Somerville District Court Probation
Receives Its Recertification

           The Somerville District Court Probation Department marked its recertification with a ceremony in the court's first session.

           Since 1999, the Probation Department has developed and instituted a highly effective resource for probationers who suffer with substance abuse and related issues. The Somerville District Court Recovery Program aids probationers in addressing their substance abuse and anger issues. There are specialized programs for women, men, habitual drug offenders and Dual Diagnosis probationers. Throughout the week, the court offers nine supervised programs that cater to 170 probationers.

           The recertification process measures the effectiveness of probation officers and their ability to supervise people on probation in the community. A probation department qualifies for recertification if it scores 85 percent or better. The Somerville District Court Probation Department received a score of 93. The recertification is effective through July 2005.

           Recertification is conducted by eight regional supervisors from the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, the administrative office for the Massachusetts Probation Service, Office of Community Corrections and the Trial Court Office of Community Service. The supervisors randomly select 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 meets with probationers.

           "Recertification success is the result of a collaborative effort by probation officers, associate probation officers, clerical support personnel and in particular due to the innovation exhibited by Assistant Chief Probation Officer Maureen J. McEachern who developed the substance abuse component, Probation Officer James Bailey who created the Anger Management Program, and Probation Officer Ricky Hymon who designed the Habitual Drug Offender Program for the Somerville District Court," said Chief Probation Officer Richard Carino. "I also want to give special credit to Presiding Justice Paul P. Heffernan who allowed our probation department to be as innovative as we have. The ambition and desire of this department has also been fueled by Justice James H. McGuinness, Jr."

           The Somerville District Court Probation Department monitors 1,020 probationers in the community. Richard Carino is the Chief Probation Officer or manager of the probation department. Carino's staff includes one First Assistant Chief Probation Officer, two Assistant Chief Probation Officers, eight Probation Officers, 10 support staff, and four Assistant Probation Officers.

           The Massachusetts Probation Service is a department of the Massachusetts Trial Court. There are 70 District Court, 12 Superior Court, and 12 Probate and Family Court probation officers 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, the Office of Community Corrections and the Trial Court Office of Community Service.