Press Release - July 15, 2002
Office of the Commissioner of Probation

NORFOLK SUPERIOR COURT PROBATION DEPARTMENT
EARNS RECERTIFICATION

The Probation Department of the Norfolk Superior Court recently marked the recertification of its department. The recertification process measures the effectiveness of probation officers and their ability to monitor offenders in the community.

Recertification is conducted by eight regional supervisors who spend the day in the court, auditing randomly selected files from each probation officer’s caseload. Each probation officer is rated on their competence in classifying a probationer’s risk to the community, ensuring an offender complies with a judge’s orders, and regularly meeting with probationers. A probation department qualifies for recertification if it scores 85 percent or better. The Norfolk Superior Court Probation Department received a score of 88.1 percent. The recertification is effective through 2004.

Norfolk Superior Court’s Probation Department includes Chief Probation Officer Edward F. Siudut, two Assistant Chief Probation Officers, six probation officers who monitor 554 adult offenders. Norfolk Superior operates several programs which benefit both the offender and the community at large.

“The Norfolk Superior Court Probation Department has a long and proud tradition of excellence , and this most recent certification serves to confirm the outstanding work that his being accomplished here by an exceptional group of truly dedicated individuals,” said Siudut.

The Massachusetts Probation Service is a department of the Massachusetts Trial Court. There are also 12 Superior Court, 70 District Court, and 12 Probate and Family Court probation offices throughout the Commonwealth. Probation’s Juvenile Court system includes 11 divisions which represent every county in the state. The Office of the Commissioner of Probation (OCP) also serves as the central administrative office for the Office of Community Corrections.