urt on a criminal, instead of jail, which allows the offender to serve the sentence while not actually being locked away. It is not feasible to imprison all criminals. Probation is cost effective and budget management. The Probation Department assists the different courts not only by helping to identify suitable candidates for probation, but also by recommending appropriate sentences to be placed on them, including time in jail, fines, and community service. The department also helps identify those persons who are not suitable for probation by providing information to the court to justify their removal from the community. Once probation probationis ordered, the Probation Officer designs an appropriate supervision plan for each offender, which guides the offender toward accepting the responsibilities of being a law-abiding citizen. In Los Angeles County, the Probation Department is assigned to operate juvenile halls, which are temporary detention facilities for juveniles from the time of arrest through their court hearings. I went on to ask Officer Armstrong what is your mission. The mission of the probation department is to advise and implement court ordered sanctions for probationers, including the incarceration of juvenile offenders and the arrest of adult offenders; provide management and monitoring of probationers; prevent and reduce criminal activity by developing and implementing strategies from early intervention through suppression. Proactively seek-out and maximize all opportunities to positively impact the behavior of probationers by providing them with educational and vocational services, and access to health and mental health services that will build upon the strengths and capabilities of probationers, their families, and communities.Officer Armstrong suggested that the size of the Department was considerably large. Armstrong went on to suggest this was due to the many various programs. One such program is Community Law Enfo...
