THE U.S. PROBATION AND PRETRIAL SERVICES SYSTEM

WHAT IT IS

The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System is a

part of the federal judiciary. The system’s mission is

to investigate and supervise defendants and

offenders. U.S. probation and pretrial services officers

provide these services. Their core

responsibilities–investigation, report preparation, and

supervision--are explained briefly below.

INVESTIGATION 

Officers investigate defendants and offenders for the

court by gathering and verifying information about

them. Pretrial services officers investigate defendants

who are charged with federal crimes and awaiting a

court hearing. Probation officers investigate offenders

who are convicted of crimes and awaiting sentencing,

as well as those who are serving a term of supervision

after release from prison.

REPORT PREPARATION

Officers prepare reports that the court relies on in

making decisions. These are pretrial services reports

that help the court decide whether to release or detain

defendants while they are waiting for trial and

presentence investigation reports that help the court

impose fair sentences for offenders in accordance

with federal sentencing guidelines and applicable

federal law. Officers also prepare other reports for the

court, including reports that address individuals’

adjustment to supervision and their compliance with

conditions of release. 

SUPERVISION

Officers supervise defendants and offenders in the

community and in doing so reduce the risk these

persons pose to the public. Pretrial services officers

supervise defendants released pending trial. 

Probation officers supervise offenders conditionally

released on probation by the court or on parole or

supervised release after they are released from

prison.

Officers intervene with a variety of strategies aimed at

maximizing defendant and offender success during

the period of supervision. These strategies include

techniques both to control and to correct the behavior

of persons under supervision to help ensure that

these individuals comply with the conditions of

release the court has set for them and remain law

abiding. As part of risk control–and by order of the

court--officers may direct defendants and offenders to

services that help them stay on the right side of the

law. These services include substance abuse or

mental health treatment, medical care, training, or

employment assistance. Treatment providers under

contract to the U.S. courts provide many of these

services. Social service resources provided by state

programs also are used. 

HISTORY

Congress laid the foundation for probation first. The

Federal Probation Act of 1925 established a probation

system in the U.S. courts and gave courts the power to

appoint probation officers and to place defendants on

probation. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

assumed responsibility for the probation system in

1940. 

Pretrial services came along more than 50 years after

probation as the means to reduce both crime

committed by persons released to the community

pending trial and unnecessary pretrial detention. The

Pretrial Services Act of 1982 authorized

implementation of pretrial services nationwide.

SOME FACTS AND FIGURES

–There are 94 U.S. district courts nationwide, which

include the U.S. territories. U.S. probation and pretrial

services offices are located in 93 of them. (Probation

and pretrial services for the District of the Northern

Mariana Islands are provided by the District of Guam.)

–37 of the districts have both a probation and pretrial

services office. In 55 of the districts, probation and

pretrial services are combined in one office headed by

a chief probation officer. In one district, the District of

Columbia, only the probation office is part of the

federal probation and pretrial services system. 
–Within the districts, U.S. probation and pretrial

services offices are established in more than 500

locations across the country.

–More than 8,100 officers and support employees

(including automation, personnel, budget,

procurement, and clerical employees) staff these

locations and make up the system.

–Congress annually appropriates funds for the

federal judiciary, and the system’s budget is part of

that. This funding is used to pay employee salaries

and support various programs for defendants and

offenders–substance abuse testing and treatment,

mental health treatment, and home confinement with

electronic monitoring.

DISTRICT-TO-DISTRICT VARIATIONS 

The system shares a mission and functions as a

single entity in many ways, but some characteristics 

vary district to district. Here are some examples:

–Number of officers. The number of officers on

board in each district depends on the district’s

workload. Some districts have fewer than 10

probation and pretrial services officers. Others have

more than 200. Just because a district is large

geographically does not mean that it has more

officers. For instance, the District of Alaska covers

568,000 square miles while the District of Rhode

Island covers just 1,200 square miles. Both have

about the same number of officers. 

–Workload. Officer workload is not the same in every

district. Sometimes efforts on the part of law

enforcement–the Department of Justice--generate

increases in arrests, for instance, for drug and

immigration crimes. Such action can dramatically

increase criminal filings in a given district and impact

the workload of judges and officers alike. 

Nationally, in fiscal year 2002, federal probation and

pretrial services officers supervised almost 186,000 

defendants and offenders and conducted more than

156,000 investigations. The chart on this page gives

more national workload statistics.

–Rural/urban differences. Working as a probation or

pretrial services officer in a big city is considerably

different than doing that same job in a rural or

sparsely populated area. Officers working in less

populated areas sometimes must travel long

distances to fulfill their supervision responsibilities. 

They may have access to fewer resources than their

urban counterparts do, especially for substance abuse

or mental health treatment and employment

assistance. On the other hand, officers in

metropolitan areas often must carry out their

supervision duties in high-crime areas. 

SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION 

Unlike many federal agencies, the U.S. probation and

pretrial services system is not centralized. Local

administration is in the hands of chief probation

officers and chief pretrial services officers, who are

directly responsible to the courts they serve. These

chiefs do their own hiring, manage their own budgets,

and retain considerable autonomy to run their offices.

Two national entities oversee and support the system. 

The Judicial Conference of the United States,

presided over by the Chief Justice, includes a group of

committees that sets policy for the courts. The Judicial

Conference’s Criminal Law Committee focuses

expressly on probation and pretrial services issues. 

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts carries

out the Judicial Conference’s policies and provides

the courts with a broad range of administrative,

management, and program support. The

Administrative Office’s Office of Probation and Pretrial

Services reviews the work of probation and pretrial

services offices, develops system policies, and

supports system programs. 

U.S. PROBATION & PRETRIAL SERVICES SYSTEM

(as of 9-30-02)

Persons Under Supervision in the Community

Convicted Offenders 108,792

Pretrial Defendants 26,282

Total Supervised 135,074

Types of Supervision (post-sentence)

Number on Supervised Release 73,189

Number on Probation 31,272

Number on Parole 3,014

Special Conditions

Home Confinement/Electronic Monitoring

Convicted Offenders 2,623

Pretrial Defendants 1,933

Substance Abuse Treatment

Convicted Offenders 35,763

Pretrial Defendants 8,009

Mental Health Treatment

Convicted Offenders 12,339

Pretrial Defendants 2,222

Investigations Conducted

Presentence Investigations 63,256

Pretrial Services 91,314

Office of Probation and Pretrial Services 

Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

January 2003