Type “definition of success” into an Internet search tool and you are bound to get a wide-ranging variety of responses. Regardless of how you define success, many find that the path to achieving it is not a straight line. Persevering in the face of obstacles and setbacks is critical. We acknowledge that while every path to success does not look the same, for justice-involved individuals, close supervision, as needed, and access to resources to address stabilization and criminogenic needs help to smooth the path to successfully completing supervision.

CSOSA’s mission is to effectively supervise adults under our jurisdiction to enhance public safety, reduce recidivism, support the fair administration of justice, and promote accountability, inclusion and success through the implementation of evidence-based practices in close collaboration with our criminal justice partners and the community. In doing this work, we remain steadfast to our guiding principles of community, accountability, justice.

Watch the video to learn about some of the challenges Robert Butler has faced on his journey to successfully reintegrate into the community. Read more about how CSOSA partners with the District of Columbia’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) on the Pathways Ambassador program in our article on Pathways to Supervision Success.

We are once again joining the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) and a host of other agencies in recognizing members of the community corrections and supervision workforce during this year’s Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week (PPPS Week) – July 21 to July 27, 2019.

During this PPPS Week, community corrections professionals are encouraged to consider the theme of APPA’s upcoming Annual Training Institute – Passion, Courage, and Endurance: Transforming Community Corrections. According to APPA Executive Director Veronica Cunningham, this theme “speaks to the noteworthy changes to the adult and juvenile justice systems, not just from an infrastructure, operations, or programmatic perspective, but also with a renewed look at employee engagement, professional development, and health and wellness strategies for community corrections employees.”

On Thursday, July 18, 2019, the Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia’s Delegate to the House of Representatives, acknowledged in the Congressional Record that “[t]he work of [community supervision] professionals ultimately results in stronger and safer communities for all.” Norton went on to note that, beyond providing close supervision and striving to reduce recidivism, community supervision professionals connect those we supervise to supportive services, community-based resources, and programs that help them successfully complete supervision.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a mayoral proclamation in honor of PPPS Week, noting that CSOSA and PSA partner with other agencies to promote successful reentry, reduce recidivism, and prevent crime. DC Councilmember-at-Large Anita Bonds thanked CSOSA and PSA for “closely supervising justice-involved individuals within the District of Columbia with dignity, compassion, and an eye towards reintegration in the community.”

Here at CSOSA, we are grateful for our Community Supervision Officers who work tirelessly to positively impact public safety in the District of Columbia. We recognize the hard work of the Pretrial Supervision Officers of our sister agency, the Pretrial Services Agency. We acknowledge and are grateful to all those who make it possible for our supervision officers to effectively enhance public safety for those who live, work, and play in this city.

CSOSA Director Richard Tischner said, “the employees at CSOSA save lives – we do this by helping individuals make positive choices, holding others and ourselves accountable for actions, building partnerships that transform our community, and working together as a team united by our critical public safety mission. Our jobs may not be easy – we often must deal with difficult people, situations, and circumstances, and much of the change we aim to achieve is incremental, sometimes uncertain, and often without acclaim. I just wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for your dedication and emphasize the tremendous importance and value of your work. I recognize that CSOSA’s greatest resource is you. Thank you for your ideas, expertise, passion, energy, and your continued commitment to enhancing public safety and saving lives.”