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Community Corrections Bureau - Adult
The Adult Community Corrections Bureau has encountered a number of challenging events,
but throughout, has continued to strive to provide professional
and quality service
to all of the Department’s clients. Limited staffing resources continue to be a
reality in the Adult Bureau, but despite this, a quality product and exemplary service
are the goals of this division. Utilization of a validated risk assessment (COMPAS),
evidence-based programming and tracking of outcome measures are now the accepted
cornerstone of Adult services in San Bernardino County.
Adult Probation Frequently Asked Questions
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Probation Officers conduct investigations and prepare reports upon referral by the
Court. Referrals cover, but are not limited to, such areas as pre-and post sentencing
investigations and recommendations, pre plea recommendations, violations of probation,
eligibility for drug diversion, credit for time served, reductions of previously
entered pleas, early termination from probation, restitution and miscellaneous issues
about which the Court might require information.
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The Probation Officers primary function is to make contact with probationers in
the community and at their homes. Officers in this unit ensure that probationers
comply with their probation terms. This may include serving weekend custody time,
community service, paying restitution, and attending counseling programs.
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The goal of this program is to allow the “less serious” drug offender the opportunity
to avoid conviction by taking advantage of counseling and other treatment options.
Successful completion of the program results in the charges being dismissed.
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P.R.I.D.E is a nine to twelve-month community based program that treats high-risk
substance abusers, on probation, who desire to overcome their addictions. The goal
is to address the multi-faceted problems of the chemically dependent criminal population.
Treatment includes comprehensive probation supervision, weekly drug testing, random
searches, intensive individual and group counseling sessions and regular participation
in Narcotics Anonymous. Six months of Aftercare is an important component for success.
The program also offers parenting and anger management classes, educational counseling,
job referrals and residential care, if necessary.
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Drug Court an intense drug treatment program also designed for those convicted of
less serious drug offenses. The program includes frequent drug testing, judicial
and probation supervision, drug counseling and educational opportunities. In determining
suitability for the program, the Judge, the Probation Officer, and the attorneys
consider factors such as the length of drug usage, familial support and desire for
change.
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The Domestic Violence program focuses on intensive supervision for the offenders
convicted of spousal abuse, child abuse, terrorist threats and stalking. Offenders
are required to complete a 52-week counseling program. Probation Officers and treatment
providers monitor compliance closely.
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The DUI Unit is a program that focuses on probation supervision of high-risk felony
drunk drivers countywide.
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The Gang Suppression Unit combines the functions of gang intelligence and special
operations. The Unit consists of exclusively trained and certified POs who provide
countywide intervention and suppression services to the community. The Unit identifies
and tracks over 2,500 gang members under juvenile and adult supervision, and works
closely with law enforcement through participation on regional gang teams and the
San Bernardino Move Against Street Hoodlums (SMASH) operations in order to suppress
criminal gang activity.
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The Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking program utilizes a sophisticated technology
to track high-risk offenders. Each offender is fitted with an ankle transmitter/receiver
and a cellular telephone that also receives and transmits from the ankle device
and receives satellite signals. The combination of transmitters and receivers allows
for any officer with a computer to establish the location and direction of travel
of the offender.
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The Sex Offender Unit’s objective is to utilize an increased level of supervision
through the use of specialized techniques to provide an extra measure of protection
to children and other potential victims of sex crimes in the community. A further
objective is to prevent additional victims by the arrest and incarceration of subjects
not adhering to their probation terms and by educating parents and children to online
threats.
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The Mental Health Unit supervises the mentally ill offenders and makes referrals
to appropriate community services agencies for counseling and treatment.
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The Probation Officers in the Welfare Fraud unit focus on the full repayment of
restitution and impose other measures to treat identified problems. Offenders
who are unemployed or attending school are referred to the Employee Development
Department for employment assistance. Frequent contact with the Department of Human
Social Services is made to ensure compliance and reconcile offenders’ accounts.
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The Probation Officers in the Warrant Apprehension office identify high-risk gang
members and associates countywide and works toward apprehension.
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Community Corrections Bureau - Juvenile
The Juvenile Community Corrections Bureau (JCCB) continues to serve the needs of
juvenile offenders and their families within San Bernardino County through a wide
range of services. Along with maintaining existing services, the JCCB has made some
significant changes, consistent with recent movements within the offender rehabilitation
and treatment community, for the purpose of significantly reducing recidivism. The
Probation Department has adopted practices that are supported by existing evidence
of the causes of crime that have been proven to positively change offender behavior.
In 2003, the Department began investigating the body of research supporting practices
that were proven to positively change offender behavior. Since then, the Department
has taken a variety of measures specifically within JCCB to implement these practices
commonly referred to as “evidence-based practices” or EBP. Interventions using the
principles of EBP are scientifically proven to reduce offender recidivism. Evidence-based
Practices has been proven to be most effective when following the framework of eight
principles for reducing offender recidivism (see below).
