A year ago the Probation Department in conjunction with the ATI Advisory Board launched the Day Reporting Program(DRP). The purpose of this program is to serve as an alternative to incarceration through intensive probation supervision( a minimum of two face to face meetings per week, 2 urine screens per week and unannounced home visits) which includes use of electronic home monitoring, participation in educational, vocational, substance abuse and mental health services as appropriate and participation in a weekly commitment to change group focusing on the thinking errors that result in relapse/recidivism. DRP is a sentencing alternative available to all the Courts in Ontario County.
During 2000, the goal was to have 20 offenders sentenced to DRP by the Courts or the Local Release Commission with 80% of them completing the program and avoiding the need to incarcerate them for non-compliance. By the end of 2000, 24 offenders had been referred to DRP with all but 3 of them remaining on probation in good standing. Of the 3, one was sentenced to a year in jail for violating probation, one has absconded with a probation warrant active for his arrest and the last one is awaiting return to Court for violation of probation. Excluding these 3 cases, DRP has avoided the use of 1980 jail days and is meeting it’s intended result leading to it being expanded in 2001.
In 2001, the goal for DRP is to have 60 offenders sentenced to participate. To handle this increased workload, a new Senior Probation Officer position has been added and will be dedicated to servicing the DRP cases until they complete participation in the weekly commitment to change group which lasts about five months. By having an Officer dedicated to the DRP cases, better continuity of services will be provided. After completion of the weekly group, DRP cases will be reassigned to another Probation Officer. Rick Geno has been appointed to fill the DRP Officer position and brings 10 years of local probation experience to the program.
As a result of DRP there was increased demand for use of the available 20 electronic home monitoring(EHM) units. This created a back log of cases waiting for an EHM unit with a waiting period of as much as 3 to 4 months. Consequently, the County has authorized the purchase of 10 additional EHM units which should be on line by the end of January, 2001.
Any one wanting further information on DRP should contact Ron Lippincott at the Probation Department at 716-396-4222.
