Los Angeles Probation Department opens Day Reporting Center

Los Angeles, California
11/21/2008
The Los Angeles County Probation Department has unveiled another tool to address crime and unemployment in Los Angeles County. Today a ribbon cutting ceremony took place for the first Day Reporting Center in Los Angeles.

Some of the guests inculded Los Angeles County Probation Chief Robert Taylor, newly appointed Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, representatives from Orange County Probation, and Federal Probation.

The Day Reporting Center is a unique concept whose time has come. Criminal Justice Agencies throughout the United States have adopted the Evidence Based Principles (EBP) philosophy. DRCs are rapidly becoming a fundamental supplementary component of EBP and its pursuit to establish a morerehabilitative approach. The Los Angeles County Probation Department has accepted this challenge in creating a program whose goal is to reduce recidivism amongst our high risk young adult population through EBP. Chief Taylor and departmental leadership realized that in order to insure a genuine effort is made to implement EBPs; a paradigm shift within the mindset of conventional thinking is needed. As a result, the DRC program was developed and an enormous effort has been made to insure its success. The DRC will utilize innovative techniques to facilitate its curriculum, employment & education component and the services provided by our partners. The staff at the DRC has been hand picked; taking into account their unique talents and passion.

The primary purpose of the Los Angeles County Day Reporting Center staff is to develop a program of counseling (including anger management) and instruction that addresses your individual needs. How the day reporting center staff will successfully achieve meeting the needs of day reporting participants is by using the HELP PRINCIPLE. The principle utilizes four words that support the overall objective of the DRC which is to reduce recidivism, and to help the individual not only make progress in the present but in their near and distant future.

HUMBLE

The first letter of the principle is Humble. The County has developed the DRC to work with individuals ranging in age from 18 to 25 years of age. This population is categorized as the emerging young adult population. Some of the participants will have serious felony charges that will require more intense supervision by the Probation Department. By working with this population the County has placed themselves in a HUMBLE position. The demonstration of humility, is that participants will be courteously and respectfully attended to while in the program. DRC staff will achieve this aspect of the principle by utilizing motivational interviewing tactics and techniques

EFFORT

The second letter of the principle is Effort. Without out effort no mountain can be climbed. The DRC is centrally placed in the Los Angeles inner city area. The The effort that will be given at times will be challenging, but worth it. DRC staff will make a conscious effort to help the participants achieve, by using cognitive behavioral modalities to over come previous anti-social behavior. The staff and participants will need to make an applied effort to work in groups that consist of skill streaming, anger control, and moral reasoning. When the groups are complete the program is designed to transition the participants into the work force. Before the participants are transitioned into the work force they will be provided with job readiness preparation and interviewing. The second letter of the principle is significant because without the effort of the staff and the participants no achievement will be made. The definition of effort is that staff and the participants will be accomplishing the desired Achievement of the DRC.

Lead

The third letter of the principle is Lead. The DRC is a new direction for the Probation Department. It is an effort to go in a new direction to bring about change and to reduce recidivism in Los Angeles County. The tool that the Probation Department is using is called Evidence Based Principles. By using these principles the Probation Department is allowing themselves to be lead into a different direction. Likewise at the DRC, influence and guide them into a different direction. The definition of Lead is that the Probation Department will reduce recidivism by leading the emerging youth population into a different direction that will effect the present and future generations to come.

Progress

The fourth letter of the principle is Progress. Participants in the DRC are young men that are currently on probation in the county of Los Angeles. Some are confronted with the possibility of going to a state correctional facility. The DRC is the Probation Departments tool to assist the participants with obtaining skills for life and their family. The DRC will allow the participants to grow and develop into a different human being that is pro-social and a positive contributor to the community.

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