CLEARFIELD – Clearfield County is recognizing the officers and other staff in its Probation Department this week.
During Tuesday’s regular board meeting, the commissioners proclaimed July 21-27 as Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week.
Commissioner John A. Sobel said the county’s probation office is the “linchpin” in the court’s ability to manage the return of offenders back to society and their subsequent period of supervision.
“We really want to call attention to the very important jobs these folks do,” he said. “… they really are the unsung heroes of the county.”
“As our prison population grows, their work and responsibilities increase right along with that,” added Commissioner Mark B. McCracken.
He also said most people don’t realize that if an offender is picked up overnight or over the weekend, the county has a probation officer on-call to deal with these sorts of issues.
McCracken continued, saying: “The work they do isn’t just limited to 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. here. And there’s a lot of home visits they have to do, too.”
“… The time and effort of the entire staff is appreciated. I think it’s important to let the general public know how heavy their caseload really is.”
Commissioner Tony Scotto said the work of the probation officers is often “overlooked,” he thanked them for their service and noted their dedication to keeping area communities protected while also helping rehabilitate individuals who return to society.
Gov. Tom Wolf also issued the following statewide proclamation, which was read by Sobel during Tuesday’s commissioners’ meeting. The full proclamation is below.
WHEREAS, all Pennsylvanians deserve opportunities to live healthy, safe and purposeful lives, and community supervision is an essential part of Pennsylvania’s justice system; and
WHEREAS, corrections professionals such as pretrial, probation and parole officers uphold the law, with dignity, while recognizing the right of the public to be safeguarded from criminal activity. Their proven practices and effective supervision provide an opportunity for successful reintegration; and
WHEREAS, pretrial, probation and parole officers work toward changing lives by working with reentrants to help them find solutions to problems and to help them live a safe, healthy and productive life; and
WHEREAS, corrections professionals are responsible for supervising adult reentrants while serving, supporting and protecting victims, as well as providing appropriate advocacy and resources for reentrants; and
WHEREAS, pretrial, probation and parole officers work collaboratively with local law enforcement, treatment providers, social services agencies and a variety of other programs, groups and individuals involved with reentry; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania’s pretrial, probation and parole officers are on the front line of efforts to reduce recidivism and to prevent future crime. Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week is a time to recognize and celebrate the dedicated and caring individuals in the community who work tirelessly to make neighborhoods safer and more vibrant places to live and raise families and work to give reentrants a second chance to be productive members of society.
THEREFORE, I, Tom Wolf, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, do hereby proclaim the week of July 21-27, 2019 as Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week. I encourage all citizens to honor these corrections professionals and to recognize their critical roles in the criminal justice system and their achievements toward safer communities.
GIVEN under my hand and the Seal of the Governor, at the City of Harrisburg, this eighth day of July, two-thousand nineteen, the year of the commonwealth the two-hundred forty-fourth.
TOM WOLF
GOVERNOR
