21Jul
Happy Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week!
CSOSA is excited to join the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) and agencies all around the country to mark Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision (PPPS) Week. Now in its 25th year, PPPS Week is celebrated annually during the third full calendar week of July. It’s an opportunity to honor the achievements of community corrections professionals around the country. This year’s PPPS Week is July 21 through 27.
This year’s theme – Wellness Unveiled: Navigating the Journey – emphasizes the importance of taking care of your mental and emotional health.
The work of a community corrections professional requires a high level of compassion and empathy. Over time, elevated emotional demands and pressures associated with difficult and challenging work can negatively impact health and wellbeing, placing workers at risk for compassion fatigue and burnout. With this year’s theme, we are reminded that taking care of others requires taking care of oneself.
In the Congressional Record, Congressperson Eleanor Holmes Norton recognized “the Nation’s community supervision professionals, who are dedicated public servants and perform many vital roles in their work with justice-involved adults and juveniles. Community supervision professionals identify opportunities and services to help justice-involved individuals contribute to society, while holding them accountable for their actions. They remain mindful of their role in protecting public safety.”
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a proclamation in honor of PPPS Week, noting that “the exemplary work of community corrections professionals is an essential component of the District’s justice system and plays a vital role in making the District of Columbia safer for residents and visitors.”
“CSOSA drives significant, positive changes in the lives of the people we supervise and the communities we serve. It is challenging work.” said CSOSA Director Richard S. Tischner. “The impact we have in making the District a safer place to live, work, and visit is only possible through the perseverance, commitment, and dedication of our staff.”
CSOSA salutes our dedicated staff in the Office of Community Supervision & Intervention Services and Office of Behavioral Interventions, and that of the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia (PSA). This PPPS Week and beyond we hope all community corrections professionals will prioritize improving wellness, building resiliency, and finding balance.
Click the image above to view the Congressional Record entry.
Click the image above to view the Mayoral Proclamation.
06May
Celebrating Public Service Recognition Week 2024
It’s Public Service Recognition Week! CSOSA is honored to celebrate and express gratitude to its employees for all they do. Celebrated the first full week in May since 1985, Public Service Recognition Week honors the people who serve our nation as federal, state, county, local, and tribal government employees.
In a Proclamation on Public Service Recognition Week, President Biden said “Our Nation’s over 20 million public servants work hard to deliver for our families, communities, and country. Their work matters to people’s everyday lives: They keep neighborhoods safe and the buses running, and build futures for people in their hometowns. They are the lifeblood of our democracy, acting as brave first responders, election workers, and service members defending our country. This week, we recognize our Nation’s public servants, who do the humble yet critical work of keeping our country running.”
Each day, CSOSA employees make the decision to build a better District of Columbia and change people’s lives by working for this agency. The positive impact CSOSA has on individual lives and the community at large would not be possible without the effort of every team member in every area of the agency—whether they work with supervisees directly, or in a position that supports the functioning of the agency.
CSOSA Director Richard S. Tischner joins the heads of other federal agencies in recognizing the valuable contributions of those who have dedicated themselves to public service in the Public Service Recognition Week Co-Chair Letter.
16Jul
Celebrating Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week
July 16-22 is Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision (PPPS) Week! Now in its 23rd year, PPPS Week celebrates and honors the achievements of community corrections professionals nationwide.
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) joins the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) in saluting the dedication and commitment of the individuals in CSOSA’s Office of Community Supervision & Intervention Services and Office of Behavioral Interventions, as well as the supervision professionals of our sister agency, Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia (PSA).
This year’s PPPS Week theme, Stronger Together, acknowledges that success is achieved through unity. When supervision agencies, criminal justice organizations, and community partners align, our collective goals become more attainable. Together we can positively impact public safety and help justice-involved individuals reach their full potential.
CSOSA supervision staff do important, challenging work. They make meaningful, human connections with supervisees. They use evidence-based practices to develop individualized supervision plans for the best possible outcomes. They ensure supervisees have access to appropriate community-based services. CSOSA staff see potential and capacity for change in all individuals. Their hard work and perseverance transform lives and ultimately make the District a safer place to live, work, and visit.
To learn more about PPPS Week, visit APPA’s website.
10Jan
Community Resource Days and Resource Fairs: Connecting Supervisees to Critical Services
CSOSA believes strategic partnerships with public and private entities—including local organizations, city government, criminal justice agencies, the faith community, and individual citizens—are critical to facilitating successful reintegration. The agency is committed to ensuring individuals under its supervision have meaningful access to the services that will help them reach their full potential.
This access begins before release from incarceration. In conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), CSOSA’s Office of Intergovernmental and Public Affairs (OLIPA) holds quarterly Community Resource Day Videoconferences to help DC inmates prepare for release.
The videoconferences are broadcast to BOP facilities across the country. Participants, who are 60 to 90 days from release, hear presentations from DC organizations, law enforcement, and government agencies on the services available to them as returning citizens. They are provided the opportunity to ask questions and learn more from CSOSA and its community partners. Most importantly, participants receive a booklet containing local contacts and up-to-date program information to assist them in transitioning from incarceration to their return home in the District.
Once an individual begins CSOSA supervision, one meaningful way they are connected to the community is through resource fairs. Community Supervision Officers (CSOs) use resource fairs to educate supervisees on the services available to them through community partners. The fairs also help supervisees connect with potential mentors and employers, build relationships, and establish a support system.
At these in-person events, supervisees have the opportunity to engage directly with CSOSA community partners. Those partners in attendance typically provide services related to housing, education, employment, life skills, and mental health. However, like the supervision program itself, CSOSA resource fairs are tailored to address the current needs of the supervised population. CSOs, with assistance from OLIPA, may organize a resource fair that’s broad in scope or one focused on a specific topic.
CSOSA strives to be a model community supervision agency that is recognized for positively impacting individuals under its supervision and for improving public safety. In fiscal year 2021, 75% of CSOSA supervisees successfully completed their supervision. A key contributor to this success is the work of CSOSA community partners, who help supervisees create stability and connections to their community in conjunction with the dedication, guidance, coaching, and perseverance of CSOSA staff who work daily with supervisees.
