Specialized Services Unit

The focus of this program is convicted, non-violent  “A Level 3 and 4” offenses as defined by the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing.  

Eligibility for the DAPP Program is the same as that for the Electronic Monitoring Program. Participants must be assessed as drug- or alcohol-dependent and must receive a Restrictive Punishment Sentence to participate in the DAPP Program. Restrictive Punishment sentences can include work release, electronic monitoring, intensive supervision, secure treatment facilities or any combination of these to satisfy the Restrictive Intermediate Punishment component.

The unique aspect of this program combines the efforts of a dedicated Drug and Alcohol Intensive Case Manager (ICM), a dedicated and experienced Probation Officer, and local treatment providers, into a single collaborative team that supports and monitors offenders in the community. The DAPP Probation Officer supervises the participant through the Electronic Monitoring and Intensive Supervision phases and also into the enhanced phase if the recommended treatment programming is not complete by the end of the Intensive phase.

Offenders placed in this program are strictly monitored by the DAPP officer and must report on a weekly basis. The DAPP team maintains regular contact with the offender, employer, treatment providers, and family in an effort to promote a stable living and working environment for the offender. Monitoring of behavior and community involvement, coupled with increased offender contact and frequent drug and alcohol testing, allows the DAPP team to proactively address issues that may arise in the offender’s life.

The Franklin County Community Services Program was implemented as a direct response to an overcrowding problem that was evident at the Franklin County Jail and the need for more constructive alternatives to incarceration.

The program began in September 1992 with the aid of a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Offenders began to complete community service hours in December 1992, as the courts began to take advantage of the new Sentencing Option.  Influenced by departmental changes and trends in sentencing, the program continues to evolve as a viable sentencing alternative for offenders in lieu of incarceration.

The Community Service Coordinator maintains the program and an active list of non-profit, not-for-profit organizations and local government agencies to be utilized by program participants. The participant is responsible for contacting and making the appropriate arrangements with the agency that they select to complete their court-ordered hours. The coordinator will provide assistance on an as-needed basis or when requested. The coordinator maintains and facilitates the roadside trash collection program, which is available as an option for participants, as well as making arrangements for local agencies and organizations to receive requested volunteer assistance for special projects and events.

The coordinator acts as a liaison between the department and agency, answering any questions and addressing any concerns of the agencies in utilizing program participants. The coordinator then collects, records and compiles statistics relating to the program’s usage.

The participant’s supervising probation officer is tasked with reviewing and providing copies of the community service program rules and timesheets. Participants are instructed that the court-ordered hours must be completed within one half of the time they are on supervision for the criminal case requiring the community service stipulation, barring unforeseen circumstances which may allow exceptions.

If the participant does not complete the hours within the specified time, his or her case may be listed for violation proceedings for failure to complete the requirement.

This program consists of a single officer whose sole job is to closely supervise the unique segment of the probation and parole clientele that displays mental health and intellectual disability needs.

The first focus of this program is to protect the community and the offender. The second focus of this program is to provide a structured level of close supervision to probation and parole clientele that display mental health and intellectual disability needs. This program combines close supervision with an effective treatment program, working in tandem with local community resources and mental health treatment programs.

The Franklin County Sexual Offenders Program supervises offenders who have committed sexual offenses in Franklin County and offenders who are currently Franklin County residents who were convicted of sexual offenses in other counties. These cases are managed by providing surveillance, monitoring and treatment.

The probation and parole officer works in conjunction with treatment providers to assist in re-educating the offender. The officer assesses the overall status of the offender for specialized treatment and intervention needs, develops and implements intervention strategies necessary to reduce criminal behavior, and meets regularly with offenders in the office and in the community.

The officer also monitors the progress of offenders in treatment or therapy, prepares court-ordered pre-sentence investigation reports, schedules violation hearings, and performs duties related to Megan’s Law DNA requirements.

The Good Wolf Treatment Court of Franklin County is a court-supervised drug treatment program for non-violent individuals with a substance use problem. The mission of the Good Wolf Treatment Court of Franklin County is to promote public safety by providing accountability and support for sobriety and recovery for criminal defendants. The aim is to assist participants in regaining health, forging supportive personal relationships, and creating a prosocial life that ends the cycle of addiction and recidivism. Refer to the Good Wolf Treatment Court Handbook for more detailed information.

The probation officers who are performing the duties of “intake” are responsible for meeting with court-supervised individuals at their initial appointments. During these sessions, a risk needs assessment is conducted. Based on the individual’s score, he or she is assigned to a probation officer. Those who score low and are considered to have low risk are then assigned to the intake officers’ caseloads. These caseloads have been structured to accommodate a larger number of low-risk individuals with reduced reporting standards. This approach enables line officers to focus their efforts on a smaller number of moderate to high-risk individuals, providing them with more time and resources to assist in completing special conditions and case plans.

Court-supervised individuals have the opportunity to have their cases transferred out of county or out of state (on a case-by-case basis) to better accommodate their needs. Individuals must have a stable, supportive home environment and score moderate to low high-risk on their risk needs assessment.

For an individual to be eligible to have his or her case transferred to another state for supervision, he

The Electronic Monitoring and Intensive Supervision programs provide a middle ground between incarceration and traditional probation and parole.

The emphasis of these programs is to divert some offenders who might otherwise be incarcerated in the Franklin County Jail to an electronic monitoring or intense supervision status that would provide both protection to the community and allow the offender to take advantage of community-based programs of treatment. Offenders who have violated regular supervision rules may be placed on the Intensive Supervision Program for a brief period of time in lieu of further violation proceedings from the court.

The offender is subject to intense monitoring of their activities during his or her stay on these programs. The offender is able to participate in positive activities that give him or her feelings of accomplishment in the community. The offender’s freedom to move about in the community is restricted and his or her activities monitored on a regular basis.

Offenders on the program are assessed as to their treatment needs, and a plan to meet those needs is established. Offenders on the program are required to attend all treatment programs that are indicated as necessary for the needs of the offender. Available resources in the community are utilized to aid the offender in reintegrating himself or herself into society and to lead a life of law-abiding behavior.

Franklin County also utilizes SCRAM (Self-Contained Remote Alcohol Monitoring) EM units, designed to monitor alcohol use in those offenders that have demonstrated difficulty in curtailing alcohol consumption.