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BOPP celebrates 10 years, honors probation/parole officers’ work

boppNashville – The Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole (BOPP) celebrates 10 years as a merged probation and parole agency this month.  At the same time, BOPP is joining with other agencies across the country for Probation, Parole and Community Corrections Week to honor the probation and parole officers who supervise offenders.

The Board of Probation and Parole was created by the Legislature in 1999 when the role of the old Board of Paroles was expanded.  Besides managing parole in Tennessee, the new agency was given the additional assignment of monitoring probationers placed on supervision by the courts.  At the end of its first year as a merged agency, BOPP was supervising approximately 42,000 offenders.

Statistics gathered at the end of June 2009 showed BOPP officers now supervise 60,993 offenders, including 11,139 parolees and 49,854 probationers.  Community correction officers in locally run agencies supervise an additional 6,925 offenders placed on alternative sentences by judges.

Board Chairman Charles Traughber said, “The work done by probation and parole officers is challenging, but important.  Their efforts hold offenders accountable for their crimes, assist crime victims and contribute to safer Tennessee communities.”

As BOPP enters its 11th year, the agency has partnered with the Department of Correction on a joint plan to reduce recidivism, increase offender accountability and improve outcomes by addressing offender issues through appropriate evaluation, referrals, treatment and programming.  This plan is drawn from evidence-based practices shown to be effective in other jurisdictions.

BOPP Executive Director Bo Irvin said, “By using strategies and tools that have been productive in other jurisdictions, we will work to achieve similar results.  We’re training our officers in use of these methods, so they will be equipped to implement them.”

Probation and parole officers, as well as community correction officers, supervise and counsel offenders to make sure they complete the requirements ordered as conditions of community supervision.  They also encourage and motivate offenders to get the education, job training and life skills courses that will help them lead successful, productive lives in society.

For more information, contact Melissa McDonald at 615.532.8149.

About the Board of Probation and Parole

The Board of Probation and Parole is an independent seven-member board whose members are appointed by the Governor.  The Board is charged with the responsibility of deciding which eligible felony offenders will be granted parole and released from incarceration to community-based supervision.  Along with the supervision of those granted parole, the Board is also responsible for supervising felony offenders who are placed on probation by criminal courts.

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