Juvenile Probation Officer, Jefferson Parish Department of Juvenile Services
Master of Arts, Sociology, 2012 | Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, 2010
I am employed by Jefferson Parish Department of Juvenile Services as a Juvenile Probation Officer with the Intensive Probation Program. I supervise a caseload of youth who have high likelihood of reoffending in the community. This supervision includes home, school and community settings.
The UNO Sociology Program equipped me with the knowledge to be an effective resource for the youth and families in the justice system. It is important to note that not all youth placed on probation are deviant; however, many have committed deviant act(s), which led them to the justice system. This program encouraged me to examine the social forces that contribute to the actions of each youth individually. Those social forces may include, but are not limited to, family criminogenic history, cultural values and norms, socioeconomic status and community risk factors. Understanding this information, the probation team is able to reestablish and/or create new norms and values within the youth and family to ensure every family walks away from probation with the skills to be successful.
From a research standpoint, the knowledge I acquired in this program continues to aid me in understanding the latest published information on restorative justice and evidence based practices that serve specific subsets of youth and their families. The UNO Sociology Program opened my mind to unique features of the world and prepared me for the intense pace of the working world. I am proud of the education I received from this program. #UNOProud