News  BMC-Roxbury Probation Case Specialist Enters 47th Year of Service

Fun facts about Audrey Thomas:

• Point guard and “most valuable player” at St. Patrick’s School in 1972
• Miss Black Teen Pageant contestant in 1976
• Major Boston Celtics and Patriots fan

Nearly 47 years ago, Audrey Thomas began working as a clerk in the Probation Department in the Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court which is also her neighborhood court.

Ms. Thomas, who is now a Probation Case Specialist III at the court, recently shared her many memories of her start with Probation which began shortly after her graduation from Roxbury High School.

While in high school, she held a part-time job at the Dane L. Shulman Law Firm in Boston where she was encouraged by a secretary there to take the Civil Service Exam in the Spring of 1978 and to apply for a job at the Roxbury Court because of Ms. Thomas’ “strong organizational skills and ability to work with the public.”

She passed the exam and was later interviewed by then Chief Probation Officer Edward J. Keegan whom she said was “impressed by my legal knowledge, organizational skills, enthusiasm, and interest in the law.”

“That’s where it all began. On my first day, it was a bit frightening and intimidating. The staff seemed friendly. However, I was the youngest in the department,” Ms. Thomas said.

“The filing system was a mess. It frustrated Probation Officers and staff. They would come directly to me or say, "Where is the little lady that runs the files?”

Her job currently includes preparing the files of defendants each day for use by Probation Officers and judges.

After nearly 50 years of court employment, Ms. Thomas said, “The thing that makes me excited about coming into work is serving the public, even on those hard days when I have to deal with difficult individuals. I enjoy helping people who come through the court system have a better understanding of what they are agreeing to as far as the disposition and conditions of their cases.”

She said people in her community often refer to her as “The Court Lady” and she promptly informs them. “I am the lady that works for the court and please call me Ms. Audrey or Ms. AT.”

“When I began working here as Chief, I met Audrey and immediately recognized her commitment and dedication to the court, the community, and her daily duties. Audrey is a delight to work with and is always eager to learn and grown professionally,” said Susan Conrad, Chief Probation Officer at Boston Municipal Court- Roxbury Division.

Chief Conrad added, “I was especially proud of her when she completed her associate’s degree and graduated from Roxbury Community College in 2022. This was a lifelong dream for her. We are truly fortunate to have Audrey as part of the Roxbury Probation team. Congratulation on 46 plus years of service!”

Over the years, Ms. Thomas said she has advocated for herself in the reclassification of her role and pay equity. She attributes this fighting spirit to her mother, a Suffolk Superior Court employee, whom she describes as a “tough cookie” who helped her “find her voice and strength.”

For Ms. Thomas, every day is a “new day filled with promise and possibilities” and she described one of her proudest moments as the time she earned her associate degree in Criminal Justice from Roxbury Community College in 2022 following a 10-year journey which she said was “well worth it.”

Ms. Thomas, reflected on her years of service, “I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. I enjoy my job and dealing with the people.”

The nearly 50-year employee said she cannot remember the number of judges or Chief Probation Officers she has worked with; but, recalls working with Roxbury First Justices Edward R. Redd, Gordon Martin, Gregory Phillips, Milton Wright Jr., David Weingarten, and David Breen.