This news really hits home with me. I was a probation officer a long time ago. I supervised adult offenders, most of whom were on probation for domestic violence, other physical assaults, or drug dealing. I had a few on parole for more serious offenses. (We were required to call them “clients” back then. Referring to them as criminals might hurt their feelings.)

I’ve always believed that probation is only a bandaid on a larger problem. In theory it’s great: You get a second chance to live right while under the supervision of law enforcement. In reality, it’s quite often a joke: Offenders know the probation officer has little power to enforce the law with jail overcrowding and certain violent offenses as priorities.

Even though the system is far from perfect, it is sad to see what little it does offer being squandered. Children in Milwaukee are waiting months to receive supervision, and in the meantime are running the streets. Recently a 16-year-old boy was convicted of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. He received probation in the Serious Chronic Offenders Program (which should tell you something about his record), but waited over two months to start the program.

There are two big problems with this:

  1. The children are not receiving the guidance and supervision they often desperately need.
  2. Some are committing new crimes while unsupervised.

The chief probation officer at the Children’s Court Center say there are too many cases for her probation staff. She says that they each supervise 40 to 44 children. (That’s actually not much, if you’ve ever worked in the field.)

Here’s a big problem: The judges didn’t know there was a “waiting list” for these probation programs. They were sentencing the kids to probation, thinking their supervision would kick in right away. Had they known it would not, they likely would have put some of the more violent kids in secure detention to protect society.

Leave a Reply