Probation Division
Gordon Muth Assistant
Vicinage Chief Dawn Moody John Reilly |
AnnouncementOn March 19th,
2012, the Probation Division relocated to
General DescriptionThe mission of the Probation
Division is to promote public safety and the welfare of children and families
by enforcing court orders, supervising offenders, monitoring behavior and
intervening to produce positive outcomes. Probation represents a commanding
presence in the life of the offender and plays a crucial role in protecting
the community.
The Probation Division
pursues a vision WHEREIN communities are safer, victims are compensated, and
offenders successfully complete their sentences in the community and lead law
abiding lives. Probation’s vision further encompasses the area of child support by offering
quality services to ensure that children and families are supported in
compliance of court orders and in accordance with federal and state
regulations.
The role of the
At present, Probation is
separated into distinct sections to carry out these functions, including:
Adult Services, Special Services, Juvenile Services, Child Support
Enforcement Services, and Community Service.
Adult ServicesAdult Services is
responsible for supervising adult offenders through office contacts, field
visits, drug screen urinalysis and appropriate referrals for counseling. This
section is responsible for the collection of various monetary assessments
imposed upon probationers by the Courts.
Adult Services is organized
into teams, comprised of both supervisory and line staff, and a court
calendaring unit. Adult Probation cases are initially classified according to
risk and needs and a supervision plan formulated by the Central Intake Unit.
After thirty days, cases are assigned to regular caseloads for the duration
of their supervision.
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Cases are returned to Court to resolve non-compliance issues.
Probation warrants are issued and executed when it is determined that
intervention is needed for the protection of the probationer and the community.
Referrals from supervising officers to the Division’s Comprehensive Enforcement Program (CEP) facilitate the
enforcement of collections of court-ordered financial obligations. Under CEP,
individuals who fail to meet their financial obligations are required to appear
before a hearing officer appointed by the Supreme Court of the State of
The Drug Court Initiative, introduced in January 1997, created a
specialized caseload within Adult Services that provides intensive supervision
and in-patient treatment to offenders sentenced under 2c:35-14c. as an alternative to incarceration. Enrollment is limited to
defendants charged with Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance Within 1,000 feet of a School.
Adult Special
Services
Adult Special Services provides supervision at a maximum level in
specialized caseloads to probationers categorized by sex offenses, domestic
violence and Carter/Krol sentences. The purpose of
maximum supervision is two-fold. First, it provides protection to victims and
the public by closely monitoring client’s adherence to the
conditions of probation and facilitates immediate action should a probationer
violate any of those conditions. Second, the intense supervision allows the
officers to work more closely with the probationers in the area of
rehabilitation. The special services sex offender client is also monitored
regarding compliance with Megan’s law registration.
Juvenile Services
Juvenile Services provides services similar to those provided to
adult offenders but with a more broad-based community approach, particularly
involving parents and schools. Specialized caseloads and programs exist such as
the school based caseloads at
Two juvenile sex offender caseloads have been created to focus
more intensive supervision on this specific case type. Officers with extensive
training work closely with local police departments to insure the juveniles
meet the conditions of their probation and register as sex offenders annually.
A close working relationship also exists with the
Juvenile Services is committed to community partnerships and
moving probation services out of the offices and into the communities served.
The outreach into the community began with school based supervision and now
includes a partnership with the Paterson Police, parole, faith based community
and other agencies in the Paterson Village Initiative and an expansion of the
traditional probation officer role to include teaching delinquent youth
cognitive skills.
Probation officers conduct skills development classes twice a week
at a local community day program and at the alternative High School. Officers
conduct field visits during the evening and other non traditional hours with
the assistance of the Paterson Police to improve court order compliance. The
community plays an active role in developing the agendas and addressing
juvenile needs during the weekly board meetings. The community is encouraged to
attend and participate.
Juvenile Services is involved in a variety of activities to serve
the community and the youth of
Child Support
Enforcement Services
Child Support Services is responsible for the collection and
enforcement of child and spousal support orders. Over $39 million was collected
in the Passaic Vicinage in Federal Fiscal Year 1997-1998. Child Support Enforcement
Services is organized into enforcement, case processing, and customer service
units.
Child Support Enforcement is the largest unit and is organized
into teams. Teams are responsible for listing cases for court enforcement,
maintaining and updating records, and responding in a timely fashion to the
concerns and questions of their customers. The unit is responsible for
enforcing court orders involving approximately 20,000 cases.
The Case Processing Unit is responsible for establishing all new
support orders on the Automated Child Support Enforcement System (ACSES) and
creating case files for the Enforcement Unit to enforce. Case types include
dissolution, non dissolution, and domestic violence.
The Customer Service Unit expedites the prompt resolution of
client problems and facilitates a satisfying client-agency interface. The unit
averages 60-80 clients per day and is responsible for administratively hearing
all tax, lottery and credit appeals. Staff assist clients in converting their direct pay matrimonial orders to pay through
probation orders. Written responses are prepared to all formal written
inquiries from various government agencies representing the customer.
Community Service
The Community Service Program monitors offender compliance with the
community service sentence imposed by
Implemented in the vicinage in 1978, the Community Service Program
was designed to:
- Provide a cost effective
sentencing alternative to incarceration for adult and juvenile offenders, thereby
offering relief to overcrowded jails and correctional facilities
- Hold offenders accountable to
the community for their actions, thereby promoting greater community
confidence in the criminal justice system
- Offer needed services to
public and private non-profit organizations in the community during a time
of fiscal constraints
Community service is ordered by judges in the following
categories:
- Pre-Trial Intervention
- Superior Court criminal
offenders
- juvenile offenders
- violations of municipal ordinances
- motor vehicle violations
Beginning in 1997, offenders who fail to perform their
court-ordered hours were referred to the Comprehensive Enforcement Program for
enforcement.
The main office of the Probation Division is
located on the first floor of the W
atson Building, 55 Dale Avenue