Springfield Assistant Chief Probation Officer
Receives National Honor

           Springfield District Court Assistant Chief Probation Officer Margaret Oglesby has been named "Outstanding Massachusetts National Guard Mentor for 2003." A ceremony was held at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.

           Oglesby, a member of the 747 Military Police Company with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, is currently in Afghanistan and was unable to personally accept the award at the ceremony. The "Outstanding Massachusetts National Guard" Award is presented to an individual who has played a major role as a mentor to women and who has demonstrated superior accomplishments in his her military career, according to Tammy Lasley, a spokesperson from the National Guard of Massachusetts.

          Lasley said she was one of more than 200 nominees for the award. "Margaret Oglesby personified what this award is all about," she said. "She is very deserving of this honor."

           Oglesby is a 14- year employee of the Massachusetts Probation Service. She began her probation career as a probation officer at Springfield District Court. She later worked as a probation officer in Norfolk Probate & Family Court, later returning to Springfield District where she became an Assistant Chief Probation Officer in 1999.

          The Massachusetts Probation Service is a department of the Massachusetts Trial Court. There are 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) serves as the central administrative office for the state Probation service and the Office of Community Corrections which operates 23 Community Corrections Centers throughout the state.