Informal - Community Programs

Community Programs:

The Community Programs Unit consists of a Supervising Probation Officer, three Probation Officers, and two Work Program Officers. Programs within the Unit include Intake, Intervention, and Work Crew. Intake Probation Officers meet individually with youth and parents to determine the youth’s risk level and if the youth qualifies for the referral to be handled informally. The Intervention Probation Officer provides direct services to youth who attend area middle schools.

Probation Officers within the Community Programs Unit coordinate and facilitate gender specific classes and groups relating to vocational skills, anger management, and relational aggression. A Life Choices class is coordinated by the department, however facilitated by the Albany Police Department and Neighbor-2-Neighbor Mediation Services. The Community Program Unit also oversees the placement of practicum students within the department.

Informal Probation

Probation Officers meet with youth who have been referred by a law enforcement agency for an act that would be considered a violation of the law, or a crime, if the youth were an adult. Individual intake appointments are scheduled with the youth and parent/guardian to gather information and determine the level of supervision needed. As part of the Intake process, a risk assessment is completed to determine the youth’s level of risk for being referred in the future for a crime. Most youth seen at the Intake level are eligible to enter into a Formal Accountability Agreement (FAA). The FAA is an informal contract between the youth, parent, and Probation Officer that requires the youth to meet certain conditions in lieu of formal court action. Conditions of a FAA may include referrals to educational classes dealing with alcohol, drug or tobacco use; anger management classes; victim offender mediation; evaluations; counseling; and community service through the Tier One Work Crew Program. Once all conditions of the FAA are completed, the case is eligible to be closed successfully.

If a youth declines this informal option or denies the allegation/s within the referral, the matter is sent to the District Attorney’s Office for review. If the District Attorney’s Office provides petition language, the case is reassigned to a Probation Officer within the Formal Probation Unit. This Formal Unit Probation Officer will file a petition and guide the youth and family through the Court process.   

Intervention Program

This program is funded by the State of Oregon, Juvenile Crime Prevention Grant. The target population of the program are middle school age and under youth who have been referred by a law enforcement agency, but they may work with youth referred on an informal and formal basis. Typically this is youth between 6th and 8th grade, who are 12 to 14 years of age. This Probation Officer is a member of the Intake Unit and is assigned the majority of those youth being handled at the Intake level who are between 12 and 14 years old. Additionally, Probation Officers may refer youth between the ages of 12 and 14 who are involved formally with the Court to the Intervention Program.

The Intervention Specialist works in the middle schools throughout the county by linking youth to services that will help reduce their risk of being criminally referred by law enforcement in the future. Primary focuses include, improving family functioning by improving parent-youth interaction; increasing school success by monitoring school attendance and reporting disciplinary problems to assigned PO’s; and increasing positive peer association by involving youth in constructive school, community, and neighborhood activities.

Work Crew Program:

The Work Crew Program consists of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Programs. Youth are referred to these programs by their Probation Officer, based on their level of involvement with the juvenile department and the information provided in the risk assessment.

Prior to being scheduled for work crew, youth are required to attend an orientation session with their parents or legal guardian. A member of the Work Crew Program conducts these orientations weekly. During the orientation process, youth and their parents are informed of the program’s rules and procedures. At the conclusion of the orientation the youth are typically scheduled for a specific day to start their work crew obligation. Each subsequent work assignment is relayed to the youth via an automated voice messaging system. It is the youth’s responsibility to call and check in on this automated voice messaging system every Monday in order to receive their pick up time and location for the next work crew day.