DE Probation Officers to Keep Eye on High Risk Probationers for Safe Trick or Treating
Probation Officers will hit the streets this weekend to support safe trick-or-treating and keep a watchful eye on high risk probationers, the Delaware Department of Correction announced today.
“Tens of thousands of trick-or-treaters will be out in our communities this Halloween and Probation Officers are taking action to make it a safe event for kids and their families,” Department of Correction Commissioner Monroe B. Hudson Jr. said. “This weekend we will be enforcing Halloween-related restrictions on high risk probationers to protect the public and keep offenders on the right track.”
Each year on Halloween night Probation and Parole imposes special restrictions on high risk sex offenders and sex offenders with child victims who are under Probation supervision. They require designated offenders to remain inside their homes with outside lights turned off beginning at 6:00 p.m. and prohibit them from distributing candy, participating in Halloween-related activities, or displaying Halloween decorations. Homeless sex offenders under Probation supervision are required to report to their local Probation and Parole Office or other designated location and remain there during the evening hours as a public safety measure. Additionally, dozens of Probation Officers will deploy across Delaware on Halloween to conduct hundreds of residence and curfew checks to verify that probationers are in compliance with these conditions of supervision.
The DOC’s Bureau of Community Corrections oversees probation and parole, pretrial services, the community work release program, electronic monitoring and other supervision programs for more than 10,000 individuals statewide who are housed in Work Release and Violation of Probation facilities and the statewide Community Corrections Treatment Center, or are serving probationary sentences in the community. Its 300 Probation and Parole Officers along with support staff work to reduce crime and support public safety by assessing offender risks and needs and providing responsive supervision through comprehensive evidence-based reentry-focused programs that feature substance abuse treatment, mental health services, career counseling, education and training. Bureau staff collaborate on a daily basis with medical and behavioral healthcare professionals, community organizations, service providers, state agencies, employers and the Judiciary to connect men and women under their supervision to systems of support that improve their chances of leading productive lives in our communities. They also play an active role in collaborative crime reduction initiatives, including the Group Violence Intervention project in the City of Wilmington.
