Community Impact

As a component of the federal judiciary, the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office is fundamentally committed to providing protection to the public, assisting the Court in the fair administration of justice, and supporting long-term positive change in the individuals under our supervision. Ours is a challenging and rewarding career. Every day, the Probation and Pretrial Services staff work to promote public safety and make a positive difference in the lives of the people we serve. We strive to always perform our duties with the upmost professionalism, integrity and respect. Our office is both proud and humble to serve in our role within the communities. 

As officers of the Court, probation officers investigate and supervise persons charged with or convicted of federal crimes. Currently, our office supervises over 1,300 individuals across the 17 counties of Western New York (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming, Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates), with offices located in Buffalo and Rochester, New York. Probation officers have long been considered the eyes and ears of the federal judiciary.  Our officers are highly educated and extensively trained in a wide variety of disciplines from health and human services to law enforcement. Daily, our officers draw on a diverse and complex set of skills to perform their jobs, all while exhibiting the highest level of ethics and integrity. We partner with community agencies to offer re-entry services and rehabilitation resources such as: mental health treatment (including gambling and domestic violence programming); substance abuse treatment; sex offender treatment; stress, and anger management; employment, educational and vocational programming; legal aid assistance; and community service opportunities.

Further Programming by Our Officers:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Life Skills curriculum was developed by the National Curriculum & Training Institute (NCTI) and consists of weekly group sessions.  Each group is facilitated by certified U.S. Probation Officers, who have completed a NCTI Life Skills certification program. Evidence-based research has shown that CBT programs are directly correlated to reductions in recidivism. The NCTI program is designed to assist male participants with developing critical cognitive thinking skills by exploring how attitudes affect behavior, by identifying ways to gain better self-control, and by establishing a plan to implement positive, goal-directed behavior patterns. The goals of the CBT program are to educate; to provide positive behavior reinforcement; and to challenge participants to examine their criminal thinking.  More importantly, the program strives to help participants develop a personal plan to achieve success in their lives and to become a law-abiding contributing member of society. Each group member receives a certificate upon successful completion of this 14-week program.

• The Women’s Life Skills Program evolved from the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program, as the Probation and Pretrial Services Office recognized that women under supervision face significantly different challenges than their male counterparts. Studies suggest that nearly 90% of incarcerated women have experienced some form of trauma. Group sessions are designed to offer guidance and support to help women overcome negative behavioral patterns, become self-reliant, and enable them to be more productive in their environment. Women learn how to establish positive relationships and understand the process necessary to change negative behavior. The women explore a variety of issues ranging from relationships, life choices, family, decision making, support systems, role models, and violence. The program incorporates guest speakers with expertise in trauma-informed care, domestic violence, and holistic care. Each group member receives a certificate upon successful completion of this 11-week program. Groups are facilitated by certified U.S. Probation Officers, who have completed the National Curriculum & Training Institute (NCTI) Life Skills certification program.

• Staff Training Aimed at Reducing Re-arrest (STARR) - STARR is a set of skills aimed at helping reduce recidivism. U.S. Probation Officers are trained by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and participate in ongoing peer to peer coaching to further enhance skills. Officers who are trained in STARR techniques assist individuals under supervision with problem solving strategies designed to identify goals, behaviors, consequences, choices, and pro-social supports that can better equip them to be successful during and after their supervision ends. STARR fosters active listening; provides role clarification; and establishes a working alliance between an officer and individuals under supervision. With that being said, STARR also holds individuals accountable for negative behaviors by utilizing bridging skills, which include: effective disapproval; effective punishment or consequences; and effective use of authority.

• Pretrial Orientation - Annually, probation officers in both cities host an informative discussion with pretrial defendants prior to their incarceration. During the discussion, officers outline the rules and regulations of the Bureau of Prisons and local Residential Reentry Center; and provide pretrial defendants with important details relating to pre-custody child support modifications/Family Court issues. This community re-entry initiative serves to prepare pretrial defendants and their support network for the transition to and from the Bureau of Prisons, to maximize positive supervised release outcomes.

• Bi-annual resource fairs in both offices that bring together community partners to provide resources to those we supervise.

Staff-Community Engagement

The staff of the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office takes pride in our community presence. In doing so, staff engage in year-round activities such as: The United Way Day of Caring; Habitat for Humanity community outreach; college and university career fairs; internship program; and various charitable endeavors.