PROBATION OFFICERS OBSERVE NATIONAL PROBATION
SUPERVISION WEEK

(Probation 2008 Fact Sheet)

The Massachusetts Probation Service recently joined their national and international counterparts in observing probation’s influence on the criminal justice system and its impact on communities throughout the world as part of “Probation, Parole and Community Supervision Week,” an annual celebration set by the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA). This year’s theme was “Making Your Mark on the Community.”

As the first probation system in the nation, the Massachusetts Probation Service has left an indelible mark on the criminal justice field. This year marks the Massachusetts Probation Service’s 130th anniversary. In 1878, the Massachusetts state legislature passed the first probation statute which put into place an official state probation service.

Today, there are 258,966 Massachusetts residents who are under probation supervision or whose case is being monitored by a Probation Officer in the 105 District, Superior, Boston Municipal (BMC), Juvenile, and Probate and Family court departments throughout the Commonwealth, according to statistics provided by the Research Department at the Office of the Commissioner of Probation.

In District Court, Probation Officers supervise criminal cases. Superior Court Probation Officers oversee the most serious felony cases. Juvenile Court Probation Officers supervise children and adolescents involved in delinquent or status offending (truancy, runaway, stubborn child) behavior which are also known as Children In Need of Services or (CHINS) cases. Probation Officers in the Juvenile Courts also monitor the welfare of children who are before the court as subjects of parental abuse and neglect. These types of cases are referred to as Care and Protection (C&P) cases.

Probate & Family Court Probation Officers handle civil matters such as divorce and paternity as well as issues involving custody, visitation and child support.

Of the total probation population in the Commonwealth, eighty-three percent are male and 17 percent are female, Probation Research statistics show.

“The Massachusetts Probation Service continues to set precedents. We were one of the first states to track high-risk offenders using GPS. The NiteLite Program, a community supervision program which pairs probation officers with police officers on night time visits to offenders' homes, is another initiative that had a huge impact. When NiteLite was first established by Probation Officers in 1992, it was the first program of its kind in the nation and abroad,” said Probation Commissioner John J. O’Brien. “We are very proud of the service and the hard work performed by Probation Officers who do their part to help keep communities safe.”

Probation Officers supervise offenders through visits to their homes and by enforcing the orders of the court. It is also the Probation Officer’s job to determine an offender’s need for services such as substance abuse counseling.

The typical profile of an adult probationer in Massachusetts is a 31-year-old man who is on maximum supervision, according to information kept by the Research Department in the Office of the Commissioner of Probation. An offender on maximum supervision receives regular home visits from their probation officer and may be required to report to the probation officer at the court. In cases where substance abuse is a problem, the offender may be ordered to submit to regular drug and alcohol testing and may be required to attend substance abuse counseling.

Eighty-three percent of male probationers were younger than 24 when they committed their first offense. Of the male probation population, 87 percent have a substance abuse problem.

Of the female probation population, 77.7 percent of women offenders are under maximum supervision. A total of 71.2 percent of the female probationers had a prior record within the past five years and 67.6 percent were younger than 24 at the time of their first offense. Also according to Probation Research Department statistics, 83.4 percent of women offenders have substance abuse issues.

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