A new component for rehabilitation for low-level criminals in Greene County may soon be starting up.

Boone and Greene County Probation Service is looking to add a community service program for adults and juvenile convicts. Director Diane Hinderaker says since they first engaged with Greene County to start handling informal probation for adults in 2019, there were 20 clients, but now they’ve grown to over 100 clients in the county that are served by two probation officers on a monthly basis.

Hinderaker says a community service component has been beneficial in Boone County for juveniles.

“And a lot of pieces that we found for juveniles is there is so much happening (including) mentoring, modeling, job skills, there’s so much connection that’s happening for juveniles when they’re able to be with somebody who’s kind of looking over their shoulder, looking at what they’re doing, and they’re really giving back in a very tangible way to your community.”       

Hinderaker talks about the potential benefits that an adult community service program would have.

“And I think a lot of our probation clients that will come out of Greene County may have an adult community service piece in their sentencing order. So it’ll be clients that we’re already managing. The court will have that option to add community service as a really good tangible intervention for rehabilitation and for criminal accountability in your county, which I think is great.” 

Hinderaker is seeking a part-time coordinator for the programs, who would be involved with setting up different sites, working with volunteers to help with different community projects and working with the court and the county attorney to see these programs are carried out.