Character Counts!
Character Counts! is a national program and a framework centered on basic values called the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Staff from both the detention and probation divisions have been trained to facilitate the program and the program has been implemented in both divisions. Due to budgetary setbacks and staffing changes, the program had been suspended during the last fiscal year, but it is the department’s plan to re-implement this program county-wide. Detention officers and probation officers provide a holistic approach for probationers who encounter the program; moving in this direction has allowed probation and detention officers involve with the same cases to “speak the same language” when working with juveniles.