EIGHT EBP PRINCIPLES FOR REDUCING OFFENDER RECIDIVISM
- Assess Offender Risk and Needs
- Enhance Offender Motivation
- Target Interventions
- Address Cognitive-Behavioral Functioning
- Provide Positive Reinforcement
- Provide Ongoing Support
- Measure Outcomes
- Provide Quality Assurance
Juvenile Probation Frequently Asked Questions
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Juvenile Investigation units provide the Juvenile Delinquency Court with a comprehensive disposition report that assists the Judicial Officer in deciding the best response to a youth who has been alleged to commit a criminal offense. The investigative work includes examining the details of a minor’s involvement in an offense by addressing mitigating and aggravating circumstances, reviewing the offender’s prior record of contact with law enforcement, as well as determining intervention services already provided. It involves interviewing the minor, his/her parents/guardians, victims, and others such as school personnel, in order to gain an understanding of the social history of the youth.
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The Probation Officers primary function is to make contact with minors who are on probation at their homes. Officers in this unit ensure that minors comply with their probation terms. This may include attending school, completing community service and attending counseling programs.
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Probation Officers in this unit supervise minors placed on informal probation by the Juvenile Court. Officers set up contracts with each minor for a six-month period. Minors are referred to counseling programs as appropriate, contact is maintained with the family, and restitution is collected during that period.
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The Gender Responsive Adolescent Caseload Enrichment program is designed to provide services to minor female offenders. This program includes groups such as
"Girl’s Circle", "VOICES", parenting classes, drug and alcohol counseling, and community services. The girls in this program have volunteered with the Garden of Angels, a non-profit program that ensure that abandoned babies are honored and receive a final resting place.
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The Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program provides a wide range of community-based, structured activities and classroom instruction for school-aged children, delivered by probation officers, that result in a sense of competence, usefulness, and personal empowerment needed to avoid involvement in youth violence, gangs and criminal activity.
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ILP (Independent Living Program) is a federally funded, nationwide program designed to provide basic life skills, career exploration and job readiness preparation for probation youth who have been in out-of-home placement. In this program, the youth learn skills that prepare them to transition to adulthood and living on their own.
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The Probation Officer works closely with a therapist and a sex offender treatment program to customize the level of supervision and treatment each minor receives. Established screening criteria helps identify which minors may benefit from this type of supervision.
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Probation Officers in this unit are assigned to specific placement programs and conduct monthly visits to the juveniles placed at those facilities by the Juvenile Court. These juveniles have been removed from their homes for their own welfare and for their protection. Upon release these juveniles are supervised in the community to ensure an adequate adjustment.
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The Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (AB 1913) provides funding for this program. This unit is comprised of Probation Officers who are each assigned to an elementary, middle or high school campus. They work primarily with at-risk youth, identifying students with behavior problems and referred them for counseling. Probation Officers may conduct classes on subjects such as conflict resolution and anger management.
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This is a community based diversion program designed to provide first time, low-level misdemeanor offenders with preventative services through a partnership with community volunteers. Volunteers monitor community service progress and school behavior, then report back to the Probation Officer upon successful completion or failure in the program.
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The Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (formerly AB 1913 funding) provides funding for this program. This program provides a structured environment throughout the day for youth on a regional basis within the County. Targeted regions include the West Valley, High Desert, and the San Bernardino area. Components include education, counseling, recreation and community service and parenting classes for their parents. Referrals can originate from the Court, the Probation Department, law enforcement agencies, public or private agencies and parents.
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In 1997, the State of California developed the Wraparound model, using AFDC-FC money not just to pay for placement once there were no other alternatives available, but to proactively prevent minors from needing out-of-home placement in the first place. It is a comprehensive approach to an individualized service for youth with complicated mental and emotional problems, providing the minor and their families with a team to coordinate stability in all areas of their lives, and providing those services which fit the minor and family's identified needs and culture. Probation Officers coordinate with service providers and support agencies within the community to address emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs which have resulted in criminal conduct and to assist the minors in developing the skills they need to continue with their lives in a pro-social manner, while protecting the community in the long term by reducing recidivism.
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House Arrest Program
The objective of the program is to reduce the population at the Juvenile Detention and Assessment Centers by providing an intensive supervision program in the community for minors awaiting disposition by the Court. The program serves minors countywide who are awaiting disposition of their cases by the Juvenile Court. This includes both non-wards and wards of the Court. Minors who are found to be acceptable for the program and whose parents or guardians are supportive of the program rules will receive intensive supervision, which will include GPS tracking and possibly school and/ or behavior modification classes at a Day Reporting Center. The program operates 24-hour/seven days a week.
Youth Justice Center
 Located next to the Central Juvenile Detention and Assessment Center, YJC provides evidence-based enrichment classes such as Petty Theft, The Parent Project, Bullying, Anger Management, Drugs and Alcohol, Girl’s Circle, Anger Replacement Therapy, Matrix, and other programs that meet requirements imposed by the Court. Cost is either free or minimal. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate to bring to Court for proof of successful completion.
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