ABSTRACT
Demographic data was obtained from the six probation officers who took part in the investigation. The ethnic breakdown of the Probation Officers (POs) included one African American and five Caucasians. Several POs mentioned other specific professional work experiences that later enhanced their role as specialty probation officers. One PO's earlier contact and interactions with other types of offenders facilitated the PO's interest in the position prior to the decision to take the qualifying exams. Some of the POs revealed their personal experiences with mental illness, which they indicated enhanced their understanding of the many challenges that Probationers with Mental Illness (PMIs) have. They spoke of personal experiences with depression, and or having family members and close friends with varied mental health issues. The interviews with the POs revealed the types of cases and the nature of needs and presenting issues among the PMIs. The POs described their specialized caseloads as being relatively "small," ranging between 50 to close to 100 probationers.
