Male, female, young and old, rural and urban, every culture and economic status imaginable. These are the faces of those touched by crime in our community. They are our family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers. This week is Probation, Parole and Community Supervision Officers’ Week, a time to recognize those people who work day and night with criminal offenders in our communities to ensure our safety. Every day in Stearns County, 36 probation officers, surveillance officers and work crew leaders work one-on-one with more than 3,400 criminal offenders. Nationwide, at the end of 2000, there were more than 4.5 million adults on probation and parole. That number doesn’t take into account over 600,000 juvenile offenders. The challenge these officers face is to supervise and rehabilitate offenders while also supporting and protecting the crime victims and assuring compensation for the harm done to victims and communities. “All this comes at a time when offenders are more violent, caseloads are larger, budgets are smaller and resources are overburdened,” said Steve Holmquist of Community Corrections. “These officers truly make a difference in our communities. They have worked on the front lines, dedicating their lives to making safer communities for us all.” Probation and parole officers often look to new programs to work more effectively with their clients. One such program is S.P.A.M., Supervising Probationers As Mentors. Agents focus on establishing a positive relationship with their clients by having productive contact in the community, home and school. They spend time with them job seeking, eating, playing, walking, fishing, reading, bike riding, visiting, exploring, shopping and learning. This is just one new program recently implemented in Stearns County. President Bill Clinton first declared Probation, Parole and Community Supervision Officers’ Week in 2000 to raise awareness about what these officers do to protect our society.
