Specialty caseloads focus on certain specialized topics or risk areas. Often these caseloads are smaller. In addition, staff may have specialized training and expertise, allowing supervision and treatment to be tailored to the person under supervision.

Criminal Sexual Behavior – Misdemeanor and felony offenses with a sexual component. Legislation regarding what constitutes a sexual offense varies widely from state to state. While the majority of such offenses are found in state statutes, federal offenses are defined in Title 18 of the US Criminal Code.

South Carolina’s newest K9 officer helps keep communities safe from offenders
Cybercrime can be a difficult crime to track due to electronic media storage devices used by criminals. However, thanks to a new tool added to the state’s department of probation, parole and pardon services, explicit digital material will be easier to find. In the Palmetto State, there are almost 700 registered sex offenders. “The sex offenders under the department’s jurisdiction are supervised by trained probation and parole agents,” said Chad Gambrell, South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Service deputy director. These agents are with the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. The department houses a digital forensics unit. These technicians analyze any electronic devices that are found during a search of a sex offenders residence. They look for sexually explicit  material on these devices such as anything inappropriate or violates the law. However, some computer flash drives can be as small as a penny. To help find these, the department is recruiting the help of a canine officer.

South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services Policy & Procedure for Electronics Detection Canine (EDC)

The Use of Polygraph in Sex Offender Treatment
Date: 2012 and 2014
This resource site from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice outlines the use of polygraphs in the state by providing an overview of agency responsibility, use of the polygraph, and the cost associated with this technology. 

Polygraph for Sex Offender Management
Date: November 2016
This overview outlines the use of polygraphs for sex offenders supervised in the Federal system on Probation and Supervised Release for Federal Courts.  

Drug Treatment Court

Guide to Methamphetamine Use, Treatment, and Housing Considerations for People Experiencing Homelessness
Date: April 2022
This guidance manual from the Homeless and Housing Resource Center (HHRC) April 2022, published by Policy Research Inc., is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website. It provides information about methamphetamine basics and the drivers of its use, housing considerations for those using methamphetamine, and treatment and management approaches for the general population, but applicable to populations under community supervision.

Pretrial Justice Reform Study: Evaluation of Pretrial Justice System Reforms That Use the Public Safety Assessment
Date: November 2019
This study by MDRC outlines the effects of New Jersey’s criminal justice reform pertaining to pretrial assessments and release decisions after the adoption of the Public Safety Assessment.

Jail-based Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in the Era of Bail Reform
Date: 2022
This document is a qualitative study of barriers and facilitators to implementing a state-wide medication treatment initiative from Addiction Science and Clinical Practice (2022).

Criminal Justice Involvement after Release from Prison following Exposure to Community Mental Health Services among People Who Use Illicit Drugs and Have Mental Illness: A Systematic Review
Date: May 2022
This study of studies from Advances in Prevention Science reviews data from people released from jail and prison who use illicit drugs and have a mental illness.

A Matter of Public Health and Safety: How States Can Support Local Crisis Systems
Date: June 2021
This report includes guidance from the Council of State Governments and supported by SAMSHA and the Veteran’s Administration.

Finding the Loopholes: A Cross-sectional Qualitative Study of Systemic Barriers to Treatment Access for Women Drug Court Participants
Date: June 2015
This study from BMC’s Health and Justice Journal, an organization of peer-reviewed journals from research communities in science, technology, engineering, and medicine, outlines barriers for women in drug courts and challenges experienced by drug court participants showing the social determinants of health for women.

Implementing Specialized Caseloads to Reduce Recidivism for People with Co-Occurring Disorders
Date: February 2021
This article from the Council of State Governments Justice Center describes the key steps and components of creating specialized caseloads for individuals under supervision who have co-occurring disorders to improve supervision outcomes.

