Appropriateness Statement Outline
Gang-Involved:Individuals who are associated with gangs
General Violence:
Individuals who have committed general violent offenses (e.g., assault, robbery, etc.)
Intimate Partner Violence:
Individuals who have committed intimate partner violence
Serious Mental Illness:
Individuals with substance use disorder
Substance Use Disorders:
SUD clients are often mandated to undertake treatment services. Because of this, officers should be hesitant in increasing the frequency of contact in order to not overwhelm their clients. Officers can monitor clients’ participation in programming through collateral contacts or use less time-intensive contacts (e.g., phone, email) instead of making them come into the office more frequently.
Types of Contacts
Gang-Involved:Same as the general population
General Violence:
Same as the general population
Intimate Partner Violence:
If the officer can ensure that clients convicted of intimate partner violence do not have inappropriate contact with their victim(s), there are no significant concerns with kiosk reporting or telephone contacts.
Serious Mental Illness:
Some clients with serious mental illness may experience periodic psychosis or other conditions that make it difficult for them to check in using technology (e.g., kiosk reporting).
Substance Use Disorders:
Many officers are concerned that clients with substance use disorder will have greater ability to use narcotics if they do not meet face-to-face. When feasible, kiosk or telephone contacts should be mixed with face-to-face contacts for these clients.
Frequency of Contact
Gang-Involved:Gang-involved clients are often considered to be more dangerous and placed at a higher risk level per department guidelines. If a client is placed on a higher risk level than their risk assessment would normally prescribe, the officer should initiate a conversation about the reasons for this decision.
General Violence:
None
Intimate Partner Violence:
IPV clients are more likely to have less criminal history than other special populations (e.g., general violence). Thus, IPV clients may be placed at a lower risk level and prescribed less frequent contact. Officers should always prioritize the protection of the victim, increasing the frequency of contact with a client who is a danger to their partner.
Serious Mental Illness:
Clients with serious mental illnesses are more likely to have more complicated risk/needs profiles. Addressing these needs requires more intervention but officers should be wary of overwhelming their client by increasing the frequency of in-person contacts. Officers can use less time-intensive contacts (e.g., phone, Zoom, email) to stay up-to- date with their clients.
Substance Use Disorders:
SUD clients are often mandated to undertake treatment services. Because of this, officers should be hesitant in increasing the frequency of contact in order to not overwhelm their clients. Officers can monitor clients’ participation in programming through collateral contacts or use less time-intensive contacts (e.g., phone, email) instead of making them come into the office more frequently.
Collateral and Employer Contacts
Gang-Involved:Individuals who are gang-involved may be more sensitive to the stigmatizing effects of collateral or employer contacts. Officer should take special care to discuss these contacts with the client before making them. Developing transparent working relationships with the family of a gang-involved client may be more difficult due to negative feelings toward law enforcement.
General Violence:
N/A
Intimate Partner Violence:
It is important that the officer has an open line of communication with the victim of their client’s IPV case. This will allow the officer to be notified if their client is breaking the conditions of their supervision by inappropriately contacting their victim.
Serious Mental Illness:
Clients diagnosed with serious mental illnesses are more likely to have more complicated risk/need profiles. As such, these clients will need increased intervention to be successful. Officers should develop communication lines with a client’s service providers to stay current with their client’s progress with treatment. Officers should also be careful when making collateral contacts with the family as many clients with SMI have complicated family dynamics.
Substance Use Disorders:
Officers should develop working relationships with any service provider their client is using for SUD treatment. Open communication with these contacts can offer officers important information on their client’s progress. Officers should also establish a relationship with the family of their client with an SUD. Family may be able to spot troubling behavior between regular contacts and inform the officer.
Drug Testing
Gang-Involved:Officers should work with gang-involved clients to determine the extent to which gang-involved peers may contribute to the client’s use of substances in the event of a positive drug test.
General Violence:
Certain patterns of drug and alcohol use may amplify aggression and violent behavior.
Intimate Partner Violence:
Clients with a history of IPV are more likely to report a history of substance use than clients who commit general violence offenses. Officers should be aware of this and consider whether a positive drug test is evidence of an underlying substance use disorder.
