Since its creation in 1997, and 

its certification as an independent federal agency on August 5 

2000, the Court Services and 

Offender Supervision Agency 

(CSOSA) has been implementing 

community-based approaches to 

offender supervision. To support 

this strategy, CSOSA is moving 

Community Supervision Officers 

(formerly known as probation 

and parole officers) out of downtown offices into communities 

where offenders live and work, 

and close to neighborhood resources that 

can contribute to offenders becoming lawabiding and productive 

members of their communities. 

 In fiscal year (FY) 

FY2002 and FY2003, 

71% of new entrants 

on Parolees and Supervised Release tested 

positive for one of the 

seven illegal substances for which CSOSA 

screens. CSOSA has strict drug 

testing procedures that identify 

appropriate treatment services 

to address the needs of the offender 

 

Today, CSOSA is establishing 

better accountability among 

offenders by having a greater 

presence in the community to 

ensure swift and fair responses 

to offender non-compliance and 

to identify and provide services 

to help offenders reenter their 

neighborhoods successfully. As 

of June, 2003, CSOSA’s general 

supervision caseload ratio is 

48:1 compared to 1999 levels of 

90:1. 

Community Supervision centers 

are being opened throughout the 

city in areas where they are most 

needed. Using sophisticated 

geographic mapping techniques, 

CSOSA is able to assure residents that services and resources are brought to communities where there is the greatest 

concentration of offenders. 

CSOSA has six community supervision centers throughout the 

city: 1418 Good Hope Road, SE; 

401 New York Avenue, NE; 

3850 South Capitol Street, SE; 

1230 Taylor Street, NW. 25 K 

Street, NE and 800 N Capitol 

Street, NW. These centers house 

community supervision teams, 

drug testing and intervention 

services and a community relations program. 

CSOSA can demonstrate that our 

presence in the community is 

having an impact. In FY02 14% 

of the supervised population 

was rearrested. In FY03 13% 

were rearrested.This reduction 

in rearrests is a result of increased coordination and supervision in the community. 

The establishment of Community 

Justice Partnerships (CJPs) with 

the Metropolitan Police Department, and Community Justice 

Advisory Networks (CJANs) accelerate the progress of our community supervision efforts. 

These partnerships promote 

information and resource sharing to increase offender accountability and to identify community 

needs and resources. 

CSOSA has five Community Relations Specialists who play a major role in building support for 

the Agency’s programs in the 

community. The Community Relations Specialists may be reached at 

202-220-5320. 

Community Supervision seeks 

strong offender accountability for 

condiitons of release. Our services 

are there to assist reintegration into 

the community and include academic, emplyment and other counseling services. 

Special emphasis on reducedcaseload sizes is placed on for sex 

offender, mental health and domestic violence cases. 

 Community Supervision is 

required to provide presentence investigations to 

the judiciary. These reports 

aide the judge in rendering a 

decision for the criminal 

defendant. These reports 

are completed electronically 

and are available to the judiciary 2 days prior to the disposition date. In FY03 Community Supervision generated 3,288 pre-sentence 

reports. 

Community Supervision also creates 

post-sentence reports for felony 

offenders who are sentenced to 

incarceration. These documents 

aide the Bureau of Prisons staff in 

the designation process. 

In FY03 CSOSA received 2,201 

cases for Parole/Supervised Release and 6,752 cases for Civil Protection/Deferred Sentence and Probation. Parole/Supervised release 

represents 15% of our total population. 

Staff are aided in the classification 

process by an assesment tool that 

determines the level of supervision 

as well as programmatic needs of 

the offender. This tool is called the 

“Risk to Re-offend,” assesment. 

Community Supervision accompanies the MPD on accountability 

tours in which both the local police 

officials and CSOs visit the offender 

at their place of residence. 

August-2004 Community Supervision 

Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency 

for the District of Columbia 

633 Indiana Avenue, NW 

Washington, DC 20004 

CSOSA FACT SHEET 

Did You Know? 

• The number of Americans 

under the control of the 

criminal justice system 

has reached a new high 

of nearly 6.9 million. 

• CSOSA has six community 

supervision centers located 

throughout the District of 

Columbia. 

• At the midpoint of FY 

2003, CSOSA’s general 

supervision caseload ratio 

is 48:1 compared to FY 

1999 levels of 90:1. 

• Of those people discharged 

from parole in 2003, 38 

percent were returned to 

prison. 

• CSOSA now operates four 

state of the art learning 

labs, providing computer 

training and other services to enhance the reentry process. 

• In FY03 CSOSA received 

2,201 cases for Parole/

Supervised Release and 

6,752 cases for Civil Protection/Deferred Sentence 

and Probation. 

. 

For additional information, contact the CSOSA, Office of Legislative, 

Intergovernmental and Public Affairs at (202) 220-5333. 

www.csosa.gov