The Agency and Its Environment:

The U.S. Probation Office of the Northern District of Illinois consists of four branch offices, including the one to which I was assigned in downtown, Chicago, at 55 East Monroe. The three other existing branch offices are located in Gurnee, Lisle, and Rockford, Illinois. The U.S. Probation Office of the Northern District of Illinois is run by the Chief Probation Officer, William T. Foster, and Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officers James Fogerty and Richard Tracy.

The clients that are served by the U.S. Federal Probation Office are persons convicted and found guilty of any Federal offense. Probation is a form of alternative criminal sentencing that allows an individual to remain within the community instead of being incarcerated. However, while on probation the individual must comply with strict rules and regulations such as community service, payment of fines, drug and or alcohol counseling, mental health counseling, and routine drug testing. Failure to comply with the standards of their probation term can result in revocation of probation and incarceration.

I began my Internship with Federal Probation in August 1998. I was very much looking forward to the opportunity that I had been given by the Internship Program at University of Illinois at Chicago and the Federal Probation office. The idea of an internship was one that had been suggested to me throughout my college career and I was finally able to embark on this educational journey. My first day was spent touring the office and meeting people. Two new Probation Officer Assistants (POA's) who were starting their first day accompanied me in the tour of the facility and the introductions to various people. I continued to be trained with the POA's throughout the remainder of my internship and developed some nice friendships.

In addition to the Monroe Office, I was also introduced to the Federal Building located in the Loop, downtown, Chicago. I had never stepped foot into the Federal Building prior to my internship, so, naturally I was in awe of the high security and numerous guards that were present at the entry. The combination of guards, high ceilings, waxed marble like floors, and banks of elevators surrounded me, making me feel small and at the mercy of some higher being, The Federal Government.  It was at this point I realized the "authority' one can have when being simply accompanied by federal employees. I was with a probation officer who simply presented her badge to the security guards, allowing us access with a smile and greeting. As I walked through the security gates, passed the guards and the line of people on the other side, who unlike myself, had to endure the security procedures, I experienced a sense of importance and trust. Yes, I in fact, was part of a federal justice team conducting official business, beginning to embark on a journey that I will never forget.

Professional Colleagues... My Coaches:

The Federal Probation office of my internship was separated into two divisions: the Pre Sentence Investigation division (PSI) and Supervision. Officers who are in the Pre Sentence Investigation division prepare PSI Reports, reports that are prepared prior to one's sentencing that include both the personal and criminal histories of the individual. Based on the information compiled within this report and taking into account the Sentencing Guidelines, the Officer then makes a sentencing recommendation. Once the report is finished the Officer then appears in court on the sentencing date of the offender and presents their PSI report, including their recommended sentencing to the Judge. A Supervision Officer, on the other hand, does not have the function of preparing PSI reports, but rather Supervises individuals who are already sentenced to their term of probation. Supervision officers overall have more personal contact with offenders than do the PSI officers. A Supervision officer spends an average of two days a week in the field conducting home visits and work visits to their clients. As an intern, I was lucky enough to experience both Supervision and Pre Sentence Investigation.

My supervisor during my internship, U.S. Probation Officer Kelly Rice, a career professional in the Pre Sentence Investigation division. I was guided through and awarded experience with Pre Sentence Investigations, a process that requires a great deal of in- depth research and investigation and usually consist of about 30 pages. Due to my limited time at the Office, I was not able to go in depth into PSI's, but I did receive an informative overview of what the process consisted of and its role within the court system.  Moreover, I gained firsthand knowledge and experience with the supervision department and had the rare opportunity of accompanying an officer on field visits three times during my internship.

On my first field visit I was quite nervous, but was soon set at ease by the officer I accompanied. The field visits were a combination of home visits and visits to offenders at their place of employment. I was very impressed with the level of professionalism that the supervision officers displayed when they were visiting offenders. The officers seemed to have a perfect balance of professional attitude combined with a down-to-earth quality of interaction. The officers acted professionally on all levels and tried not to forget that their offenders were people too. During my experience with the supervision department, I observed that the officers seem go by the rule of "jf you respect me, then I'll respect you." One of the most important observations I made was the emphasis that is put on communicating with offenders. It is important to stress the standards that must be followed in order for an offender to successfully complete their probation term. I also observed the importance of role playing. In some situations the Probation officer must put on the "cop hat" if the offender is not complying with the terms of their probation and give them warnings. Other situations may require the Officer to put on the "social worker hat" if the offender is having problems with rehabilitation and may need more counseling.

Another duty that I performed was observing the interviewing of offenders, both as part of the Pre Sentence Investigation Report and Supervision. I sat in on four interviews with offenders. The interviews that I observed lasted about one hour each and consisted of mainly affirming personal information about the offender contained in their reports (name, address, age, etc.). In the instances of the Supervision interviews the Officers explained in detail the terms and conditions that the offender was to comply with during their probation and their anticipated goals of rehabilitation. Although I observed four interviews, I spent the majority of my time conducting Collateral Investigations.

Collateral Investigations consist of conducting local, state, and FBI background checks on an offender necessary to the requesting Probation Officer. I dealt in particular with offenders in Cook County jurisdiction who were being convicted of a Federal Crime. The collateral investigations included requests from Probation Officers nationwide. Not only did I have the opportunity to improve my writing ability, but I also enhanced my research skills. Investigating and researching an offenders background plays a very important role in preparing collateral investigations. I had the experience of learning how to request court documents and how to interpret and evaluate the language used in these documents. Upon completion of conducting the Collateral Investigations, I found that I learned something new and valuable each time.

A Valuable Journey:

During my time at U.S. Federal Probation I never once felt that I could not ask questions or that I would not receive any help that I might have been seeking. The demeanor of the people within the agency was continually professional, open and welcoming. I am grateful in many respects that I was able to complete my internship with this agency. Not only did I learn about Probation and the Criminal Justice System, but I believe I gained valuable knowledge of life that will help me to succeed in my future as a college graduate.

Upon completion of my internship with Federal Probation, I realized how much this experience not only added to my education but that it also provided the fuel that increased my desire to work within the field of Probation. I hold a belief in the idea of rehabilitation. I believe that if an individual is furnished with the right tools, programs, and the combined efforts of the probation officer and the offender, a chance to change one1s life is within our reach.  Respectfully Submitted,  Rachel Poston - (March 26, 1999)

Rachel with Foster and Prof. Maghan	Associate Dean Lawrence S. Poston         Rachel with Her Father