Serious Mental Illness:
Many clients with serious mental illness also struggle with substance use disorder, and they may use substances to self-medicate. Officers should consider this when deciding how to respond to positive drug tests, since clients with serious mental illness who test positive may not be willfully rejecting the conditions of probation by using drugs and therefore sanctions may have little impact.
Substance Use Disorders:
Most people with SUD relapse multiple times before recovery. Clients with SUD may be on the road to recovery even if they relapse and test positive.
Electronic Monitoring
Gang-Involved:EM can be used to limit a gang-involved client from frequenting areas where they are most likely to spend time with fellow gang members or other delinquent peers.
General Violence:
None
Intimate Partner Violence:
EM can be used in accompaniment with restraining orders to ensure compliance. EM can also be used to limit a client’s movement away from areas where their victim frequents (i.e., home, place of work).
Serious Mental Illness:
Individuals who have SMI may have increased difficulty both affording and complying with the conditions of EM.
Substance Use Disorders:
None
Financial Restrictions
Gang-Involved:None
General Violence:
None
Intimate Partner Violence:
None
Serious Mental Illness:
None
Substance Use Disorders:
None
House Arrest
Gang-Involved:Individuals in gangs are less likely to live in healthy and stable housing situations. If a gang-involved client is eligible, house arrest could keep them off the streets and away from delinquent peers. Consequently, officers should be open to house arrest as an alternative sanction only if the client has the proper housing situation.
General Violence:
None
Intimate Partner Violence:
Officers should do a thorough investigation of the status of the household before placing an individual with a history of IPV on house arrest. House arrest should only be used in situations where the officer feels confident it will not lead to further violence or abuse.
Serious Mental Illness:
None
Substance Use Disorders:
House arrest can keep clients with a substance use disorder off the streets at night and away from delinquent peers who may influence them to use.
Phone-Based Monitoring
Gang-Involved:Some departments automatically place gang-involved clients on at least medium-risk to increase supervision. These departments resist replacing face-to-face contacts with phone-based monitoring. There is no evidence supporting this practice.
General Violence:
Some departments automatically place violent clients on at least medium-risk to increase supervision. These departments will resist replacing face-to-face contacts with phone-based monitoring. There is no evidence supporting this practice.
Intimate Partner Violence:
Some departments automatically place IPV clients on at least medium-risk to increase supervision. These departments will resist replacing face-to-face contacts with phone-based monitoring. There is no evidence supporting this practice.
Serious Mental Illness:
Some departments automatically place SMI clients on at least medium-risk in order to increase supervision. These departments will resist replacing face-to-face contacts with phone-based monitoring. There is no evidence supporting this practice.
Substance Use Disorders:
None
Restraining Orders
Gang-Involved:None
General Violence:
None
Intimate Partner Violence:
Restraining orders can potentially illicit negative responses from clients. Clients may be angered by the order and seek revenge or break the order in an attempt to reconcile with the victim. Victims can also seek contact with the client despite the order being in place.
Serious Mental Illness:
None
Substance Use Disorders:
None
Anger Management
Gang-Involved:Anger management may be less effective at preventing gang-related violence, since this form of violence is often motivated by survival needs and aggression instead of emotional responses.
General Violence:
Because it develops communication skills, anger management can be particularly effective with individuals who have committed violent crimes resulting from difficult situations.
Intimate Partner Violence:
Anger management may not be effective at preventing intimate partner violence, possibly because this form of behavior relates more to domination and control than to managing emotions.
Serious Mental Illness:
It is important to determine whether violent behavior is due to difficulty regulating emotions, the influence of substances, or both, because anger-management programs may be less effective with individuals who abuse substances like alcohol.
Substance Use Disorders:
SUD clients are often mandated to undertake treatment services. Because of this, officers should be hesitant in increasing the frequency of contact in order to not overwhelm their clients. Officers can monitor clients’ participation in programming through collateral contacts or use less time-intensive contacts (e.g., phone, email) instead of making them come into the office more frequently.
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