ADULT PROBATION FIELD CENTERS

 ALCOHOL HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM
      DUI Unit
      Interlock Unit
      CRN Evaluation Unit

 ARD PROBATION SUPERVISION

 ELECTRONIC MONITORING UNIT

 INTENSIVE DRUG UNIT (IDU)

 PRE-SENTENCE INVESTIGATION UNIT

 SAFETY BUG PROGRAM

 ADULT PROBATION FIELD CENTERS
Five neighborhood centers, identified as the McKeesport , North Side, Oakland , South Hills and Wilkinsburg offices, are responsible for the supervision of approximately nine thousand offenders. Staffed by forty officers, five supervisors and five clerks, each center endeavors to supervise parolees and probationers convicted of a wide range of offences. Emphasis is placed on offenders remaining arrest-free and on-going compliance with any special orders issued by the sentencing Judge. While most officers supervise a generalized caseload, specialized caseloads have been created for offenders convicted of domestic violence, sex related offences, and those in need of mental health treatment. These caseloads are numerically less than the norm, allowing for more frequent contact and intervention. Through a combination of experience and specific training, each officer is well versed in the issues pertinent to their offender group.

 ALCOHOL HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM

The ALCOHOL HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM (AHSP) was brought under the auspices of the Adult Probation Office in December of 1999. This office is fully responsible for the day to day running of the County's Driving Under the Influence Programs, and the coordination of efforts related to DUI with all county and state agencies as outlined under Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code.

The AHSP consists of several main components:

 COURT REPORTING NETWORK (CRN)
CRN is a computer-assisted information system that links all county DUI Programs into a comprehensive, statewide network that is designed to assist counties in the implementation and monitoring of their programs. The objective of CRN is to provide uniform evaluations of each offender, and to provide an individualized summary of that offender's DUI history, and prescreening evaluation.

The Court contracts with Great Lakes Behavioral Research Institute to provide four (4) employees that conduct the evaluation interviews. Each evaluation consists of ninety (90) questions, and takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. In the year 2001, the CRN unit completed approximately 4500 evaluations.

 ALCOHOL HIGHWAY SAFETY SCHOOL
The Alcohol Highway Safety School is an educational effort for DUI offenders that consist of a minimum of 12.5 hours of mandatory instruction. The Court also contracts with four (4) separate outside agencies to provide the education. They are Mon Yough DUI Program, Mercy Behavioral Health System, Alternatives DUI Program, and St. Francis Health Systems DUI Program. These programs also provide the DUI offender with treatment-based services that may be recommended through the CRN evaluation process.

 IGNITION INTERLOCK PROGRAM
Act 63 was enacted into law in Pennsylvania on June 27, 2000 and became effective on September 30, 2000. This Ignition Interlock legislation requires anyone convicted of their second or subsequent DUI violation, per lifetime, must have an Ignition Interlock installed on all vehicles owned by them and must apply for a new interlock restricted drivers license. A defendant who chooses not to have the interlock installed is not eligible for license restoration for an additional year.

Penn DOT has certified several manufactures of interlock equipment who in turn contract with a service provider or vendors to install and monitor this equipment. The defendants pay the full costs of this program to the vendors. Act 63 requires these vendors to then report the defendant's progress in the program and all violators to the “Court” (I.E. Parole and Probation Officers) for monitoring and enforcement. Because of a mandatory one-year suspension upon conviction of the DUI case, the vast majority of the parole and probation periods for these DUI offenders expire prior to the period of the Interlock requirement. Although County level Probation Officers are responsible to supervise this program, Act 63 provided no funding to support this requirement. In Allegheny County this could potentially require the Probation Officer to supervise up to two thousand defendants that otherwise would have no active interest with the Probation Office.

Because of the above reasons, the Allegheny County Adult Probation Office has contracted with Lifesafer Interlock Inc. to become the Ignition Interlock vendor for DUI cases in Allegheny County. By doing this, the cost of supervising these cases fall on the defendants who participate in this program and not on the court's and taxpayer's of Allegheny County. The revenue that is generated by operating the Ignition Interlock service fully cover the cost of supervising these defendants for the entire period of these restrictions.

