In an effort to limit the number of visitors to the courthouse due to COVID-19, children and other family members will not be allowed to accompany anyone reporting for probation.
The Probation Division does not encourage any offender/defendant to bring children to appointments. In fact, this is stated on the paperwork given to the offender. There are several reasons for this.
- A child should never be in a situation where he/she is accompanying parents to court.
- If the offender/defendant fails a screening test, he/she will be escorted to a courtroom on the violation. This may mean jail time and the child will be left unaccompanied. Often if a family member cannot be reached, a state agency is contacted.
- If you need to bring your children to the appointment, you should also have another adult accompany you.
- The Probation Lobby is extremely small. There are over 325 defendants/offenders reporting to this lobby per day. This is not an appropriate place for children.