News  Dr. Carmen Gomez receives American Probation and Parole Award

Dr. Carmen Gomez, Deputy Commissioner of Pretrial Services for the Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS) was presented with the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA)’s “Carmen Rodriguez Member of the Year Award” at APPA’s summer conference, the 49th Annual Training Institute, in Indianapolis.

“We are recognizing Dr. Gomez for the tireless work she does to create systemic change within her organization and her dedication to APPA and future leaders. It is with great pleasure, on behalf of APPA, to announce that you have been chosen for this honor,” said Tira Hubbard, APPA Awards Committee Chair and Adult Parole/Probation Deputy Director of Jackson County.

The award, named in honor of long-time board member Carmen Rodriguez, is presented to an individual who “exemplifies what it means to be a transformative leader in the field of community corrections.”

A 33-year Cook County Adult Probation employee, Ms. Rodriguez passed away in April 2021. She was a 20-year APPA Board member and held the positions of President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Regional Representative, and Committee member at APPA.

Ms. Rodriquez joined Cook County Probation in 1987 as a Probation Officer and then became a Training Specialist whose sessions were some of the most well-attended workshops at APPA’s training institutes.

Dr. Carmen 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).