Automated Probation System Used in Dallas
A pilot program permitting allegedly low-risk offenders to check in with an automated system rather than Dallas County probation officers has been set up in Dallas.
The probation kiosk program was instituted last year with the goal of using machines, not personnel, to monitor offenders considered small threats to society — leaving more officers free to supervise high-risk probationers. The system could save labor costs while also giving the department increased funds to hire additional officers for higher-risk individuals, said Jim Mills, the probation department’s interim director.
But a probation office database showed that, of the 900 offenders who have used the system so far, nearly half were on probation for driving while intoxicated, and 20 had been convicted of drunken driving at least three times, making them felons. The Dallas Morning-News reported Sunday that about half of the offenders using the kiosk also were on probation for other felonies, including drug dealing, burglary, engaging in organized crime and robbery.
The officers’ union said in a statement that it worried about the system’s use, despite the potential benefits. Read the rest of this entry »