The Community Service Restitution (CSR) program is designed to assist juveniles in completing the community service hours they have been ordered to perform by one of the four county courts. The idea of “community service restitution” is for the offender to “give back” to the community some of the value that was taken by the offender committing an offense in that community. The community service restitution program serves as a liaison between the courts and the community by administering community service imposed as a condition of probation. The goal of the community service program is to assist the court in the administration of justice by coordinating the performance of community service by offenders to the mutual benefits of the courts, community agencies and the offenders.
Parents and juveniles must attend an orientation and acknowledge the dress code, non-liability of the department, and other rules that the juvenile is required to follow. Information is also provided to families, if the juvenile is allowed to perform his or her hours at an outside agency. However, there are certain types of offenders that are not allowed to perform hours outside the supervision of the Juvenile Probation Department.
The juveniles are supervised by Certified Detention Officers when performing hours with the Juvenile Probation Department. The officers are responsible for the safety of the juveniles as well as making sure assignments are completed as assigned. The officers transport the juveniles to designated work sites such as Public parks, Fairgrounds, Senior Citizen Agencies, and adopted roads. They ensure the work is done to the best of the juveniles’ ability. The types of duties consist of activity set-ups and clean up, washing county vehicles, painting, general cleaning, light landscaping, and trash pickup.
The CSR division also enables juveniles to “give back to the community” by participating in “Drives” that are held through the department. The drives are held 3 to 5 times per year, which during the allotted time allows juveniles to bring specific items and receive a one-time earning of eight hours, per drive. The items collected, such as nonperishable food items, blankets, toys, or hygiene products are donated by the department to Food Banks, Senior Citizens Living Centers, CPS, Child Advocacy Agencies and Women’s Centers to assist underprivileged or needy families in the communities.