Wednesday, July 25, 2001
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Wednesday, July 25, 2001 |
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Local probation officers keep tabs on criminals with home visits, drug tests By JOHN
MUNFORD
Fayette County's state probation officers may not wear snazzy uniforms with shiny badges, but they play integral roles in the local criminal justice system. Probation officers nationwide were honored last week during national Probation and Parole Officers' week. In addition to keeping tabs on criminals sentenced to probation, the local probation office also collects fines from probationers. From June 2000 to June 2001, the total fines collected exceeded $319,000, said local probation officer Fred Dennis. When offenders fail to pay fines or attend meetings with their probation officers, warrants are taken out for their arrest, Dennis said. Of all the offenders arrested for probation violation, he estimated that 20 percent of the cases involve probationers committing new crimes. For less risky offenders, supervision from a probation officer can amount to a visit at the probation office. But offenders with higher risks, such as sex offenders, are likely visited at work or at home. "With sex offenders, for example, we'll look for toys or other signs because they are not supposed to be around children," Dennis said. "We also look for signs of drug activity." Probationers who violate the conditions of probation could be sentenced to serve the rest of their probation in prison. But in many cases, the probation officer recommends another action, such as attendance at a special drug treatment program, Dennis said. One such program with a high success rate is the Griffin Rehabilitation Intervention Probation Program, Dennis said. The intensive program requires several meetings a week and numerous drug tests to insure the probationer is sticking to the program, Dennis added. "We can revoke the balance of their probation if they fail to complete the program," Dennis said. The Fayette office currently handles almost 400 active cases locally, although it takes only new felony cases from Superior Court. Local officers supervise only probationers living here, Dennis said; persons convicted here who live elsewhere have their probation transferred to their home counties, he noted. "Our mission is to serve the courts, collaborate with different justice agencies and most of all protect the public by effectively enforcing probation sentences," Dennis said. Although most probation violators are referred to the office by officials at the Fayette County Jail, "snitches" also call to alert officers of other violators, Dennis said. The office also has test kits which can detect cocaine, marijuana, barbiturates and methamphetamine use, he added. The probation office is also responsible for compiling presentence investigations when requested by the court or defense attorneys. Those investigations probe into the defendant's criminal background so the judge can factor his or her previous activity into the sentence for a particular crime. Fayette's state probation officers also compile an average of between 40 and 50 hours of law enforcement training each year, Dennis said. State law only requires probation officers to complete 20 hours of training yearly.
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