Probation

Del Norte County Probation Department

Please call 707-464-7215 prior to coming to the department lobby and you will receive instructions on how and when to report.

What is Probation?  A Community Alternative to Incarceration.
Probation is the supervision of criminal offenders in the community by probation officers. The decision to place an adult offender convicted of a misdemeanor or felony crime on probation is made by a trial court judge. A probation sentence is often given to a convicted offender in lieu of incarceration (such as in state prison), thus allowing the guilty offender to remain in the community under certain court-imposed conditions. In addition to community supervision, probation frequently includes a commitment to serve some time in jail, participation in treatment and rehabilitation programs, the payment of restitution to crime victims, and other conditions. Judges have significant discretion over when to sentence an offender to probation and generally make that determination based on various factors, such as the nature of the offense and the offender's criminal history.

Duties of the Probation Department
Roles and responsibilities of the Probation Department are several and of statutory origin:

i.     Investigates and makes recommendations to the courts relative to the sentencing of individuals convicted of crime;

ii.     Assumes responsibility for supervision of those persons who are placed on supervision and returned to the community;

iii.    Interacts with the offender for purposes of deterring them from re-offending and encouraging their rehabilitation;

iv.    Keeps complete and accurate records of results of supervision and reports promptly and accurately to the court the results of supervision and any violation of court orders or the terms and conditions of supervision;

v.     Receives referrals from law enforcement about allegedly delinquent or beyond-control minors, evaluates and processes those referrals for purposes of either referring those cases for services or to the District Attorney for filing a petition for intervention by the Juvenile Court, manages the County's juvenile detention/residential treatment facilities and home supervision program. 

The Del Norte County Probation Department is an integral part of the justice system. We are committed to ensuring and maintaining a safe community by providing and enhancing a coordinated level of service and programs designed to lessen the impact and recurrence of crime, and to protect and serve the people of Del Norte County.

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