Doug Marlowe Talks Drug Courts
Date: December 2012
This National Association of Drug Court Professionals presentation by Doug Marlowe covers risk, needs responsivity, and dosage in this presentation on drug courts. This comprehensive presentation also includes data on crime reduction and cost benefits. [Video]

COSSUP - Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program
COSSUP’s purpose is to provide financial and technical assistance to states, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to develop, implement, or expand comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by illicit opioids, stimulants and other drugs.

Office of National Drug Control Policy
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ONDCP leads and coordinates the nation’s drug policy so that it improves the health and lives of the American people. ONDCP is responsible for the development and implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy and Budget.

Mental Health – While offenses vary, caseloads will consist of persons under supervision with discernable mental health challenges. The terms mental health and behavioral health are often used interchangeably. Mental health relates more to thoughts and feelings, while behavioral health is "a far more expansive term that incorporates not just our mental wellness, but the way our thoughts play out in real life." 

Criminal Justice Involvement after Release from Prison following Exposure to Community Mental Health Services among People Who Use Illicit Drugs and Have Mental Illness: A Systematic Review
Date: May 2022
This study of studies from Advances in Prevention Science reviews data from people released from jail and prison who use illicit drugs and have a mental illness

A Matter of Public Health and Safety: How States Can Support Local Crisis Systems
Date: June 2021
This report includes guidance from the Council of State Governments and supported by SAMSHA and the Veteran’s Administration.

Individuals with Mental Illnesses in the Criminal Legal System: Complex Issues and Best Practices
Date: June 2022
This article from Federal Probation outlines the complexity of supervision for persons with mental illness. It includes information on what probation staff may need to know about severe and persistent mental illnesses (SPMI), types of SPMIs, dual-diagnosis concerns with physical health, substance abuse, and trauma, evidence-based treatment models, and how probation staff can support and enhance treatment models while on supervision.

Domestic Violence – Also referred to as intimate partner violence, "includes physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, as well as sexual coercion and stalking by a current or former intimate partner.1 An intimate partner is defined as a person with whom the person under supervision had or has a close personal or sexual relationship." Statutes will differ from state to state on what defines misdemeanor and felony domestic violence charges. 

Intimate Partner Violence Among Justice-involved Persons: Practice Guidelines for Probation Staff
Date: June 2022
This study from George Mason University, published in Federal Probation, outlines the types of intimate partners involved in the criminal justice system and guides supervision and interventions.

Endorsing Community Corrections’ Response to Domestic Violence: Guidelines for Practice
2013.

Justice Involved Veterans – Offenses and caseloads vary but are limited to those who have actively served in the various branches of the military

Justice Involved Veterans - Micro-site 
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This micro-site is dedicated to Justice Involved Veterans and includes the Justice Involved Veterans Network (JIVN)

Veterans Treatment Courts
Date: May 2016
“It’s a win-win. There is absolutely no downside to attempting to deal with those underlying issues that bring veterans into the criminal justice system.”
— Judge Lawrence Fox,Director, Treatment Courts, Cook County, Illinois

Justice Involved Women – Caseloads consisting of adult women representing a variety of offense types. Research shows that there are specific facets unique to women, that might occur at higher rates with women, or have a different impact on women (ex: reproductive health, sexual violence and mental health)

Overlooked:  Women and Jails in an Era of Reform
Date: 2016
This Vera Institute of Justice report is part of the Safety and Justice Challenge Project. It focuses on the issue of incarcerated women and their unique stories and needs when involved in the criminal justice system.

Supervision of Women Defendants and Offenders in the Community
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The use of gender-responsive strategies with women involved in the community corrections system is explained.

National Directory of Programs for Women with Criminal Justice Involvement 
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The programs on this site are varied in the populations they serve and services provided. This database is intended for correctional stakeholders working across front end decision-making, pre-trial release, jail and prison reentry and covers topical areas such as parenting programs and substance abuse and/or behavioral health.

Justice-Involved Women 
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The number of justice-involved women has skyrocketed -- at rates exceeding men. Their entry into the criminal justice system, offense patterns, and levels of risk often follow a different path than men and require more targeted approaches. Correctional administrators need to understand and address these differences to improve outcomes for women offenders.