Sunday, July 17, through Saturday, July 23, will be observed nationally as Probation, Parole and Community Supervision Week. For more than 100 years, officers have been supervising offenders to make our communities a safer place to live. These unsung heroes dedicated their lives to serving crime victims and holding offenders accountable for the wrong they have committed to our families, friends, and our communities. It is through their care, their concern, and unselfish commitment to public safety that our communities are a safer place for our families.At the end of 2003 there were more than 4.8 million adults and more than 600,000 juveniles being supervised in our communities by these officers. They are responsible for more than two-thirds of the nation’s offenders under supervision or custody, yet they receive only one-third of the money allocated for custody and supervision of these offenders. The challenges they face are tremendous, yet they continue to make a difference. They make a difference thorough mentoring, interventions, rewards and sanctions, treatment, partnerships with other agencies and community groups, and by assisting offenders in their efforts toward leading a law-abiding lifestyle. They are professionals who constantly acquire knowledge of what motivates offenders and apply that knowledge in the most effective way possible. The work they do has become multifaceted — their work goes beyond supervision and surveillance of offenders — it has expanded to include working with victims in a much more involved capacity to ensure that restorative justice principles are addressed. All of this is done in an effort to ensure the highest level of public safety. Since the days of John Augustus, the "Father of Probation" who started probation in 1841, the atmosphere in which these dedicated professionals work has become more violent. The rise in the number of offenders under community supervision the impact of drugs, the availability and use of weapons and the increase of violent behavior contribute to the danger these officers face each day. During this week, honor and recognize the work these professionals do for us each and every day of the year. Rock/Nobles Community Corrections Executive BoardDon Basche Mike Harmon Jane WildungDavid BensonKenneth HoimeMike Winkels