NCJ Number
213329
Journal
Corrections Today Magazine Volume: 68 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2006 Pages: 46-49
Date Published
February 2006
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) of the District of Columbia (DC), which combined the DC Board of Parole with the probation function of the DC Superior Court to create a new Federal agency.
Abstract
The DC Pretrial Services Agency is also included within CSOSA. The designers of CSOSA envisioned that it would incorporate state-of-the-art technology and practices in community supervision. It has low supervision caseloads, with the ratio for regular supervision being approximately 50 offenders for each community supervision officer (CSO). The ratio for special supervision teams is about 30 offenders per CSO. There are specialized treatment and supervision teams for sex offenders, mental health, high-risk substance abuse, domestic violence, day reporting, and violators of drinking and driving laws. Frequency of contact is high. Unemployed offenders in some parts of the city are required to report to the Day Reporting Program, which focuses on the educational and occupational needs of offenders, some of whom are tracked by electronic monitoring. Offenders are drug tested twice weekly for the first 8 weeks of supervision; the frequency of testing declines after demonstration of continued compliance. The Supervision Management Automated Records Tracking system used by CSOSA is one of the most innovative systems available. Information is electronically shared with all personnel and allied agencies. The system is available to mobile personnel through small portable computers. A research and evaluation unit tracks information collected by the agency. CSOSA provides an array of services throughout the city that assist offenders in developing a positive lifestyle. Learning labs are staffed with employment and education specialists who assist offenders with basic educational and occupational needs. Treatment services address drug abuse, anger management, domestic violence, and mental health needs.