The Department promotes public safety through coordination with all other federal, state and local criminal justice agencies and through the supervision of offenders in the community in concert with the following principles:

•  We promote offender compliance with conditions of supervision by developing, operating and evaluating a variety of community sanctions and supervision capacities that necessitate accountability. Our Agents assist offenders in understanding and meeting their legal obligations and responsibilities.

•  Offender case management is based on the development of a "Supervision Plan" by the supervising Agent, and the implementation of this plan by the offender and the supervising Agent.

•  The Department will devote the most time, effort and resources on those offenders who appear to be the most likely to fail under supervision. Our interventions will focus on dynamic risk issues and other factors that contribute to the likelihood of failure.

•  We want offenders to successfully complete their supervision period. This means that our interventions will promote the offender's ability to make positive changes in his or her life and that our actions are taken in response to present or potential problems that may interfere with the successful completion of supervision.

Agents provide direct supervision of offenders, working to effectively return them to society as employable citizens who are taxpayers rather than tax burdens. For each offender under Department supervision, the agent develops and implements an individualized supervision plan. The agent identifies barriers that could impede successful completion of supervision, and shapes strategies aimed at addressing those barriers. Agents also monitor compliance with special conditions imposed by the court, Parole Board, hearing officer, or supervisor.

Agents have a full range of tools and techniques to accomplish these goals, including:

• Providing referrals to service organizations with expertise in addressing the offender's needs
• One-on-one interaction between the agent and the offender, both in the field and the office
• Monitoring the collection of restitution and fines
• Presenting probation revocation cases to a Circuit Court judge
• Various forms of electronic supervision
• Drug testing
• Agent-imposed restrictions
• Addressing and responding to violations
• Issuing and serving warrants or citations in response to a violation

The Agent's basic duties are extensive. They also include:

• Case management
• Fugitive warrant sweeps
• Prisoner transport
• Absconder investigations
• Extraditions
• Warrant and process services
• Financial collections management
• Special operations response in times of natural disasters or state declared emergencies
• Assist local law enforcement with special events

Additionally, agents conduct investigations in the field pertaining to violations of conditions of supervision, and provide information to the court or Parole Board for use in the deliberation of probation, parole and pardon matters.