices, participants are also subject to mandated
home visits. The ISP Unit has become increasingly involved
in the supervision of complex felony domestic violence matters,
where Probation Officers develop and maintain close contact
with domestic violence victims.
Kings Juvenile Offender Program (KJOP)
The Kings Juvenile Offender Program (KJOP) supervises felony
offenders who have committed violent offenses while under
the age of 16 and were prosecuted as adults in Kings County.
KJOP maintains regular and frequent contact with the offender
and works closely with the offender's school and family. In
some cases, the supervision may include a drug or other counseling
programs. An emphasis is placed on attending school and finding
employment. KJOP programming includes group work, individual
counseling, job readiness training, remedial reading, computerized
learning labs and drug rehabilitation.
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