Programs, Services and Specialty Courts

Intermediate Sanctions Program (ISP)

The Intermediate Sanctions Program (ISP) provides the courts with an effective alternative to revoking and sentencing high and medium-risk felony offenders for non-compliance with the court-ordered conditions/terms of community supervision. The program provides intensive, field-oriented supervision for the target population. Referrals for ISP may be Court ordered as a result of a violation report, pre-motion, or motion to revoke probation (MTRP), or after the offender's MTRP hearing. Judges may also choose to mandate ISP as an original condition for those offenders with prior offenses/probations, in lieu of incarceration.

Requirements for the program:

High and medium-risk felony offenders are targeted;
Must be a resident of Bexar County;
Any in-patient programs must be completed prior to admittance to ISP;
Offenders should not be pending the disposition of any court action at the time of transfer.

Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility (SAFPF) Aftercare

The SAFPF aftercare program represents one of the most innovative measures to address the root cause of most criminal behavior: alcohol and drug abuse. The SAFPF aftercare program is designed to provide a safe re-entry transition and continuum of services for offenders released from SAFPF and TTC. The goal of the aftercare unit is to transition the offender back into society while assisting with resources to aid in maintaining a pro-social and substance-free lifestyle.

Requirements for the program:

High risk/high need offenders are targeted;
Substance abuse significantly contributed to the commission of the offense or violation of community supervision and previous treatment efforts have been unsuccessful;
Must meet legislative and administrative criteria for admission (Felony offenders only, sex offenders are not eligible);
The program must be suitable for the offender - a Treatment Alternatives to Incarceration Program (TAIP) assessment is utilized in Bexar County to determine the offender's appropriateness for treatment;
Offenders must be physically and mentally capable of uninterrupted participation in a rigorous, stressful, and confrontational therapeutic community program.

Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU)

SOMU is a specialized unit responsible for the community supervision of adult sex offenders and determinant sentence juveniles. The mission of the unit is to enhance community protection and victim safety while facilitating positive behavioral change in its offender population. SOMU operates the program consistent with TDCJ-CJAD standards section 163.38 Sex Offender Supervision. Eligible and court-ordered sex offenders are placed directly into the program upon being granted probation.

Standard sex offender conditions include:

Registration as a sex offender;
Attendance, participation, and completion of a sex offender treatment program;
Submission to psychological assessment;
Polygraph testing;
Restitution to the victim;
No access to or use of pornography;
Monitoring of all home computers and cell phones;
Adherence to child safety zones;
Participation in Project SAFE Halloween;
Adhere to no-contact orders.

Caseload Reduction Program

The caseload reduction program is an intensive supervision program consisting of three phases. The initial phase of the program will subject offenders to the strictest contact requirements by the assigned supervision officer and adherence to conditions of community supervision by the offender. Phase II of the program will require somewhat relaxed reporting requirements, with an emphasis on the offender fulfilling treatment requirements as outlined in the initial supervision plan. Phase III of the program will prepare the offender for exit from the program and into a more traditional model of supervision, with less officer involvement and more individual responsibility will be expected by the offender.

Placement into the program can occur by:

Risk/Needs Assessment - Offenders are evaluated at the beginning of probation and have an annual re-assessment requirement; those who score at a high-risk category may be assigned to the unit.
Court Order - A judge wishing to impose the highest level of supervision may order an offender into the program.

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (SATF) Aftercare

Offenders who have successfully completed the Bexar County SATF residential program are referred to the Substance Abuse Aftercare Caseload program as part of the continuum of care. The goal of the aftercare unit is to transition the offender back into society while assisting with resources to aid in maintaining a pro-social and substance-free lifestyle. The supervision officers in this unit provide the offenders with intensive supervision and extra support, assistance, and motivation to participate in aftercare outpatient treatment and substance abuse recovery. Officers assist with the transition from residential treatment to supportive outpatient services with the Bexar County CSCD.

The SATF Aftercare unit targets high-risk/high-need offenders, who struggle with chemical dependency, who have been unsuccessful in completing lesser court-imposed sanctions, and who have recently been released from a local substance abuse treatment facility.

High-Risk Gang Caseload

The primary mission of the high-risk gang caseload is to divert high-risk gang offenders from continued gang-related activities and arrests. Gang-related intelligence also plays a vital role in developing effective supervision plans, assessing compliance/progress, and most importantly, ensuring officer and community safety. In order to avoid inappropriate placements and mislabeling offenders, all gang caseload candidates are screened through an extensive computer search in order to establish current gang affiliation. Inter-agency cooperation from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center's Classification Unit and the San Antonio Police Department's gang database is invaluable in this endeavor.

Offenders are typically court-ordered into this program as an original condition of probation after being identified during the PSI phase as having gang affiliation. Officers who suspect an offender on their caseload of having gang affiliation can submit a request to the gang unit for verification of gang membership. Upon a positive confirmation of gang affiliation, a supplemental report to the courts is sent requesting conditions be amended for gang supervision.

