A Day In the Life of a Suffolk Superior Court Probation Officer: Ellen Winfrey

It is 9 am on Friday, July 21st, and Suffolk Superior Court Probation Officer Ellen Winfrey has already met with eight probationers in the communities of Chelsea and East Boston, Massachusetts. Ms. Winfrey’s day started at 7 am at a local Starbucks where she drove to meet several of her probationers. Meeting early and at a location in their community makes it easier for probationers to hold a job, seek work, and cut down on transportation costs, they said.

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Ms. Winfrey, a five-year Probation Officer who first joined the Massachusetts Probation Service as an Associate Probation Officer at Bristol Superior Court in Taunton, meets with those under her supervision at local coffee shops, a cafe in a supermarket, or residential programs maintained by community-based programs such as the Meridian House in East Boston. Ms. Winfrey’s work with the justice-involved happens in the courts and in the community. She supervises cases in Charlestown, Chelsea, East Boston, Revere, and Winthrop. Ms. Winfrey and her colleagues alternate their time in the community and in the courts. Today is her day in the community where she meets those she is supervising on probation.

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“How are you doing today and how are things going with your search for jobs and housing?,’” she asked .

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One probationer she met told her about a “run-in” with a group of men whom he said attempted to harm him. John explained that he was the one accused of committing violence. Ms. Winfrey discouraged him from getting into fights and encouraged him to stay focused and avoid trouble.

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As he left, another probationer entered Starbucks. He was soft-spoken, polite, and dressed in business casual pants and shirt. The probationer engaged with Ms. Winfrey as she shared a brochure that featured a program that would help him find counseling.

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Ms. Winfrey, who has a bubbly personality, spent the majority of the day meeting and checking in on clients, conducting ORAS’ (Ohio Risk Assessment System)—used to measure the risk and needs of a probationer— and talking to representatives from community programs to review the status of a probationer. This is followed by the processing of necessary paperwork. She has a caseload of 41 individuals whose offenses include distribution of drugs, firearms charges, and bomb threats.

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“I believe in second chances and rehabilitation. I tell them that ‘I can’t help you more than you can help yourself,’” she said.

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Ms. Winfrey’s day in the community, which began before 7 am, ends in the early evening after she has stopped at several local businesses such as Home Depot and Market Basket where she checks for available jobs for her clients.