The Ignition Interlock Unit currently in staffed by one full-time Probation Officer and one full-time technician. There are also approximately 300 cases under supervision.

 DUI TASK FORCE/SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT PROGRAM
The Adult Probation Office played a supporting role in the South Hills Region DUI Task Force by participating in the Sobriety Checkpoint Program. A sobriety checkpoint is a procedure where police officers systematically stop vehicles to determine if the vehicle and the operator are in compliance with the law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This highly visible and aggressive enforcement operation works to also deter alcohol-impaired drivers thereby reducing the number of alcohol related collisions, injuries, and deaths.

The Adult Probation office began participating in the South Hills Region Task Force in November of 2000. Generally, two or three officers assist the checkpoint coordinator, Officer Pasquale Fabozzi of the Baldwin Police Department, in the operation of the sobriety checkpoint. These officers screen drivers that are detained for possible violations for active paroles or probations. It is our hope that by our highly visible participation in the Sobriety Checkpoint Program, we will reduce the incidences of impaired driving within our offender population.

 SAFETY BUG PROGRAM
Although, providing CRN services and coordinating Alcohol Highway Safety School is the primary function of the AHSP, prevention and education programs are a necessary component. The Safety Bug is one of those programs.

The Pa. DUI Association's Safety Bug is a modified 1999 Volkswagen Beetle that has been custom engineered to demonstrate the loss of control one would experience if operating a motor vehicle in an impaired state. The “Bug,” sponsored by the Court, is provided free of charge to area high schools to help educate students about the dangers of impaired driving, and to encourage them to make healthy decisions not to drink and drive under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

The Adult Probation Office contracts with the PA DUI Association to provide the Safety Bug demonstration to 10 area High Schools. By doing so, it is estimated that we reach approximately 1,200 students per year with this important prevention effort.

 ARD PROBATION SUPERVISION
The Probation Office supervises defendants granted ARD by the District Attorneys Office in the ARD supervision unit. The ARD Program is utilized for first time offenders of non-violent crimes. Approximately 4000 cases a year are granted ARD Probation. Slightly more than half of these cases are for DUI.

These offenders are supervised by five full-time Probation Officers. Caseloads are divided by DUI cases, Non-DUI cases and Administrative supervision cases. Upon successful completion of the ARD Probation Program the offenders are granted a full dismissal of the criminal charges and expungment of all records relating to the case.

 ELECTRONIC MONITORING UNIT
The Probation Office has been supervising offenders on electronic monitoring since 1988. We currently have more than 500 offenders under supervision each month.

The Electronic Monitoring Unit is a 24/7 operation with a staff of forty-nine full and part-time personnel. The cost to Allegheny County per offender is less than $9.00 per day as compares to the $58.00 per day cost of housing that offender in the Allegheny County Jail. Our plans are to increase supervision to 580 offenders per month by January of 2004.

 INTENSIVE DRUG UNIT (IDU)
The Intensive Drug Unit focuses on serious offenders who abuse and/or sell drugs. This unit uses intensive supervision, constant drug-testing, drug treatment referrals and punitive measures (Swift Intervention Program) to impact the offender’s drug involvement as well as protect the community.

 PRE-SENTENCE INVESTIGATION UNIT
Upon receiving a request from the Court, the Pre-sentence Unit prepares a comprehensive report to use as an aid in sentencing. The pre-sentence investigators gather information to provide the Court with an overview of the criminal offense, including statements from representatives of criminal justice agencies, victims, and the defendant. Local, state, and federal agencies are contacted to provide the Court with information concerning the defendant’s juvenile and adult criminal history, and driving record, if appropriate.

To create the social history section of the report, the pre-sentence investigators may contact family members, significant others, and employers, as well as educational, medical, and mental health professionals. Military records are obtained, when they are available.