dayton municipal court
Probation Services

Violence, either verbal or physical, continues to invade personal relationships in society. Collaborations between domestic violence victim’s advocates and educational cognitive groups are one method utilized by Dayton Municipal Court to address this problem. In 1996, the Probation Department developed and implemented the Stopping the Violence (STV) program to instruct offenders in changing their violent destructive behaviors and how to hold themselves accountable for their actions. STV is an intensive program consisting of up to 24 weeks of weekly group sessions and strict individual appointments with probation officers. Group facilitators and probation officers continue to receive specialized domestic violence intervention training. Positive goals are continuing to occur with STV offenders who begin the program. Those offenders who complete the program gain a better understanding of negative behavior and its impact on others, and what constitutes domestic violence, plus a reduction in recidivism. A total of 170 offenders entered the STV program from January to December of 2007.

Many offenders appearing before the court and placed on probation suffer with substance abuse problems. PAC is a 15-week group, which provides education about mood altering substances and intervention techniques to prevent continued abuse. PAC is facilitated by a probation officer possessing specialized credentials in chemical abuse treatment.

Several services are under the umbrella of Psychological Services. The Life Skills support group is comprised of probationers suffering from mental health problems. This group allows these individuals to verbalize troubling times in their lives with others who have similar experiences. This group is facilitated by the court’s staff Clinical Psychologist and a doctoral student from Wright State University.

A four-week Anger Management group (AMG), facilitated by the doctoral student and a staff probation officer deals with individuals experiencing anger management issues separate from the domestic violence issues handled by STV.

Court judges have available to them mental health competency exams performed by the staff psychologist. A total of 29 competency evaluations were performed in 2007, along with 47 psychological evaluations. Individual and family therapy continues to be available to offenders by the psychologist and doctoral student.

Dayton Municipal Court continues to employ a specialized probation officer supervising the Mental Health Court Docket and Access II program participants.

Due to advanced technology available and the pattern of overcrowding which continues to plague jails nationwide, the Dayton Municipal Court implemented the Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS) active and passive system. This system allows the offender to be tracked electronically and the whereabouts can be traced and printed daily in real time. The EHDP units provide “on demand” tracking of the offender as designed by the Probation Officer to update the system every minute or every few hours of the whereabouts of the offender. The offender carries a portable cell phone unit in addition to the ankle bracelet. The cell phones allow the Probation Officer to text message or call offenders to remind them of appointments, if they are out past the curfew or in a prohibited area. The Active system alerts the Probation Officer immediately if there is a violation of the unit.

This alternate form of sentencing allows the low risk offender to remain in the home, continue to work or attend school and be confined for the schedule of time not working or attending school. This community sanction has several positive aspects: (1) the family structure can remain intact (2) educational pursuits can continue (3) lower cost of confinement versus jail placement and (4) a visual map of the offender’s travels can be printed with an aerial view. Offenders pay a fee for this service. The probation department collected $11,159.50 in EDHP fees for 2007. A total of 90 offenders were ordered into Electronic Home Detention as an alternative sentencing sanction. Additionally, courtesy supervisions were done for Vandalia Municipal Court (10), Oakwood Municipal Court (1) and Kettering Municipal
Court (1).

In March of 2006, the Dayton Municipal Court partnered with the Dayton Public Schools to offer free GED classes in the Probation Department. A teacher from Dayton Public Schools Adult Division teaches a class twice weekly for three hours. Students are taught remedial reading, math, science and writing skills. Since its inception, attendance has reached over 200 students. Each student receives a pre-test and an individualized instructional plan to assist them in achieving their educational goals. Students take the GED practice test and, once the practice test is passed, they are eligible to take the General Equivalency Diploma Exam to obtain their GED. Students who pass the GED test will be eligible to march in the end of school year commencement exercise offered by the Dayton Public School Adult Basic Education Division.

Crimes committed while under the influence of illegal substances continues to plague the criminal justice system. Thus, the probationers referred to or placed on supervised probation undergo mandatory random testing during the PSI process and length of probation. New drug testing strips were implemented, going from testing of three (3) drugs, cocaine, morphine and marijuana to five (5), cocaine, morphine, marijuana, oxycotin and methamphetamine. From results of these tests, referrals are made to inhouse or community treatment agencies.

Conviction of prostitution and solicitation related crimes mandate the offender undergo HIV testing. A collaborative effort between the Dayton Probation Department and the Montgomery County Health District is in place to make sure all offenders submit to HIV testing. Those individuals testing positive for the HIV virus are required to receive counseling and medical attention. Additionally, those offenders infected with the HIV virus must be identified to provide a measure of protection and safety to the community if they reoffend.

During 2005, Dayton Municipal Court partnered with the Center for Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (CADAS) along with The ADAMHS Board to provide inpatient substance abuse treatment for females convicted of prostitution or solicitation offenses. This is a 28-day treatment program when and, when completed, could lead to up to an additional six (6) months of aftercare treatment.

During the fiscal year 2007-2008, seven females completed the inpatient and outpatient program.

This program was designed to provide an alternate community sanction to incarceration by availing an inpatient treatment model for illegal substances abuse.

Offenders who have inflicted physical damages to a person or property, are required as a phase of restorative justice to pay restitution to those victimized by the offender. The Judiciary orders restitution to be paid through the Probation Department to the victims. A total of $71,767.26 in restitution was collected by the Probation Department in 2007 and dispensed to victims.

Since 1981, probationers have been ordered to work at numerous nonprofit agencies in the City of Dayton as part of community service. The number of nonprofit agencies utilized by the probation department has increased. A total of 724 offenders were ordered to perform community service hours by the Judiciary in 2007. These offenders assist with bulk waste collection, gardening, community centers, neighborhood cleanup, and warehouse duties.

The Guardian Interlock System has been utilized by Dayton Municipal Courts for numerous years. This system will not allow the offender to turn on the vehicle if alcohol is detected on their breath when the offender blows into the mouthpiece. This program costs the offender a total of $81.75 per month.

Due to the continuation of offenders driving without being properly licensed, the Dayton Municipal Court has instituted a “vehicle lockdown” by installing a club on the steering wheel of the vehicle as ordered by the Judiciary. The offenders pay a one time fee of $50 for this sanction

Dayton Municipal Court Probation Department collaborated with the University of Dayton to do drug tests for those students who made an infraction on/off the campus and were ordered to undergo substance abuse counseling.

Additionally, Spanish speaking students are made available to the Dayton Municipal Court Probation Department from the University of Dayton to assist the probation officers with the language interpretation of Latino offenders.

Both programs illustrate a consistent partnership between Dayton Municipal Court and the Dayton/surrounding community.