FREEBORN COUNTY COURT SERVICES
411 South Broadway
Thomas Jensen, Director
Phone 507-377-5137
E-mail tom.jensen@co.freeborn.mn.us
The mission of Freeborn County Court Services is to provide the Freeborn County District Court and the citizens of Freeborn County with services designed to ensure public safety. By providing these services, we will actively reduce the incidence of crime, provide restoration to all victims and provide effective and accountable offenders supervision while minimizing the impact of crime on the citizens of Freeborn County.
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By promoting public interest and safety through holding offenders accountable and changing the offenders' criminal behavior and harmful acts.
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By providing various rehabilitation referral services directed at offering offenders opportunities to change their behaviors and values, and to become law abiding.
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By focusing on the issue of crime in the community, including both the criminal act, and its consequences for victims, families and the community as a whole.
The mission statement reflects the belief:
- That above all, the citizens of Freeborn County have the right to be protected from individuals who cause harm to others
- When public safety is not compromised, offenders are best served through alternative, community-based sentences
- The person should leave the criminal justice system as a more productive citizen than when she or he entered the criminal justice system.
The County Probation's Department provides the Freeborn County District Court with a variety of services under the authority of Minnesota Statute 244.19.
MS 244.19 Subd. 3. Powers and duties. All county probation officers serving a district court shall act under the orders of the court in reference to any person committed to their care by the court, and in the performance of their duties shall have the general powers of a peace officer; and it shall be their duty to make such investigations with regard to any person as may be required by the court before, during, or after the trial or hearing, and to furnish to the court such information and assistance as may be required; to take charge of any person before, during or after trial or hearing when so directed by the court, and to keep such records and to make such reports to the court as the court may order.
Services include, but are not limited to, providing probation supervision to juvenile, adult misdemeanor, and selected adult gross misdemeanor offenders, pretrial supervision for all levels of offenders, coordinating the placement of offenders in appropriate community and residential programs, and providing the Court with necessary reports such as pre-dispositional reports, probation violation reports, reference reports, review and discharge reports, chemical use assessments, domestic abuse investigations, In addition, we aid in the collection of restitution, provide local community service work, attend staffings at schools and residential programs, provide electronic monitoring of selected cases, and ensure that selected offenders receive random drug and alcohol testing.
Probation Officers appointed within Freeborn County cooperate with all law enforcement agencies, schools, child welfare agencies of a public or private character, and other groups concerned with the prevention of crime and delinquency and the rehabilitation of persons convicted of crime and delinquency.
When providing these services, this department strives to maintain a balance of providing public safety, community restoration and restitution, and encouraging the offender to self improvement. All of these and other services are provided under the direction of the Freeborn County District Court and within Minnesota statutes.