After five months, Hall County’s in-house misdemeanor probation office is doing well, according to several county officials.

The county decided late last year to break ties with the private company that has provided probation service and create a new probation department. The switch became official in June after years of research, Court Administrator Reggie Forrester said.

“It took more than three years of study to put county probation together,” Forrester said. “(Assistant Court Administrator) Michelle Berkerly did hundreds and hundreds of hours of research in preparing for this change to come to fruition.”

The change was part of a shift toward tightening Hall County’s treatment services. The probation office works in connection with the county’s five treatment courts: drug, DUI, mental health, family treatment and parental accountability.

“We now have all of our treatment courts together and a drug testing lab in the building,” Forrester said. “We believe we’re the only entity in the Southeast with a one-stop shop.”

Bringing probation in-house has allowed the county to improve its drug testing.

“We wanted to enhance drug testing, and this gives us a more controlled testing environment,” Forrester said, adding that having the drug testing lab in the same building also allows for quicker results.

Deputy Chief Probation Officer Kevin Head said there were “a lot” of probationers who tested positive for drugs or alcohol within the first month of testing.

“It was pretty obvious that a lot of the probationers were not used to, or expecting, drug screenings,” he said. “I don’t know the exact process they were using at the other company. The scrutiny might not have been the same.”

Head said that there also were many probationers trying to find ways to pass drug screenings. One example he gave was a probationer who brought “clean” urine in a 5-Hour Energy drink bottle. Others also attempted to use a device with a tube and pouch that probationers would fill with drug- and alcohol-free urine.

“It was obvious in that first month that a number of people that were caught trying to circumvent the testing,” he said. “Some people were more creative than others.”

Forrester said a staff member is always in the room and required to watch all sample collections to ensure accurate drug tests. Since that first period of testing, the number of those failing drug tests or trying to bypass them has tapered off, Head said.

The county has also made changes to the way community service can be served.

“We have designated community service locations throughout the community,” Head said. “Now we have to approve all those locations. In addition to that, we get feedback from those locations where we’ll know who didn’t show up or what they did.

“I think that adds a little more accountability to the community.”

The probation office has also joined with the correctional institution to provide a bus on weekends that probationers can use to pick up litter along the roadways as approved community service.

Another change the county has made to probation is that some probation officers are also certified police officers.

“The third thing we wanted to accomplish was at least a portion of our probation officers to be certified police officers,” Forrester said. “That was a major issue for us. We felt we needed the authority.”

Forrester said private probation officers do not have the power to arrest or detain individuals. In one instance, a woman arrived smelling of marijuana, and before police could get to the scene, she drove away.

“In the past, if a probationer tested positive or was suspected of being under the influence, (probation officers) had to call and get an officer to come there,” he said. “In the meantime, if the probationer wanted to walk away, they could.”

The county is awaiting the awarding of grant that will help beef up the drug testing staff. Forrester said that would allow for more after-hour and weekend testing.

“Those who do comply, we feel we should accommodate,” he said. “We don’t want a man to lose his job because we force him to report at 2 p.m. on a Friday.”

Head said the office is actually open until 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays to help probationers with full-time jobs.

“That’s to help the people who don’t get off until 5:30 or 6 o’clock,” he said. “If they’re in the door at 7:30, we’ll stay until they’re gone.”

Head said before the Tuesday night extended hours, there was a rush of probationers arriving at 5:30 p.m. just before the office closed.

“When you implement a new program, there’s some things you can adjust to make them better, more effective,” he said, adding that the extended hours were just one change.

Forrester said changes like the extra hours and focus on treatment are just some of the successful philosophical changes the county has seen.

“We’ve built, from the top to bottom, a probation office that is focused on service,” he said.

“In the now five short months, I think we’ve come light years.”

Prior to the creation of the new office, Forrester said he was anxious that the change would not help get people off “the merry-go-round” of violation, jail time, probation and repeat.

“I am surprised within myself as to where we are now because it took a lot of folks, a lot of meeting of minds to get this in place,” he said, adding that the new probation office has also improved people’s respect for the criminal justice system.

“In the beginning a major issue we had to overcome was for people be appear in a manner that’s presentable. They were showing up in cut-off pants, flip flops and pajamas.”

Hall County Solicitor General, Stephanie Woodard, said the newfound level of respect is “impressive.”

“I’m so proud,” she said. “The payback will be huge for problem solving, for the criminal justice system and for the community.”

Head said the “little bit of a change in the structure,” has been going very good.

“Our goal is, we really don’t want to see them again. We like to see them succeed and go on to bigger and better things,” he said. “So far I think it’s gone very well. I’m very pleased with the progress.”