The Adult Probation Department supervises offenders who have been convicted of felony offenses by the Guernsey County Common Pleas Court, as well as defendants who are awaiting trial/sentencing. The department has six officers, which includes a Chief Probation Officer, a Deputy Chief Probation Officer, a Pretrial Release/EMHA Officer, an ISP Officer, a Drug Court Officer, and Presentence Investigation Officer/Restitution/Supervision Fee Clerk, along with an Assignment Commissioner who is the ISP/EMHA Fiscal Officer.
The Chief Probation Officer heads the department, as well as supervises offenders. The CPO is also the Program Director for the departments ISP/EMHA and Drug Court Programs and a bailiff for the Common Pleas Court.
The Deputy CPO substitutes for the Chief in his absence. She is also the ICAOS (Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision) Transfer Officer and an Assistant Bailiff for the Common Pleas Court.
The Electronic Monitor House Arrest/Pretrial Release Officer supervises offenders who have been indicted, on bond and are awaiting sentencing. The offenders are monitored on a weekly basis until their sentencing hearing. Offenders are required to submit to urinalysis screenings, obey curfew and abide by standard conditions of supervision. Offenders who are under EMHA, are held to the same conditions and are voluntarily confined to their agreed upon residence. Offenders must have verification of any movement outside of the residence
The ISP Officer is an Intense Supervision Officer who supervises 4th and 5th degree felony offenders who are mostly non-violent, non-repeat offenders. Once sentenced to ISP, offenders are normally enrolled in the program for one year and are given conditions to meet before being released to basic supervision. These conditions include completing community service work, completing drug and alcohol treatment, impatient or outpatient, obey a curfew schedule, paying financial obligations timely and reporting on a stricter schedule than basic supervision. The ISP program is run under the Community Corrections Act Grant, which the Judge of the Common Pleas Court oversees, along with the assistance of the Program Director, who is also the Chief Probation Officer of the department.
All officers supervise basic supervised offenders as well as, Intervention in Lieu of Conviction offenders, who have to abide by the standard conditions of supervision, but have the opportunity to not be determined a convicted felon if they complete their supervision period successfully. All officers also complete pre-sentence investigations as ordered by the Court. These investigations give a detailed report of the defendant’s background, including their criminal/traffic record. These investigations help the Judge of the Common Pleas Court in determining the defendant’s sentence.
The Guernsey County Common Pleas Drug Court provides non-violent, chemically dependent offenders and those who have a high likelihood of becoming chemically dependent with the necessary tool and life skills to live drug and alcohol free lives. The Drug Court Officer refers offenders to appropriate counseling services and maintains contact with counseling services. She attends monthly meetings with area counseling services and telephone conferences with community based correction facilities are made. The Officer also performs drug screens, home visits, verifies community service hours and NA/AA meeting attendance.
The Director of PSI Services completes presentence investigations ordered by the Court, as well as assigning presentence investigations to other officers for completion. The Court reviews investigations prior to sentencing to aid in appropriately sentencing offenders. The investigation is compiled with details of the offense, the offender’s version, the victim’s version, the offender’s juvenile and adult criminal and traffic record and their social, educational, military, employment and physical/mental history.
The department’s Assignment Commissioner/Assistant Bailiff handles day to day responsibilities pertaining to the operation of the department, and is also the restitution/supervision fee clerk. Restitution is collected and disbursed to victims of the offenders’ crimes and the supervision fees are collected and used to help the department operate, as well ads help with the costs arising from supervising offenders. The Assignment Commissioner is also the Fiscal Officer for the ISP/EMHA Programs and Community Corrections Act Grant.
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