News  Cultural Appreciation Week 2021 launch features moving tribute to Probation Officer Rachel Spencer

Ms. Spencer was remembered for her commitment to helping those suffering with addiction. The posthumous celebration of Ms. Spencer’s life and work recently took place virtually via Zoom.
 

She was a Cultural Proficiency Champion, also referred to as “Champion,” one of more than 225 Trial Court employees who participate in cultural diversity trainings; engage and help facilitate conversations on race and racial justice at their courts, offices, and Community Justice Support Centers; as well as assist with planning CAW events. This year’s celebration will take place October 18-22. The theme is “Justice, Culture, and Community: This is Your Trial Court.”

Ms. Spencer’s colleagues and family members — approximately 164 people — participated in the June 25th Zoom celebration of her life and acknowledged her contributions to the Massachusetts Probation Service, the Massachusetts Trial Court, and the community. She first joined MPS in 1993 as a Roxbury District Court Probation Officer. In 2003, Ms. Spencer moved to New Bedford District Court where she worked as a Probation Officer before transferring to Wareham District Court in September 2016. She held the position until her passing on May 16, 2021. Ms. Spencer was a 1981 graduate of Northeastern University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.

“Rachel was a Cultural Proficiency Champion from the inception of the work we started. She brought a lot of energy and great ideas, work and collaboration,” said Pamerson Ifill, Deputy Commissioner of Pretrial Services, who introduced the concept of Cultural Appreciation Week and the role of Cultural Proficiency Champions.

A compassionate and dedicated Probation Officer, Ms. Spencer was remembered for her ability to listen intently to and help those under her supervision. She served as the Probation Officer at the New Bedford District Drug Court, one of the original Drug Courts in the Commonwealth.

“I was struck by probationers’ response to her and how she responded to them and the resources she was able to provide to folks,” said Deputy Commissioner Ifill.
 

Wareham District Chief Probation Officer Linda Almeida, Ms. Spencer’s boss and long-time friend, spoke about her initial reluctance to work with a friend she had known for 50 years. However, she discovered new things about her friend who she has known since high school and shared an apartment dorm with during college.

“What I did learn about Rachel when she came here is her dedication to her job. She was one of the most hardworking employees. She was one of the first to arrive early. She didn’t take lunch and she was the last to leave. We would tell her it is time to go home Rachel,” said Chief Almeida. “When she got sick and was in the hospital, she was still calling probationers to talk and check on them.”

Ms. Spencer’s niece, Shiona Rose, First Assistant Chief Probation Officer at Fall River District Court, described her aunt as “strong, selfless, dedicated, independent, spiritual, a protector, and non-judgmental.”

“She had a true passion and took great pride leading the Drug Court. She wanted to know her probationers, get a true understanding of who they were, where they were from, what their needs were so that she could do whatever she could to help them,” Ms. Rose said. “Rachel was a quiet storm with an infectious smile. A selfless woman who provided until the very end. Her children, her sisters, myself, and my family all miss her.”
 

In addition to Ms. Rose, Ms. Spencer’s sisters — Carol Spencer Monteiro and Marie Monteiro — and her three adult children: Michael, Tenesha, and Aaron attended the Zoom tribute. Her daughter, Tenesha, and youngest son, Aaron, spoke about her love of her job and dedication to the probationers she worked with. Deputy Ifill compiled a video tribute to Ms. Spencer featuring photos of the Wareham District Probation Officer over the years.

Deputy Ifill said, “The Pandemic has taught us that the things that are really important to us are family and friends, the people we work with. It is important when we talk about race, racial justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We really have to talk about it because we mean it. In all of these things, we have to celebrate and appreciate each other. I think for us this year, it is the Champions doing this work. It has a higher level of urgency given all of the people that we’ve lost this year.”

“When we look back at the history of the Trial Court, you will be responsible for bringing about transformational change. Sometimes when you are in the thick of things, you really don’t see it. In Rachel, who we have lost, she really made a difference,” said Deputy Ifill.