Overview of Probation

Adult Probation is a branch of the St. Joseph County Courts  that supervises pretrial releases, felony level offenders and misdemeanor level offenders who have been approved to serve their sentences on probation and remain in the community. Probation services are tailored to the individual offender, and can include required counseling, substance abuse treatment, job training and community service. The Probation Department is also responsible for the collection and distribution of client funds, and the management of records related to the duties it performs.

Court Substance Abuse Program  

CSAP exists to assess the chemical health and refer defendants to specified drug and alcohol education or treatment. It is the philosophy of CSAP that timely assessment and referral to educational and/or therapeutic intervention increases the likelihood of breaking the addition cycle, decreasing a defendant’s risk to recidivate, promoting a pro-social lifestyle and consequently a safer community.

The purpose of CSAP is to serve the St. Joseph Superior and Circuit Courts in the promotion of a safer community through a full bio-psycho-social assessment and referral of alcohol and drug-abusing offenders to the appropriate educational and/or therapeutic intervention, while upholding an ethical responsibility to help clients alleviate problematic areas in their lives that may exacerbate substance abuse.

Drug Court 

It is the Mission of the St. Joseph County Drug Court program to provide non-violent substance abusing offenders an opportunity to reverse the destructive effects of drug abuse on the quality of their lives, and upon the health and safety of the Community.

It is the philosophy of the Drug Court that long-term sobriety requires not only quality substance programming, but also the prospects for an improved quality of life through increased education, employ ability, and the support of a committed sober community.

Veterans Treatment Court Mission
The mission of the Veterans Treatment Court is to provide a coordinated community response to justice involved Veterans through collaboration with the veterans’ service delivery system and the criminal justice system. The Court seeks to provide a means to successfully rehabilitate veterans by diverting them from the traditional criminal justice system and providing them with the tools they need to lead a productive and law-abiding life through treatment, rehabilitative programming, reinforcement and judicial monitoring.