Criminal
Probation Division
During the early 1970s, the Adult Probation Department was administered by the State Department of Corrections. The Opelousas City Court began funding its own misdemeanor probation department in the early 1980s. Its objective was to provide uniformed services to the court.
Purpose
The purpose of the Probation Department of the Opelousas City Court is to provide a full time adult probation officer for misdemeanor criminal, misdemeanor DWI, and traffic offendors who are referred by the Judge of the Opelousas City Court.
The probation Department provides the court with a structured correctional and crime prevention program that reduces the incidences of misdemeanor offenses by application of intense supervision.
Major Activities and Objectives
- To provide uniform services to the Opelousas City Court that are consistent with the policy, rules, and procedures of the department, applicable laws, and court decisions.
- To develop and maintain a mutual working relationship with all agencies in the criminal justice system and respective referral agencies in the community.
- To maintain a cooperative working relationship in the other courts in the handling of referrals and the sharing of apropriate information.
- To provide the court with pre-sentence investigation reports with recommendations for sentencing.
- To provide protection of society through the rehabilitation of offenders and prompt recommendations for confinement of offenders who exibit behavior that is a serious threat to themselves or others.
- To fully utilize all available community resources in helping offenders and providing opportunities for their readjustments and reentrance into the community.
- To help offenders become positive functioning members of the community who can cope with their environments in beneficial, legal, and socially acceptable manners.
- To provide the courts with accurate comprehensive reports regarding referrals and/or probationers.
- To provide the courts with written reports and/or terminations regarding the activities and recommend termination statuses of offenders referred for probation supervision.
- To provide educational and informative programs for offenders and the community that is focused on rehabilitation and crime prevention.