Eligibility criteria for assignment to the High-Risk Gang Caseload:

The offender should be on felony probation;
The offender must be a resident of Bexar County;
Only high-risk offenders are accepted into the caseload;
Offenders must be charged with an instant offense that warrants intensive supervision, as determined by the Court, and demonstrate an unwillingness to comply with the Conditions and Terms of Supervision;
The conditions of supervision must reflect a court order for the high-risk gang caseload;
Any in-patient programs must be completed prior to admittance to the high-risk gang caseload;
Offenders should not be pending the disposition of any court action at the time of transfer;
In order to be assigned to the high-risk gang caseload, offenders must be documented gang members.

Mentally Impaired Caseload (MIC)

The Mental Impaired Caseload is designed as an intensive supervision intervention to afford the judge a viable alternative for the mentally impaired offender by providing the courts with a structured program to supervise and manage these high-risk/needs offenders. The officers assigned also assist with the transition from residential treatment to supportive outpatient services with the Center for Health Care Services.

Offenders in MIC receive services through the Veterans Administration, private physicians/psychiatrists, or the Center for Health Care Services (CHCS). This program is designed to offer intensive treatment and support to persons with major mental impairment and is designed to divert these offenders from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The support is based on the individual needs, which may vary during the course of treatment.

Felony Drug Court

The Bexar County Drug Court program provides intensive supervision and treatment interventions to high-risk drug-abusing offenders who show a genuine desire to break the cycle of addiction. Drug Court targets offenders who meet the definition of high criminogenic risk and needs and who demonstrate a willingness to participate with the judicial system, treatment providers, and community supervision in addressing their substance abuse addiction. Participation in the program is voluntary and required participants to enter into an agreement that mandates compliance to all program rules. The program has an average range of 18-24 months for felony offenders and 12-18 months for misdemeanor offenders.

The vital aspect of the program is an intensive outpatient treatment for all participants. Felony participants will receive intensive outpatient counseling from Elite Counseling. Misdemeanor participants can receive counseling from various community resources.

Treatment Alternatives to Incarceration Program (TAIP)

TAIP is a comprehensive screening, assessment, and referral (SAR) program initiated in 1992, and developed in collaboration with the Department of State Human Services (DSHS) to target the chemically dependent offender population who would benefit more from treatment services than from incarceration. The TAIP assessor administers the SAE assessment tool to utilize four of the seven ways to reduce recidivism. It is utilized to identify offenders who have the risk to re-offend and have criminogenic needs to receive services within the treatment resources of the Bexar County CSCD.

TAIP provides SAR services to over 7,000 offenders per year drawn from pre-adjudicated referrals (PSI), mandated post-adjudicated referrals, and mandated referrals from violations of prior probation. The program provides not only SAR services but makes referrals for intensive and supportive outpatient substance abuse treatment services to Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors (LCDC) employed by the CSCD.

DUALLY DIAGNOSED RESIDENTIAL FACILITY (DDRF)

The mission of the DDRF is to provide treatment for mentally ill probationers who have been ordered by the courts to participate in the program as a result of a motion to revoke, an original condition of placement on community supervision, or as an agreed placement between offender and the courts. Probationers placed in the DDRF program have an Axis I priority population diagnosis as established by the Center for Health Care Services (CHCS). Diagnoses include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major mood disorder. During their time at DDRF probationers receive mental health services provided by CHCS Genesis residential unit; a cost shared by both CHCS and TCOOMI. Their treatment team, made up of residential supervision officers and mental health and substance abuse counselors, holds weekly meetings to discuss the probationer’s progress. The input from the probationer’s weekly counseling as well as input from the security staff is used to aid in the probationer’s progress through the program and ultimately completion from DDRF. Upon release from the facility, supervision of the probationer transitions to the Bexar County CSCD Mentally Impaired Caseload (MIC).

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (SATF)

The Bexar County CSCD SATF facility targets probationers with underlying factors such as alcohol and drug abuse that may contribute to criminal activity. The SATF facility is a modified therapeutic community that provides services designed to treat the disease of substance abuse and criminal thinking errors. A probationer is referred to SATF through original court-ordered placement or through a subsequent hearing by the court to address violations of conditions of probation. Weekly treatment team meetings are held between the residential supervision officer, treatment staff, and the residential security supervisor. Members are encouraged to review and discuss probationer progress and problem-solve solutions in an effort to help probationers as they move forward in recovery. For successful completion of the SATF program, all probationers must successfully complete curriculum requirements and have approval from the treatment team.

Intermediate Sanctions Facility (ISF)

The Bexar County CSCD ISF program targets probationers age 18 and above with underlying factors such as behavioral issues that may contribute to criminal activity. ISF is a modified therapeutic community that provides services designed to treat criminal thinking errors. ISF staff works diligently in addressing the various problems and underlying causes of a probationer’s criminal behavior in order to better target the probationers’ criminogenic needs. A probationer is referred to ISF through original court-ordered placement or through a subsequent hearing by the court to address violations of conditions of probation. All components of the ISF program are designed to address criminal thinking errors and promote freedom from the effects of negative behavioral thinking. For successful completion of the ISF program, all probationers must successfully complete curriculum requirements and have approval from the treatment team.