R.I. Government Agencies | Privacy Policy |
Probation and Parole Officers assigned to general caseloads are located statewide and supervise individuals convicted on a variety of offenses. The average size of these caseloads is approximately 250 clients. All probationers are required to comply with general conditions such as reporting to the Probation Officer and reamining within Rhode Island (except with specific permission to travel.) In addition, some offenders are ordered by the sentencing judge to fulfill special conditions, such as completing drug treatment, paying restitution, or having no contact with a particular person. As of June 2007, approximately 9,311 probationers were being supervised in general (or generic) probation caseloads. Approximately half the total Probation and Parole Officers in Rhode Island are assigned this type of caseload.
Offenders requiring more focused supervision because of the nature of their crime or the risk they pose to the community are assigned to specialized caseloads. Approximately half of the total Probation and Parole Officers work within specialized units.
Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision
The Rhode Island Interstate Office is responsible for the transfer of probation and parole offenders into and out of Rhode Island. The unit consists of: Deputy Compact Administrator; Probation and Parole Officer; Probation Aide; and Senior Word Processing Typist. At any point in time, there are approximately 1,150 Rhode Island probationers supervised by other states and nearly 350 offenders from other states being supervised by Rhode Island Probation/Parole Officers.
The Sex Offender Unit was initiated during 1998. Sex Offenders residing in the community require close monitoring and supervision in order to meet public safety concerns. Since its inception, the Sex Offender Unit has proven its value in supervising these offenders closely, enhancing accountability, and providing a quick response to infractions. The unit works very closely with police in every community, conducting joint home and neighborhood visits and exchanging critical information. Staff also communicate regularly with treatment providers to ensure appropriate services. A victim advocate who works directly with the Sex Offender Unit addds a new dimension in helping to ensure that staff are sensitive to victim issues and that victims have access to support. As of June 2007, a total of 809 and ten Probation and Parole Officers were assigned to this unit, for an average caseload of 80.
The Domestic Violence Unit was created in 1994 to pilot specialized supervision of domestic assault offenders, based upon the foundation principles of victim safety and offender accountability. The Unit is currently comprised of 11 Probation and Parole Officers, three of whom work specifically with repeat domestic violence offenders. The Unit supervises partner domestic violence cases in most of the state (with plans to expand into Washington County during 2007). As of June 2007, a total of 961 offenders were assigned to this unit. The average caseload size for repeat domestic violence was 85, and for less-intensive supervision, the average was 88.
The goal of the Rhode Island Drug Court is to provide judicially supervised treatment for non-violent drug offenders as an alternative to incarceration. This pilot project was initiated during 2001, and was expanded during 2004 to include Kent and Washington Counties. The Department of Corrections in conjunction with Providence Superior Court, MHRH/Substance Abuse, Department of Attorney General, and Office of the Public Defenders comprise of the Drug Court Planners Team. During 2004 an additional Adult Probation and Parole Officer was added. Two Probation and Parole Officers assigned to drug court were providing intensive supervision to 85 offenders as of June 2007.
Safe Streets Providence is a small program (two Probation and Parole Officers in Providence, one in Pawtucket) that is founded on a collaboration between the RIDOC and police departments for the supervision of youthful violent offenders. The RI Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) has a parallel program for juvenile gang members. Court orders require some of the offenders assigned to Safe Streets to comply with a specialized set of conditions tailored to the risks and needs of violent and often gang-involved youth. All Safe Streets cases are supervised intensively through home and community visits, non-conventional hours and days of work, and coordination between Probation and the police. In June of 2007, a total of 307 offfenders were assigned to the three officers.
The Minimum Supervision Unit is responsible for probation cases in which the offenders are not available for supervision (e.g. incarcerated, whereabouts unknown, deported), have court-ordered unsupervised probation, or qualify for administrative banking (suspended supervision) based on policy. A total of 13,674 cases fell into these categories as of June 2007. Within the same supervisory unit, the Adult Investigations Probation and Parole Officer specializes in the preparation and compilation of presentence reports for the Superior Court.
The Parole Unit supervises all parolees, whose early release from incarceration is authorized by the Parole Board (an independent body). Because of their legal status (inmates who are serving part of their prison sentence in the community), they are held to a high level of compliance with stringent conditions. Verified appropriate plans for residence and employment must be in place prior to parole being granted, and the Parole Board generally releases offenders initially either to a period of electronic monitoring or residential treatment. Probation and Parole Officers assigned to the Parole Unit provide intensive supervision (average caseload size: 54), with further specializations for those on parole for sex offenses or with other special needs (caseload: 28) or on electronic monitoring (average caseload size: 28).