[Chat] Positive Suggestions Needed Re: Parole and Probation - Saturday!

[Crystal]

We need to come up with some positive suggestions
regarding the Parole & Probation offices. Everybody is
going to say NIMBY! (Not In My Backyard!)to having a
huge Parole & Probation Center near their house, but
the services are still needed and they have to go
somewhere. 

My impression is that the best approach would be to
set up a bunch of small neighborhood offices, rather
than a single, large, central location. Smaller
centers would be much less intrusive on a neighborhood
than one big center. For example, there could be 5
separate centers, which could be open only one day a
week, in order to save money on staff. Mondays in NW,
Tuesdays in NE, Wednesdays in the middle, Thursdays in
SW, Fridays in SE. Of course, I'm assuming that people
who need Parole & Probation Services (plus the extra
drug abuse prevention services that were proposed)
only need them once a week and that they can be
scheduled. Are you or do you know anyone who is
familiar with the actual processes and typical
schedules? Do the courts set hard dates such as "Every
Tuesday so-and-so must meet with a Parole Officer?"

There is a potential that a handful of smaller centers
could cost somewhat more in maintenance, but the costs
are likely to be balanced by savings in actually
getting people to their appointents. If the distance
and difficulty of obtaining transportation were
reduced, people would be more likely to actually go to
their appointments, reducing the need to pick them up
for violating parole, increasing the likelihood that
they would get the counseling that they need, etc.

Also, I think that the new centers should be located
on major transit lines. Not everyone has a car or can
pay for taxis.

What do you think?

Crystal

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