Carbon County will join communities across the country July 17-23 to recognize the work that probation officers do.

Gov. Tom Wolf recently declared the week as Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision week."Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week is a time to recognize and celebrate the dedicated individuals in the community who work tirelessly to make neighborhoods safer and work together to give offenders a second chance to be productive members of society," the proclamation states.Probation officers work in collaboration with local law enforcement, treatment providers, social service agencies and other programs.Probation and parole has changed significantly in Carbon County over the years.The earliest account of the use of probation in Carbon is 1917, where the court would appoint officers who did not receive monetary compensation and supervised a minimal number of cases. The majority of offenders were supervised by "respectable citizens" within the community. These individuals had limited responsibilities or authority.The first probation officer was hired and the office was officially created on Feb. 10, 1930.The officer was responsible for 13 offenders at that time.Today, the department of 12 staff members supervises 1,853 offenders. These officers maintain an average caseload of 243 offenders and must complete a minimum of a bachelor's degree program and undergo specialized annual training.Richmond S. Parsons Jr., chief adult probation officer, in a press release, stated that his department's goals include promoting services and program that meet the needs and interests of crime victims and the community; promoting an integrated, comprehensive approach to dealing with the pervasive problem of substance abuse; and providing services for offenders to become law-abiding citizens.