SURVEILLANCE

The Community Corrections and Supervision Department of Taylor, Callahan and Coleman Counties has designed the Surveillance Program to enhance the management of offenders in the community as an alternative to being sentenced to the Institutional Division of the Department of Criminal Justice.  Its objective is to ensure public safety by providing increased surveillance and closely monitoring the activities of selected offenders.  This will be accomplished through the use of a team concept utilizing two (2) Community Supervision Officers to supervise a caseload of thirty (30) offenders.  Assigning two officers to supervise a small number of probationers enables the officers to check on the probationers 24 hours a day and to maintain a high number of contact visits with each offender. The officers conduct a minimum of 5 contacts per week with each probationer, with at least 3 of the contacts occurring in the field.  In addition to any conditions of probation placed on offenders in the Surveillance program, a mandatory curfew is required (6:00 p.m.) and frequent drug/alcohol screenings are performed.  Offenders may also be required to participate in treatment for any special problems they may have. 

Program standards require that cases will be assessed as to the risk and needs of each probationer to develop a comprehensive supervision plan.  Length of stay on the program for a probationer will be not less than 90 days or more than 180 days.  Cases will be transferred to the Intensive Supervision Program, High/Medium Reduction Caseload or the Substance Abuse Caseload at the conclusion of a successful completion of the Surveillance Program or to Level II Regular Caseload if Intensive Supervision Program, High/Medium Reduction Caseload or Substance Abuse Caseload slots are not available 

Surveillance Supervision, in conjunction with Global Positioning System Monitoring as a tool, is this department's only non-residential resource to meet the identified need of the highest risk/need offender.  This program is used in our Continuum of Sanctions to provide a sentencing alternative to incarceration for felony offenders who violate their conditions of community supervision or might otherwise be sentenced to prison.

The following table illustrates activity of the Surveillance Caseload from FY ’04 through ’07:  

The following table illustrates Surveillance discharge data by Discharge Reason: