BARNSTABLE SUPERIOR COURT CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER
IS RECIPIENT OF PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Barnstable Superior Court Chief Probation Officer Joseph Hassett and Probation Commissioner John J. O’Brien

Barnstable Superior Court Chief Probation Officer Joseph Hassett, a 35-year employee of the Massachusetts Probation Service, is the recipient of the 2007 Jim Minton Excellence Award.

The Jim Minton Award was named in honor of long-time Brookline District Court Chief Probation Officer Jim Minton who passed away in 2005. The award was presented to Hassett at the Massachusetts Chief Probation Officers Association Conference earlier this month. The award is presented annually by the association to a Chief Probation Officer "whose leadership, dedication and contributions to the Massachusetts Probation Service have been an example to all and whose accomplishments are a credit to the Massachusetts Probation Service."

A life-long resident of Barnstable, Hassett first joined the Massachusetts Probation Service as a Probation Officer at Barnstable District Court in 1972. He was employed there through 1985. He then became a Probation Officer at Barnstable Superior Court and was subsequently named Chief Probation Officer of the court in 1993.

“I am very humbled and honored to receive this award,” said Hassett.

Hassett has served on numerous Massachusetts Trial Court Committees and conducted workshops for both statewide and national organizations. He was also instrumental in the development of the Barnstable County Community Corrections Center, one of the first centers in the state. There are now 25 Community Corrections Centers statewide. These centers are one-stop sites where probationers receive substance abuse counseling, drug testing and job and educational training.

As a founding member and chairperson of the Media Relations Committee, Hassett contributed to the development of the Massachusetts Probation Service's video entitled "The Massachusetts Probation Service, A Legacy of Justice." The 12-minute video provides an overview of the service and its role in keeping communities safe throughout the Commonwealth.

Hassett has served on host committees for the American Probation and Parole Association and the New England Council on Crime and Delinquency. He is also a member of the Chief Probation Officers Association. Most recently, Hassett served on the Millennium Court Group, a consortium of court managers and judges, who explored ways to gauge community sentiment regarding the court system and reviewed methods to measure performance in the courts.

The Barnstable native is a 1960 graduate of Barnstable High School. Hassett also attended Brewster Academy in 1961 and earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut in 1967. He was a three-year varsity letterman in football. Prior to his employment with the Massachusetts Probation Service, Hassett was a high school teacher and football coach for five years.

Hassett and his wife, Susan, will celebrate 42 years of marriage in August. Residents of Cummaquid, the Hassetts have three adult children and five grandchildren.