Pilot program strains Lynn probation officers

LYNN – The number of people on probation in Lynn likely to commit a second crime has gone down thanks to a new risk-assessment system the Lynn Probation Department is using, but the demands of the system are taking a toll on the short-staffed department, said Chief Probation Officer Ronald Lennon.?With all the work, the [probation officers] are trying to keep their sanity,” Lennon said. “It?s really demanding and we?re a really busy court.”State probation commissioner Ronald Corbett Jr. asked the department to participate in the pilot program that focuses on identifying and targeting the risk factors that lead probationers to re-offend, Lennon said. While the program is helpful to analyze probationers, it takes an enormous amount of effort to carry through, Lennon said.Lennon said he has 15 probation officers carrying a caseload of over 1,600 cases. Coria Holland, communications director of the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, puts the number of cases at 1,735 – making the Lynn Probation Department this sixth busiest in the state. And, he adds, a statewide hiring freeze prevents Lennon from replacing any employees who leave or retire.Lennon quickly pointed out that his short-staffed department is just a representation of a statewide trend. Holland noted that Lynn?s probation department is “better positioned than a number of local departments,” like Quincy, New Bedford and Fall River, all of whom have caseloads over 2,100.Probation is a set of restrictions placed by judges on individuals who are charged with crimes or convicted of crimes. Probation officers meet with those individuals and monitor them to ensure they are abiding by the restrictions.But Lynn probation officers have the added responsibility of testing a system called the Ohio Risk Assessment System, which Lennon said is a “proven method” of developing trust between a person on probation and his or her assigned officer. It is designed to assess risk, match supervision and treatment to an offender?s risk-level and target criminal risk factors.?But it puts a real strain on the staff and it?s been very difficult,” Lennon said. “We?re one of the busiest courts volume-wise.”The system involves a lot of work for the probation officer up front, Lennon said. The officers have numerous meetings with their assigned probationers within a short period of time, giving all probationers the maximum amount of supervision for about two weeks. After that, they interview each individual for 45 minutes to determine their likelihood of committing another crime.?All this time they?re developing a relationship with the person and developing trust that you can lead them down the right path,” Lennon said.The officers have been using the tool with their actual cases since July, and underwent a 10-month training program for the tool before that, Lennon said. They?ve recently begun to see positive results in the form of a shift in the numbers – fewer high risk probationers and more moderate ones.?We?re seeing somewhat of a reduction in the caseload,” Lennon said. “But it?s a lot more work, a lot of back-and-forth with the [probation officer] and the probationer.”Holland said research has shown that this method of treating probationers individually based on their own characteristics reduces recidivism.?The Ohio Risk Assessment System is an instrument used to measure an individual?s risk of re-offending, as well as to identify risk factors,” Holland said. “When these risk factors are addressed, the likelihood of future criminal behavior is reduced.”Very high-risk probationers will meet with an officer three times a month, high-risk twice a month and moderate-risk once a month, Lennon said. The minimum amount of visits is once every three months. The level a person is placed at is determined by the extensive questioning, Lennon said.Lennon took over as head of the probation department last June with 33 years experience as a probation officer in Lynn.Taylor Provost can be reached at tprov