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The After-Hours Impact: Strategies for an Effective Partnership Between Electronic Monitoring and Victim Services
SESSION INFO
Monday, August 29, 2022
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Session Type: Workshop
This workshop offers an in-depth look at the unique partnership between two departments within Massachusetts’s Probation Service: the Electronic Monitoring Center (ELMO) and the Victim Services Unit (VSU). Using GPS software and remote breath alcohol software, MA Probation Service provides a coordinated response for victim notification when individuals monitored by either the GPS or remote breath devices violate a condition and are issued a warrant outside of normal business hours. As a 24-hour operation, the ELMO center provides real-time notification to victims and survivors who have elected to receive notification of warrants, which can be issued for reasons such as battery depletion, home curfew violations, positive alcohol tests and exclusion zone violations. The following business day the Victim Services Unit connects with all individuals notified by ELMO to provide additional support and details on the warrant status. In addition to conversation surrounding the after-hours process, this session will discuss the collaboration of the ELMO center and the VSU in providing information to MA Probation Service on creating appropriate exclusion zones. Exclusion zones are a vital tool for victim safety, and it is essential that they are created within the GPS software in a way that upholds court orders and maintains victim confidentiality. The presenters will discuss tips for successful exclusion zone creation by using real-life scenarios and evaluating examples.
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SESSION PRESENTERS
Courtney Bacon
Victim Services Coordinator, MA Probation Service/MA Trial Court/Office of Commissioner of Probation
Courtney Bacon is a Victim Services Coordinator for Massachusetts Probation Service. Courtney graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminology and gender studies and is currently earning her master’s degree in public administration with an anticipated graduation date in May 2022. Courtney has worked for MA probation service for 5 years and has additional victim service experience from her previous position as a victim witness advocate for a district attorney’s office. Within probation, Courtney specializes in electronic monitoring cases and using trauma-informed practices to provide services to victims and survivors, while coordinating victim communication with probation officers and the ELMO center to uphold MA Probation Service’s mission to support victims and survivors of crime.
Ms Annisa Nicole Hannon
Program Manager, MA Probation Service/MA Trial Court/Office of Commissioner of Probation
Anissa Hannon is a Program Manager with the Massachusetts Probation Service. Anissa previously studied legal studies and currently studies criminal justice at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Anissa has worked for the Massachusetts Trial Court for over 15 years, currently working as a manager within the Electronic Monitoring Program, where her duties entail reviewing electronic monitoring violations, troubleshooting equipment issues, and managing daily floor operations. Part of Anissa’s position includes working with VSU and courthouses statewide to ensure that victim and client information are updated and accurate in ELMO records and that exclusion zones are properly entered per court orders. Anissa also assists in notifying victims of after-hours warrants that are issued on ELMO cases.
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