Responsibilities

Offenders are required to meet certain responsibilities ordered by the court. While the responsibilities vary from offender to offender, they may include submitting urinalysis, attending treatment, etc. These responsibilities need to be prioritized based on importance. Prioritizing is a difficult task, but it helps drive case plans. Prioritization includes looking at the different responsibilities and placing these responsibilities in order of importance. Doing this helps drive the supervision process by keeping the focus on the issues that are problem areas for every offender. The key is that not all court orders need to be addressed at the same time.

Interests

Ascertaining an offender's interests can assist staff by providing an opportunity for engagement. Beginning with an offender's interests is a great way to involve him/her and grab his/her attention quickly. Every contact with an offender is an opportunity to find cues about issues they care about - job, sobriety, children, friends, etc. Once interests are identified, they need to be prioritized to engage the offender by focusing on interests and incorporating them into a case plan. Effective communication skills (and motivational interviewing) will engage offenders. and enable more information to be gathered.