TITLE 11

Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Criminal Procedure Generally

CHAPTER 43. Sentencing, Probation, Parole and Pardons

Subchapter II. Probation and Parole Services

§ 4321. Probation and parole officers.

(a) The Department and its probation and parole officers shall conduct such preparole investigations or perform such other duties under this chapter as may be ordered by the court, Parole Board or Department; provided, however, that all presentence investigations and reports for the Superior Court and the Court of Common Pleas shall be prepared as provided in § 4335 of this title.

(b) (1) The Department shall furnish to each person released under the supervision of the Department a written statement of the conditions of the person’s probation or parole and shall instruct the person regarding these conditions.

(2) The officers, under the supervision of the Department, shall evaluate each person in their charge under Supervision Accountability Level II, III or IV, using an objective risk and needs assessment instrument and shall create a case plan for those persons assessed to be moderate- to high-risk that targets the need factors identified by the assessment. The Department shall make efforts to provide treatment and services responsive to the person’s needs and characteristics. Use of the objective risk assessment instrument and associated case plans shall commence by December 31, 2013.

(3) The officers shall keep informed of the conduct and condition of persons in their charge, shall aid them to secure employment, shall exercise supervision over them, shall see that they are in compliance with and fulfill the conditions of their release and shall use all suitable methods to aid and encourage them to bring about improvement in their conduct and conditions and to meet their probation or parole obligations.

(4) a. A special condition of supervision may be set by orders of the court, Board of Parole or the probation and parole officer acting under the authority of the court or Board of Parole.

b. Special conditions of supervision imposed by the probation and parole officer shall be in accordance with Department procedures and may be enforced in the interim period of final review by the court or Board of Parole.

(c) The officer shall keep detailed records of their work, shall assist in the collection and dispersal of all moneys in accordance with the orders of the court and Department and shall make such reports in writing and perform such other duties which the rules and regulations of the Department require, or which the court, the Board of Parole or the Commissioner may require.

(d) Probation and parole officers shall exercise the same powers as constables under the laws of this State and may conduct searches of individuals under probation and parole supervision in accordance with Department procedures while in the performance of the lawful duties of their employment and shall execute lawful orders, warrants and other process as directed to the officer by any court, judge or Board of Parole of this State; however, a probation and parole officer shall only have such power and duties if the officer participates in and/or meets the minimum requirements of such training and education deemed necessary by the Department and Board of Examiners.

(e) Probation and parole officers may be tasked to participate in joint operations with federal authorities while in the performance of the lawful duties of their employment. Any contraband, property and/or money seized in the course of such joint operations shall be apportioned in accordance with federal distribution guidelines. Any distribution to probation and parole shall become the property of the Department of Correction, Bureau of Community Corrections. Any proceeds from the disposal of such property shall be used for the purchase of security equipment and technology necessary for the support of the employees of the Bureau.

(f) Specialized juvenile probation and parole officers, assigned to the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services and as designated and sworn by the Secretary of the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, shall exercise the same powers as constables exercise under the laws of this State, and may conduct searches of individuals under the supervision of the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families’ Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services in accordance with agency procedure, while in the performance of the lawful duties of their employment, and shall execute lawful orders, warrants and other process as directed to such officer by any court or judge; however, a specialized juvenile probation and parole officer shall have such above-enumerated powers and duties only if the officer has met the minimum requirements of training and education deemed necessary by the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families.

(g) The Department shall undertake an assessment of the availability of community resources to meet the treatment and rehabilitation needs of the supervised population every 3 years and endeavor to develop and support programs in accordance with identified needs. The first 3-year report shall be completed by December 31, 2013.

(h) The Department shall devise and adopt a body-worn camera policy that shall meet or exceed the standards established by the Police Officer Standards and Training Commission by regulation.

11 Del. C. 1953, §  4321;  54 Del. Laws, c. 349, §  767 Del. Laws, c. 442, §  370 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  172 Del. Laws, c. 108, §  173 Del. Laws, c. 60, §  177 Del. Laws, c. 443, §  178 Del. Laws, c. 392, §§  2, 379 Del. Laws, c. 283, §  183 Del. Laws, c. 83, § 184 Del. Laws, c. 149, § 6

§ 4322. Protection of records.

