During the week of July 16 – 22, 2017, many organizations and individuals across the United States will join together in publicly recognizing the valuable work of probation, parole, and community supervision professionals.
Probation professionals are a vital part of every New York state county work force, performing an important dual role in the public safety field. Not only do they work with the justice system to protect the public from crime, violence and abuse, but they also provide important support services to rehabilitate offenders – all while struggling to manage large workloads.
“On behalf of nearly 300,000 CSEA members across New York state, we are so grateful to our dedicated Probation professionals, recognizing them for their vital contributions to our community,” CSEA President Danny Donohue said. “This group of workers does their best to serve the public with great care and strength. Unfortunately, their contributions often go unrecognized by the general public.”
“Probation professionals aid offenders in making safer, more productive life choices. They help offenders set and achieve goals, opening a healthier dialogue and creating a sense of stability and accountability – which benefits the entire community,” said President Donohue. “And as with all public safety work, these professionals often put their own well being at risk to keep people safe. CSEA realizes the high level of commitment and the special dedication these workers have to the public they serve.”
Budget shortfalls often force probation professionals to be creative in finding solutions that ensure offenders have the necessary job, housing and treatment supports. Often working as advocates, and sometimes even volunteering their own time outside of work, many officers go above and beyond to make a difference while faced with expanding caseloads and growing demands.
CSEA encourages members of our communities across the state, including the press, to join us during Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week in acknowledging those who work to make our communities safer places to live.
CSEA is a labor union representing employees of New York state and its counties, towns, villages, school districts, library systems, authorities and public benefit corporations. Together with a growing population of private sector members and retirees, CSEA is also the largest affiliate of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which is one of the largest affiliates of the AFL-CIO.