Agency Operations

Updated: Monday, August 10h, 2020

DCS is committed to doing our part to assist communities impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. DCS Offices are open Monday - Friday during our regular operating hours of 8:00am-4:30pm. Only staff necessary for efficient operations will occupy each office. All other officers and employees will be available by phone. To adhere with public health guidance, office visits are limited to appointments only. Temperature checks and a basic health screening is required for employees and visitors for each office. However, our internship program remains suspended and will be reevaluated at a later date. To contact a local field office, please see the following link:

• Find a Field Office

Officers and other employees are using video and telephone interactions whenever possible to remain in contact with individuals under supervision as well as other criminal justice system stakeholders. Our Community Supervision Officers (CSO) are well-trained law enforcement professionals who are allowed general discretion, within supervisory oversight, to make decisions that are in the best interest of public safety as well as offender reentry. Accordingly, the following topics offer general information on how DCS has modified our operations to ensure community supervision and reentry services are provided in a manner that protects our communities and provides for the safety of our employees:

Individuals under supervision experiencing difficulty to pay have been instructed to contact their CSO. Our officers are working with offenders to ensure compliance while keeping in mind the hardship that many are facing as a result of the current situation. DCS offers individuals under our supervision a concise, one-page hardship exemption application for addressing requests to waive fee payments. The application is reviewed by the Court or Chief CSO for response as appropriate. Individuals under supervision may appeal a chief's decision to the district director. 

Special conditions are unique to each individual under supervision. As such, DCS will continue to allow for officer discretion in determining whether or not an offender can reasonably be expected to comply with all special conditions. 

Reporting is only required for specific reasons as appropriate to ensure public safety and offender well-being. In-person reporting is limited to appointment only to ensure that DCS is compliant with social distancing regulations. This reporting method will continue to be our practice until such time as it is reasonably considered safe to do otherwise.

Our counseling programs and a host of other essential treatment services are now being delivered digitally. All Day Reporting Centers and Field Office counselors have created a local virtual programming schedule to ensure participants can overcome any connectivity issues and remain engaged. 

DCS has NO authority to enforce conditions for individuals sentenced to misdemeanor probation. Misdemeanor probation providers maintain processes that are decided by the local governing authorities and not DCS’ Misdemeanor Probation Oversight Unit. Any concerns regarding misdemeanor probation should be directed to the local misdemeanor probation office.

The DCS Team is committed to staying at the forefront of this fight. During this challenging time, we have a responsibility to each other to adhere to the most current updates from the appropriate officials. To stay informed of current updates, please visit the links provided to the side.