Community Justice Support Centers are part of the Massachusetts Probation Service’s mission to keep communities safe.
Support Centers provide services and support to people who are in the criminal justice system, but outside of jail or prison.
Community Justice Support Center
Mission
Community Justice Support Centers are part of the Massachusetts Probation Service’s mission to keep communities safe. The Support Centers provide services and support to people in the community instead of jail or prison.
Community Justice Support Centers (Support Centers) provide services and support to people in the criminal justice system. Support Centers help clients get treatment for substance use disorders (SUD), develop decision-making skills, identify career opportunities, further their education, and make connections to the community. Research shows that programs focused on these need areas keep communities safe at a lower cost than jail and prison.
Services include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Treatment to address decision-making and SUD
- Education such as GED/HiSET and college preparation, life skills, financial literacy, and computer and technology basics
- Career counseling to develop resumes, training opportunities, and resources to pursue a career
Support Centers respond to clients’ needs by:
- supporting survivors of trauma,
- delivering services in languages other than English,
- helping those that are struggling with housing or food insecurity, and
- addressing any other barriers to success that clients may face.
Support Centers are staffed by community-based providers that work with the client to develop a plan to address the client’s needs and prepare them for success.
Pathways
Support Centers are staffed by community-based providers that work with the client to develop a plan to address the client’s needs and prepare them for success.
Intensive Supervision with Treatment (IST)
IST combines services such as treatment, education, and employment counseling, with accountability measures such as drug and alcohol screening, community service, electronic monitoring, and day reporting. The court can order IST instead of incarceration.
Pretrial Service Program (PSP)
Sometimes a person needs support to ensure they will return to court. Instead of placing them in jail, the court may order them to attend the PSP at the Support Center. PSP will help them understand when they must be in court, check in with them periodically, and help them connect with resources they may need to stay safe and stable in the community.
Pretrial Treatment (PT)
If a person comes to court in immediate need of treatment for SUD, education, or career counseling, that person, after talking to their attorney, can ask the judge to order them to PT instead of jail. PT will include all the services and support available through IST but during the pretrial phase of the case. Sometimes, if a client does well in PT, the case can be resolved faster.
Standard Probation Supervision
When a person is placed on probation, they are often given obligations to fulfill. For example, the court may order a person to obtain employment or complete a GED or HiSET. If the probation officer (PO) determines the client to be at moderate or high risk to fail on probation, the PO can refer them to the Support Center for help in fulfilling obligations.
Community Service Program
Courts sometimes require people do community service to mend the community for harm that they have caused. Community service is also an important part of helping people make positive connections, learn new skills, and feel a sense of achievement for a job well done. Support Centers help people identify projects they can do through the Community Service Program.
Re-Entry Services Program
When a person is released from jail, house of correction or prison, they face many challenges to getting their life back on track. The Support Center is available to help any person returning to the community after incarceration. Center staff can help clients access healthcare, SUD treatment, educational opportunities, housing, career counseling, and any other services that may help them succeed.
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