Sample Opinion/Editorial
July 13-19, 2008 will be observed nationally as Probation, Parole and
Community Supervision Week. For over 100 years, officers have been supervising
offenders to make our communities a safer place to live. These dedicated
professionals serve crime victims and hold offenders accountable for the wrong
they have committed to our families, friends and communities. It is through
their commitment to public safety that our communities are a safer place for
everyone.
At the end of 2006 there were over 5 million adults and over 600,000 juveniles
being supervised in our communities by these officers. They are responsible for
over two-thirds of the nation's offenders under supervision or custody, yet they
receive only one-third of the money allocated for custody and supervision of
these offenders. The challenges they face are tremendous, yet they continue to
make a difference.These officers are active in their communities by creating
links between the justice system, community leaders and organization and the
public for offenders who need help re-integrating into their neighborhoods.
They are professionals who constantly acquire knowledge of what motivates
offenders and apply that knowledge in the most effective way possible. The work
they do has become multifaceted and goes well beyond supervision and
surveillance of offenders - it has expanded to include working with victims in a
much more involved capacity to ensure that restorative justice principles are
addressed. All of this is done in an effort to ensure the highest level of
public safety.
Probation and parole officers face real dangers in their jobs and are often
asked to risk their own safety to make sure that others are kept safe from
crime.
During this week, please help us honor and recognize the work these
professionals do each and every day of the year.