Fayette County's

state probation officers may not wear snazzy uniforms with shiny badges,

but they play integral roles in the local criminal justice system.

Probation officers

nationwide were honored last week during national Probation and Parole

Officers' week.

In addition

to keeping tabs on criminals sentenced to probation, the local probation

office also collects fines from probationers. From June 2000 to June 2001,

the total fines collected exceeded $319,000, said local probation officer

Fred Dennis.

When offenders

fail to pay fines or attend meetings with their probation officers, warrants

are taken out for their arrest, Dennis said. Of all the offenders arrested

for probation violation, he estimated that 20 percent of the cases involve

probationers committing new crimes.

For less risky

offenders, supervision from a probation officer can amount to a visit

at the probation office. But offenders with higher risks, such as sex

offenders, are likely visited at work or at home.

"With

sex offenders, for example, we'll look for toys or other signs because

they are not supposed to be around children," Dennis said. "We

also look for signs of drug activity."

Probationers

who violate the conditions of probation could be sentenced to serve the

rest of their probation in prison. But in many cases, the probation officer

recommends another action, such as attendance at a special drug treatment

program, Dennis said.

One such program

with a high success rate is the Griffin Rehabilitation Intervention Probation

Program, Dennis said. The intensive program requires several meetings

a week and numerous drug tests to insure the probationer is sticking to

the program, Dennis added.

"We can

revoke the balance of their probation if they fail to complete the program,"

Dennis said.

The Fayette

office currently handles almost 400 active cases locally, although it

takes only new felony cases from Superior Court. Local officers supervise

only probationers living here, Dennis said; persons convicted here who

live elsewhere have their probation transferred to their home counties,

he noted.

"Our mission

is to serve the courts, collaborate with different justice agencies and

most of all protect the public by effectively enforcing probation sentences,"

Dennis said.

Although most

probation violators are referred to the office by officials at the Fayette

County Jail, "snitches" also call to alert officers of other

violators, Dennis said. The office also has test kits which can detect

cocaine, marijuana, barbiturates and methamphetamine use, he added.

The probation

office is also responsible for compiling presentence investigations when

requested by the court or defense attorneys. Those investigations probe

into the defendant's criminal background so the judge can factor his or

her previous activity into the sentence for a particular crime.

Fayette's state

probation officers also compile an average of between 40 and 50 hours

of law enforcement training each year, Dennis said. State law only requires

probation officers to complete 20 hours of training yearly.