St. Joseph`s Community Supervision Center Provides Structure and Stability for Offenders

St. Joseph`s Community Supervision Center and District One Probation and Parole Office is now open. Staff members and offenders are settling in to the new building that opened in February. The District Administrator who says the center is not a "half way house" but a facility that will keep non-violent offenders out of prison and away from your tax dollars. District Administrator Laura Hibbs says the brand new facility is kept clean by the same offenders it was built to hold. Those offenders are on probation or parole and have a history of technical violations. Hibbs said, "The center is for somebody who`s right now not appropriate for the community because of drug abuse, inability to follow rules, or hold a steady job. Those are issues we deal with here so that prison beds will be reserved for violent offenders." The dorms are filled with beds, chairs, lockers and that`s about it. The goal is to keep offenders focused on improving the issues that sent them to the center. Hibbs said, "They will be expected to get a job, pay court costs, pay restitution which is something they couldn`t do in prison." Also unlike prison there are no bars here but there is still plenty of supervision. Offenders can walk down the hall to meet with their probation or parole officers which is a new concept for the Missouri Department of Corrections. Offenders that are sent to the center are no longer switched to another probation officer. Hibbs said, "The officers have spent time with the case, they are aware of the offenders problems and it`s just a much better fit." The Community Supervision Center is one of two in Missouri that are serving as models for five more that are expected to be built. The center hopes to also help the offenders living inside get back on the right track on the outside. Starting this month the center will hold a monthly employment seminar. It will focus on application, interview and promotion skills. A health seminar will also be held monthly. It will stress the importance of getting tested and overall wellness.