WEST CHESTER — Two new Chester County adult probation officers were sworn in recently as a Common Pleas Court judge told them they were set to go to work at one of the most respected such offices in the state.
“Chester County’s Adult Probation and (its) Juvenile Probation (office), too, are just the gold standard,” said Judge Allison Bell Royer after administering the oaths of office to new hires Kaleigh Johnson and Aliyah Milnes-Nickson. “It is such a good office. It is consistently held to a high standard.”
Johnson and Milnes-Nickson will serve as probation officers supervising various types of cases, ranging from DUIs to felony assault and theft cases. Both come to the department after recent graduations from college and having internships at the Federal Correctional Institution at Allenwood and the Delaware County Bail Department, respectively.
The brief ceremony took place in Royer’s courtroom and was witnessed by a number of Johnson and Milnes-Nickson’s new colleagues.
Chris Pawlowski, chief probation officer, gave the pair a quick overview of their ultimate responsibilities that he said should guide them during their time in the office.
Probation officers, he said, are not in the service of the prosecution or the defense when they appear in court to make recommendations on a criminal defendant’s violation cases. Rather, they serve the court itself, he said.
“You are an arm of a judge,” said Pawlowski. “We are employed by the courts. We enforce their orders. The judges are very good here, and they are very accepting of how we work here. We get a lot of respect.”
Probation officers spend most of their time reviewing a defendant’s case when they are placed on probation or released from prison on parole. They interview them, help them navigate the post-conviction waters, and check whether they are obeying the rules of probation — no criminal contact, no illicit drug use, meeting their requirements such as drug therapy or community service.
If they do not comply, eventually the defendant may end up before a judge for a violation hearing. Then the probation officer is asked to make a recommendation to the court — extend the probation, close the case, or return the defendant to prison. Royer said such hearings are a balancing act.
“Judges are neutral, we are not on anybody’s ‘side,’ ” Royer said. “So we rely on (the) Adult Probation (Office) a lot. “You know the people better than we do. We might not agree (with a probation officer’s recommendation) every single time, but we do listen to you every single time.”
The department, headquarters at the county Justice Center, has four divisions — Probation/Parole, Pretrial Service, Court Collections and the county DUI Program. It employs a total of 103 individuals — 51 adult probation/parole officers that supervise approximately 6,000 individuals and six pretrial officers that oversee approximately 2,800 people.
The county office, under the administration of the county president judge, has spearheaded a number of proactive efforts to help those who come into the system stay away from repeat offense, offering a wide range of specialized services including treatment courts such as mental health of drug court; a reentry program designed to meet the needs of inmates getting back on the street; mental health and trauma-informed services; veterans and women’s programming; sex offender supervision; house arrest and electronic monitoring; and specialized women’s trauma responsive program.
“Our probation, parole and pretrial officers demonstrate exceptional commitment to public safety and rehabilitation each day,” Pawlowski said in an e-mail. “The job isn’t easy, but every day they show up with commitment, professionalism, and compassion. They guide individuals toward positive change while ensuring accountability and community safety.
“Their work is vital to the well-being of our communities, and we are grateful for their service,” he said.
To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan, call 610-696-1544.
Source: Berkshire mont
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