Probation Officer Research Paper

lacer County Probation Guest Speaker- Mark Eger

Placer County Probation Officer Mark Eger, came to our class on September 23, 2016 to convey the different aspects of a career as a probation officer. Probation Officer Mark Eger has worked for Placer County Probation Department for the past thirteen years. He began his career working at the Juvenile Detention Center, after eighteen months he was transferred into the field, supervising caseloads of high risk offenders. Next, he was transferred to the Roseville Police Department. Here he worked hand in hand with the vice narcotics enforcement team, crime suppression unit, and detectives. PO Eger was then promoted to senior deputy, and currently oversees a juvenile field supervision unit. In addition, he is a firearms and impact weapons instructor. He also teaches tactical medicine and is currently going through the leadership academy through the California Chief Probation association.

To start with, Officer Eger began by explaining the definition of probation. He states that “Individuals that in light of the law and what its allows in the eyes of the court, the probation

department feels that a person who has committed a crime, despite the nature of the crime, can be supervised in the community as opposed to going to prison or jail” Basically because of AB109, non-violent offenders have been released early from county jail, to finish the remainder of their sentence, with the supervision from the probation department. However, Inmates who are released early from state prison to finish out their sentence are supervised by a parole department, and not by the probation department.
There are different levels of probation, low, moderate and high risk supervision.

The caseloads for those considered on low probation are very high. These individuals don’t require high supervision, because they are offenders who have a job and the nature of their crime was non -violent. However, those who are on high supervision are often repeat offenders of violent crimes or have multiple DUIs. They are required to finish their sentence on house arrest and wear an ankle monitor that tracks their every move or a SCRAM device that monitors their alcohol intake. If an offender breaks their probation the PO can send them back to county jail for the remainder of their sentence. Nevertheless, the goal is to try and reduce recidivism by addressing the needs of these individuals by providing them with resources and aid to change their

behaviors.
I thought Officer Eger exemplified an outstanding demonstration on the specific training that is required to become a probation officer. Once again if I were twenty years younger, I could see myself pursuing this career. What I didn’t know and found to be interesting was that, probation officers are officers of the court and the judge is the main superior.