Name: Pat Scrutchions, 39
Occupation: U.S. parole/probation officer
Background: Scrutchions has a bachelor`s degree in sociology from Upper Iowa University and a master`s degree in social work from the Jane Addams School of Social Work of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Married and the mother of two children, Scrutchions has lived all of her life in the Chicago metropolitan area, with the exception of a few years spent in Iowa at school and working at a residential treatment facility for adolescents.
Years in present position: 13
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I could have gone several different ways with my training, but this area has always been fascinating to me. The issue of the law and people who have come in contact with the law makes this a very interesting field to be in. I have had an opportunity to meet individuals from all walks of life. I don`t think that I would have had that opportunity if I had been in the traditional social-work role.
We handle all federal cases of probation or parole. If a person is a first-time offender, he is more likely to be placed on probation than is a repeat offender. It also depends on the nature of the offense. If the offense is not serious-that is, there was no definitive threat on life, or the dollar- and-cents amount was not great-more than likely that person gets probation. But for a more serious crime, such as the selling of drugs, that person could almost expect a period of incarceration. I would not see those individuals again until they were later released on parole. The probation cases, which are by far the larger number, I would begin to see immediately.
We get cases of welfare fraud, armed bank robbery, postal theft, bank and corporate embezzlement schemes, selling of drugs and Greylord (judicial corruption) cases. That`s why I get to meet so many different types of people. A typical day begins between 9 and 9:30 a.m. I will usually see four or five people and might be assigned an investigation to conduct. When I confer with my probationers or parolees, we discuss the nature of their current situation. The three things I focus on are whether they`ve moved, changed jobs or been arrested. We might become even more involved by looking at whether or not they are working on any goals that we have set. I`m very goal-oriented. I`m very supportive on making sure that the individual begins following his goals.
They will often come to me with personal problems also. If it`s an issue that I know I can solve, I work with them toward a resolution. If a person tells me he`s having trouble financially, I look into why this is happening. If there is nothing that I can do to help, I refer him to an agency that can help him.
If a woman tells me that she is having trouble with her husband-abuse, for example-I try to help her as much as I can and then refer her to a community-based agency.
I recognize that becuase of the volume of work that I have, I can`t always provide the counseling that the individual needs. So I refer him to a community-based agency when the problem is too complex for me to handle in our sessions.
My case load is 55 individuals. A typical meeting may last anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour. I see them on an average of once a month, but some I see more often. I will see a person once a month if he has his life together in terms of being able to maintain employment, has good family relationships and has not become involved in other criminal activities. But the person who is unemployed, who is not doing anything productive with his or her life, may see me an average of twice a month.
When I first began this job, for example, I was working exclusively with a drug after-care case load. That took the best of me in terms of keeping in contact with these people. I had to see them more frequently because I was dealing with a more blatant problem.
If an investigation is assigned to me, it is a long process that may take anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2 hours to make the initial contacts. Basically, what I`m doing is gathering information that will assist me in completing a very lengthy investigation report, which could be 9 to 12 pages long. This is personal data information, which they give to me in person.
From time to time it`s necessary for me to go to court. Often this is for sentencing dispositions or because the court is considering revoking a person`s supervision. The court experience may take anywhere from five minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the complexity of the case.
I seldom take a lunch break because I often have to accommodate those people who work downtown and find it easier to come and see me during their lunch break. So I`m more or less accessible for the entire eight hours that I`m here.
I have a very long day, and there`s never a dull moment. Even though my day at the office stops at 5 p.m., it`s not unusual for me to take some work home and to complete it there. That`s when I have the quiet time and can do it.
One other requirement of this job is that we make community visits, including home and employment sites. My visits span the Chicago metropolitan area. I have people who live on the Gold Coast, on the West Side, the South Side and even in the south suburbs. These visits help me get a feel for the person and his environment. This can give me clues as to why the person behaves in a particular manner.
My experiences for the most part when I go out to neighborhoods are uneventful. The reason for that is that my people know that I`m coming. They generally have advised other people within the general vicinity that their probation officer is coming and have told them to act cool, to not come around at all.
Still, you always have to be on the lookout for suspicious activity. We do get ongoing self-defense training. Although I don`t have any special self- defense skills, I can assure you I know how to handle myself. One particular incident that happened in a Chicago Housing Authority project will illustrate this:
I was waiting for an elevator after visiting the apartment of one of my probationers. Just as I got on the elevator and the doors were about to close, three men jumped on. They did not look very friendly to me. The elevator stopped between floors, and the only thing that I could think of was the worst. Then I remembered what someone had told me about his experiences in jail: ”You either act crazy, or you go along with the program.” I decided to act crazy. And I think to this day that this may have saved my life.
I put on a performance that would have won me an Academy Award. I kicked the elevator. I screamed. I cursed. I called all kinds of names. I told the elevator what I would do to it if it didn`t get started. The three guys were completely amazed.
Finally, when the elevator started and it reached the first floor, you can just imagine what happened. I didn`t have to worry about my safety. The three men took one look at the elevator door opening and they bolted out. One of them said, ”That b—- is crazy.” Had I not thought fast about what to do, I might not be here today. That`s the common-sense method of self-defense. This job is probably most satisfying because of the success stories. There was one young lady who completed college while on probation, was able to get a job in the private sector and is doing fantastically. She needed to know that she had a second chance. I attempted to be very supportive of her during that period of probation, letting her know that she did have that second chance, that she could be successful and that regardless of what happened, she had to keep plugging away until she reached that goal of getting her college degree.
I have had cases where men have been written off as not being able to make it, and through the contact we have with each other, they recognize that they have a chance to move forward and make something out of their lives.
For every four or five failures, I think I do have a success story to tell. And it pleases me to be a part of it. So often you only hear of failures in the criminal justice system, but there are plenty of successes, too.