News  Carmen Gomez is appointed Deputy Commissioner of Pretrial Services for the Massachusetts Probation Service

As the new Deputy Commissioner of Pretrial Services, Dr. Gomez, a 27-year Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS) employee, is responsible for the development and implementation of policies, procedures, programs, and the training of employees in the Pretrial Services Unit.

“Dr. Gomez has extensive knowledge and experience in Probation as well as a commitment and passion for helping others,” said Commissioner Ifill.

Pretrial Services was first established in 2019 as the result of the state’s Criminal Justice Reform Act. The Pretrial Unit monitors 28,171 cases—pretrial probation as disposition and pretrial conditions of release. The Pretrial Unit operates the Text Messaging Response System which reminds court-users of upcoming hearings while reducing the number of failure to appear rates. The Unit recently conducted a survey on the utilization of the text messaging service. Pretrial employees are also Certified Application Counselors (CAC) who assist clients with enrollment in the MassHealth Insurance Program. The staff also collaborates with the UMASS-Chan Medical School on the development of a curriculum that focuses on identifying the risk of violence in defendants and probationers.

“I am elated, honored, and excited to be named Deputy Commissioner of Pretrial Services and I am looking forward to continuing the impactful work of Probation and the Pretrial Services Unit,” said Dr. Gomez.

Dr. Gomez first joined MPS as a Procedures Clerk, now referred to as a Probation Case Specialist, at Somerville District Court. In April 2000, she became a Probation Officer at the Middlesex Probate & Family Court and later transferred to Suffolk Superior Court. She was appointed Chelsea District Chief Probation Officer in April 2013. In July 2022, Dr. Gomez was named Regional Supervisor of Region 3 which includes more than a dozen courts in Essex and Middlesex counties.

She earned a Ph.D in Law, Policy, and Society from Northeastern University, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Mount Ida College.

Dr. Gomez is a founding member of the Massachusetts Trial Court Women’s History Month Committee which hosts an annual Women’s History Month event. Dr. Gomez also serves as co-chair of the Women’s Symposium hosted by the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) and is an active member of numerous committees that focus on the intersection of criminal justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Gomez holds memberships in APPA, the New England Council for Crime and Delinquency (NECCD), and the National Association of Probation Executives (NAPE).