(a) The presentence report (other than a presentence report prepared for the Superior Court or the Court of Common Pleas), the preparole report, the supervision history and all other case records obtained in the discharge of official duty by any member or employee of the Department shall be privileged and shall not be disclosed directly or indirectly to anyone other than the courts as defined in § 4302 of this title, the Board of Parole, the Board of Pardons, the Attorney General and the Deputies Attorney General or others entitled by this chapter to receive such information; except that the court or Board of Pardons may, in its discretion, permit the inspection of the report or parts thereof by the offender or the offender’s attorney or other persons who in the judgment of the court or Board of Pardons have a proper interest therein, whenever the best interest of the State or welfare of a particular defendant or person makes such action desirable or helpful. No person committed to the Department shall have access to any of said records. The presentence reports prepared for the Superior Court and the Court of Common Pleas shall be under the control of those Courts respectively.

(b) The Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designees may receive and use, for the purpose of aiding in the treatment of rehabilitation of offenders, the preparole report, the supervision history and other Department of Correction case records, provided that such information or reports remain privileged for any other purpose.

This subsection shall not apply to the presentence reports of the Superior Court and the Court of Common Pleas which reports shall remain under the control of such Courts.

(c) No inmate may be provided a copy of the Department of Correction Policy and Procedures Manuals, the Bureau of Prisons Policy and Procedures Manuals, the Department of Correction Facilities Operational Procedures, Administrative Regulations, or Post Orders that could jeopardize the safety or security of a correctional facility, corrections staff, inmates, or the public.

(d) A Department of Correction policy or procedure which, in the judgement of the Commissioner, contains information that could jeopardize the safety or security of a correctional facility, corrections staff, inmates or the public shall be confidential and subject to disclosure only upon written authority of the Commissioner. For purposes of this subsection, “Department of Correction policy or procedure” includes any policy, procedure, post order, facility operational procedure, or administrative regulation adopted by a bureau, facility, or division of the Department.

(e) The Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families may receive and use, for the purposes of investigating child abuse, neglect and dependency, providing services to prevent further child abuse, neglect and dependency or in aiding in reunification of families, information contained in Department records concerning offenders, providing that such information or reports remain privileged for any other purpose. This information may contain, but is not limited to, information concerning program participation in level IV and level V institutions, special conditions of probation or parole, compliance with those conditions and general supervision in the community.

(f) Any subpoena issued for any record of the Department of Correction, or for any record of its employees maintained in the course of their duties, shall comply with the following procedure:

(1) The subpoena shall be issued at least 30 days in advance of the date on which production of the records is due.

(2) A copy of the subpoena shall be served on the State Solicitor.

Any subpoena issued without compliance with the requirements of this section shall be deemed void ab initio. Any such subpoena shall be reasonably limited in quantity with regard to the purpose for production and the issuer of the subpoena shall tender payment for the cost of the photocopying as established by the Department.

(g) Any subpoena issued for any record of the Department of Correction, or for any record of its employees maintained in the course of their duties, in a civil action between private parties shall comply with the following procedure:

(1) Where the information sought may reasonably be expected to be in the possession of 1 of the parties to the litigation, as well as in the possession of the Department, the information shall first be sought from the party to the litigation having possession of the information.

(2) Prior to seeking criminal history records from the Department, the party seeking the information shall first attempt to obtain criminal history information through proper procedures at the State Bureau of Identification, pursuant to § 8513 of this title.

(3) Any subpoena issued under this subsection shall meet the requirements of subsection (f) of this section above.

(h) (1) Any subpoena or summons issued for testimony of any official or employee of the Department of Correction shall be issued at least 30 days in advance of the date on which the testimony is due, and a copy of the subpoena or summons shall be served on the State Solicitor.

(2) Any subpoena or summons issued for testimony of any official or employee of the Department of Correction, where the substance of the testimony would involve information contained in the records of the Department, shall comply with the requirements of subsection (f) of this section above, and the subpoena or summons shall be deemed a subpoena for the Department’s records. The Department or its Deputy Attorney General shall notify the issuer when a subpoena or summons for testimony is deemed a subpoena for records and subsection (f) of this section applies.

(3) The requirements of this subsection apply to both criminal and civil actions and in all courts.

(i) Notwithstanding any language in this section or elsewhere to the contrary, the time requirements in this section regarding the issuance of subpoenas shall not apply to any subpoena issued in:

(1) Any criminal proceeding in which the penalty of death is sought by the prosecution;

(2) Any civil or criminal case where the issuing party has less than 45 days’ notice of the trial date; or

(3) If the party issuing the subpoena can show that the late subpoena was issued as a result of information provided by the State less than 45 days prior to the trial date.

11 Del. C. 1953, §  4322;  54 Del. Laws, c. 349, §  756 Del. Laws, c. 14966 Del. Laws, c. 233, §  369 Del. Laws, c. 226, §  171 Del. Laws, c. 324, §  172 Del. Laws, c. 17, §  175 Del. Laws, c. 368, §§  1-483 Del. Laws, c. 467, § 2