PLEASE HELP SAVE 5th DIVISION PROBATION OFFICERS

 

©Wendell Griffen, 2022

I have never asked readers to help me manage my work as a trial judge. However, I am doing so in this column for one reason.

I need your help. 

Part of the caseload assigned to 5^th Division (the court over which I preside in the Sixth Judicial Circuit) involves criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to murders. Prosecutors and defense attorneys know that I do not approve probation requests for persons whose crimes involve physical injury or death to others.

On the other hand, accused persons who plead guilty or are found guilty of having committed non-violent offenses are often sentenced to probation. Those persons are then supervised by probation officers – certified law enforcement persons who have been selected for work in 5^th Division to help clients – yes, we call the persons they work with “clients” – face, correct, and hopefully overcome the underlying causes for their offenses such as dishonesty, substance abuse and addiction, mental illness, anger management, conflict resolution, poverty, and so forth.

Probation officers in 5^th Division help clients find help for substance abuse and addiction.

They help clients get GED and other education assistance. 

They help clients honor their obligations to make restitution to people and business from whom they have stolen.

They help clients find mental health services.

And probation officers refer clients who willfully disobey probation to me so I can sentence them to prison or impose more rigorous probation terms and conditions.

Prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other observers routinely praise the competent, diligent, and responsible men and women of the 5^th Division probation staff – who are also cross trained as certified court security officers – because they appreciate the work they do.

However, that good work is threatened. In his latest attempt to manage probation in Pulaski County juvenile and trial courts, County Judge Barry Hyde seems determined to slash funding for our probation staff from the county budget.

Judge Hyde claimed authority to manage probation officers a few years ago. My position, then and now, is that circuit judges do not fix potholes, damaged bridges, and county roads. County judges do not manage criminal cases, including probation.

I am retiring on December 31, 2022. Judge-elect Latonya Austin Honorable will succeed me on January 1, 2023. We need your help persuading County Judge Hyde and the Pulaski County Quorum Court to maintain funding for the competent, diligent, and responsible work done by the probation officers in 5^th Division.

Please call and write Judge Hyde and the members of the Quorum Court. Please urge them to continue funding for the probation work done by those dedicated county employees. 

Here is a link to the Quorum Court website where you can find the names of Quorum Court members and information about their meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6 pm in the County Administration Building:

https://pulaskicounty.net/pulaski-county-quorum-court/.

Please help us. Talk with prosecutors, defense attorneys, addiction treatment providers, social workers, faith leaders, community activists, and others about the good work done by the probation officers in 5^th Division.

Please help us. Call, send letters, and send email messages to County Judge Hyde and Quorum Court members. Urge them to continue funding for our probation officers.

Please help us. Attend upcoming meetings of the Agenda and Budget Committees of the Quorum Court. Attend the meetings of the full Quorum Court on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the County Administration Building.

Please help Judge-Elect Honorable and me persuade the Quorum Court to continue funding for our probation staff so they can help clients overcome the issues that caused them to break the law.

Please help us.

Thank you.