The Strengthening Community Supervision in Florida Program

The Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (Byrne Competitive Program) will help communities improve the capacity of state and local justice systems and provide for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. This competitive grant announcement focuses on initiatives in eight areas: 1) preventing and reducing violent crime through community-based data-driven approaches; 2) providing funding for neighborhood-based probation and parole officers; 3) reducing mortgage fraud and crime related to vacant properties; 4) hiring of civilian support personnel in law enforcement (training staff, analysts, dispatchers, etc.); 5) enhancing forensic and crime scene investigations; 6) improving resources and services for victims of crime; 7) supporting problem-solving courts; and 8) national training and technical assistance partnerships.

Under category 2, Florida Department of Corrections will use the FY 2009 Recovery Act Byrne Competitive funds to develop a program entitled "Strengthening Community Supervision in Florida." The department will hire/rehire 25 correctional probation officers in targeted judicial circuits. To further support the work of probation officers, and to improve public safety by lowering the rate of repeat criminal behavior, the program will work with local service providers to provide residential substance abuse treatment beds. The overarching goal of the program will be to support circuits by hiring and retaining probation officers in order to lower active caseloads. This will be done to ensure that comprehensive community supervision continues to exist in these circuits. Consequently, the probation officers will be able to achieve the following objectives: (1) increase successful outcomes by using evidenced-based practices; (2) expand outreach and partnership efforts with the community; (3) increase the number of offenders who successfully complete court ordered treatment (substance abuse, mental health, and sex offender); (4) increase and document referrals that address offender needs (employment, education, and other self-improvement programming); and (5) enhance continuity of care and services to address offenders' needs after release from prison/jail.

CA/NCF