Richard DelFino, Assistant Administrator of Probation & Parole

15 Fleming Road
Bernadette Bldg.
Cranston, RI 02920
Phone: (401) 462-0382
Fax: (401) 462-0164

Shelley Cortese, Assistant Administrator of Probation & Parole

15 Fleming Road
Bernadette Bldg.
Cranston, RI 02920
Phone: (401) 462-1619
Fax: (401) 462-0164

Probation and Parole is a community-based component of the Department of Corrections that supervises adult commmunity residents who have been placed on probation by the courts or on parole by the Parole Board. Probation and Parole is mandated to provide community protection while working toward the rehabilitation of the offender in the community. Probation is often used by the courts as an alternative to incarceration, and can also provide an additional period of supervision following incarceration. Parole enables some offenders to return to the community under stringent conditions of supervision after serving out a portion of their incarceration. (Terms of parole release are set by the Parole Board, which is independent of the Department of Corrections.).

Both probation and parole are seen as provisional tolerance to remain in the community on the condition that certain requirements are fulfilled. Those requirements include accountability, responsible behavior and willingness to accept and make positive use of appropriate interventions. The objective of supervision is to assist offenders to integrate successfully into their communities as functioning, law-abiding members.

Probation and Parole is regionalized in multiple locations statewide: Providence (District Court, Superior Court), Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Cranston, Kent County, Washington County, Newport, and Warren. Regionalization allows for greater community identity and involvement as well as better access for offenders. The Officers assigned to the areas know the community and its resources and thus are able to provide more complete services to offenders. In addition to geographic assignment of cases, some offenders are supervised on specialized caseloads to enable the Probation and Parole Officers to focus on specific areas of risk, needs, and services. Specialized supervision is provided for parole, domestic violence, sexual assault, and violent youthful offenders, and individuals with other types of offenses.