Probation reform should extend to juvenile division

This is actually an Op.Ed. piece that came from the Boston Globe in response to an article regarding the Patrick Administration's decision to move the Office of the Commissioner of Probation. Currently, the Office of the Commissioner of Probation is under the supervision of the state court system. Governor Patrick wants to move the Probation department to the executive level where a watchful eye can ensure that everything is running smoothly.
Unfortunately, many of the probation officers are not even equired to take Civil Service examinations, unlike other public safety personnel, including parole and corrections officers. The only requirements to become a probation officer in Massachusetts are a Bachelor's Degree and one years experience in Human Services. With the new oversight of this department, we may definitely see a positive change in the Probation Department.
In this article, the author mentions the Juvenile Probation Department which is a separate component of the Adult Probation Dept. It is important that all of the components of the Probation Department be moved. Currently, the model of juvenile probation is one of law enforcement. The juvenile justice system is based on the rehabilitation and treatment of children, as opposed to punishment. This could result in the training of juvenile probation officers in social work.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2010/01/30/probation_reform_should_extend_to_juvenile_division/

NOTE: The link to the original piece is at the beginning of the article.