Programs

Cognitive Services are based on research that has shown that cognitive programs, which assist the Justice Involved Individuals in changing their thinking patterns and learning new cognitive skills, result in changes in the way individuals make decisions and, ultimately, the way they live their lives. Programming focuses on the characteristics most associated with continued criminal behavior, including:

• Anti-social attitudes and belief,
• Attitudes towards authority,
• Association with other criminals,
• Lack of empathy for victims,
• Drug and alcohol abuse,
• Anger and aggression.

Social Re-education and Life Skills Training provides increased structure, accountability, and service delivery for those Justice Involved Individuals who have a history of poor performance in the community because of anti-social attitudes and/or limited social skills. Justice Involved Individuals are referred to the program by the releasing authority or by the supervising officer. The program is staffed by employees and contracted service providers who work in close coordination with the supervising officer, treatment providers, and other resource agencies. Programming is provided to maximize Justice Involved Individual participation. After the initial skills assessment is completed, participants are placed in specific social re-education/life skills training classes to enhance responsible decision-making and promote compliance with their conditions of release.

Alcohol and Drug Treatment is administered through contracts with treatment providers who provide evidence-based services. It involves making referrals for Oregon Health Plan and private insurance placements, providing psychological/social evaluations; outpatient and/or residential treatment; aftercare and relapse prevention to Justice Involved Individuals experiencing difficulties with substance abuse issues and/or risk of revocation. This program includes urinalysis testing as a useful tool in monitoring possible use of illegal drugs, and for preparing such individuals who are entering inpatient treatment. Several residential treatment services are utilized.

Field Services entails monitoring the behavior and movement of Justice Involved Individuals in the community to ensure compliance with the conditions of the releasing authority. Duties include, but are not limited to, conducting unscheduled/unannounced contacts with Justice Involved Individuals in their home environments, places of employment, the probation office, and other community locations, including searches when indicated. Priority is given to those Justice Involved Individuals who pose the highest risk to re-offend. The program also provides counseling services to those incarcerated or in transition in the community corrections transition program. The target population is high- and medium-risk felony Justice Involved Individuals including local control Justice Involved Individuals.

Sex Offender Program provides specialized supervision to Justice Involved Individuals convicted of sex offenses. A specially trained staff works closely with therapists, families, victims, and law enforcement agencies to hold Justice Involved Individuals accountable and ensure they receive needed services. By working with these other individuals and agencies, staff helps create an informed community network that assists in the monitoring of Justice Involved Individuals throughout supervision and beyond; provides referrals, supervision, and sanctions to batterers. Casework involves family and victim contact and close coordination with criminal justice, treatment, and social service agencies.

Drug Court provides adults charged with felony drug-related crimes an opportunity to seriously address their substance abuse problems by offering treatment as an alternative to prosecution. Justice Involved Individuals participating in the program are placed under intensive oversight to ensure compliance with conditions of supervision, and adherence to treatment conditions. Weekly appearances before a Circuit Court judge occur to enhance communication, participant compliance, and ensure successful completion of all obligations. A specialized team consisting of the drug court judge, attorneys, probation officers, substance abuse evaluators and treatment professionals works collaboratively to monitor, supervise, support and encourage participants throughout the program. Criminal charges are dismissed for those defendants who successfully complete the program.

Track II Drug Court provides similar support and treatment for Justice Involved Individuals on probation after a criminal conviction. These defendants may be allowed early termination of probation upon successful completion of the Drug Court Program conditions.

Family Drug Court is a special civil court process focusing on families whose children are at risk of abuse or neglect because of parental abuse of drugs or alcohol. Adults with open dependency cases (and may be at risk of losing custody of their children) because of their substance abuse problems may be eligible to participate. Parents who participate have increased expectations, including appearing in court weekly, meeting with their state child welfare case manager and submitting to random drug testing. In addition to substance abuse treatment, defendants also must participate in programs designed to enhance their parenting skills and family bonding. Similar to traditional drug court, the family drug court judge, attorneys, probation officers, substance abuse evaluators and treatment professionals work collaboratively to monitor, supervise, support and encourage participants through several levels of evidence based programs that include positive rewards and negative consequences for behavior.

Treatment Court works with nonviolent Justice Involved Individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental illness or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. Most participants are referred following formal sentencing and given the option, for example, of serving jail time or going to treatment court. Treatment court is a more "holistic" approach to dealing with the combined issues of criminal activity and mental illness. This program recognizes that people with a mental illness may not respond in the same way to ideas, programs, etc., as a person without a mental illness. They are no less culpable for their actions, but they can make better choices, move forward and be less likely to get into trouble if they plug into resources available to them in Clatsop County. A special team consisting of the treatment court judge, probation officer, treatment professionals, social services and the local National Alliance on Mental Illness gives participants individual attention and holds them accountable to probation guidelines, treatment plans, or even just daily goals through behavior incentives and interaction with other people.

Electronic House Arrest provides an alternative to incarceration for sanctions and provides jail relief in situations of overcrowding. Justice Involved Individuals are monitored through an electronic bracelet attached to their body.  It assists in supervision to limit movements of monitored Individuals in the community.  Release service will be incorporated into this program that provides an objective way for the courts or supervisory authority to establish decisions and to facilitate the release of persons needing restrictive control outside the jail, based on the concept of "least restrictive sanction" and custody.

Community Service Program provides a sentencing alternative to the courts and a local intermediate sanction for offenders who fail to comply with conditions of supervision. Nearly 200 offenders will participate in the Community Service Program this biennium and will generate about 10,000 hours of community service labor.

Misdemeanor Supervision Program provides supervision to certain misdemeanor Justice Involved Individuals specified by the courts.

Subsidy Assistance is available to indigent Justice Involved Individuals who lack basic support. Once the probation/parole officer determines that the individual has little or no funds to pay for basic needs, subsidy assistance may be requested. Assistance may include lodging, food, bus tickets, medical/dental payments, or any other needs relating to the individual's potential for successful community integration. Every effort is made to ensure that adequate services are available to meet existing or emerging needs.

Administration provides oversight through management to assure programs are implemented, coordinated, recorded, and supported with funds for the programs, contractors, and vendors. Administrative costs also include training, planning, polygraph, urinalysis and communication software and hardware. The Lieutenant assures contract compliance, that program objectives are met, that performance outcomes are met or proposes plan amendments to meet the intent of the state-approved Community Corrections plan and the Oregon Department of Corrections rules as related to statute.

Volunteer Services recruits and selects qualified volunteers to assist Parole and Probation Division in a variety of functions. Students may provide a range of services, while other volunteers assist with other service areas as needed.