[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 44 (Monday, March 10, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1628-S1629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CENTENNIAL OF THE PROBATION ACT OF 1925

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I rise today to mark the centennial of 
the Probation Act, which was signed into law on March 4, 1925. The law 
allowed Federal judges to include probation as part of a person's 
sentence, leading to the creation of the Federal probation system that 
we rely on today.
  The probation and pretrial services system have become a backbone of 
the Federal judiciary and the Federal criminal justice system. Over the 
past 100 years, the Federal probation system has grown to employ around 
7,600 personnel who work behind the scenes to assist judges and those 
involved in the criminal justice system. Through comprehensive 
investigations and reports, these officers and staff prepare judicial 
officers to make evidence-based decisions tailored to facts of every 
case. They also provide essential support and supervision to people 
returning home from prison, helping to rebuild lives while improving 
community safety.
  At home in Rhode Island, our Federal probation staff is at the heart 
of two successful programs to put people on path out of the criminal 
justice system for good. The HOPE Court--Helping Offenders Prepare for 
reEntry--launched in 2014, is a reentry court program that helps high 
risk and high needs individuals returning home from prison overcome 
challenges like substance use disorder that might lead them to 
reoffend. In 2021, Rhode Island created the Deferred Sentencing Program 
to offer a creative treatment and supervision program in place of 
incarceration to effectively address offender behavior, rehabilitation, 
and the safety of the community. Through both of these programs, 
probation officers and staff work with stakeholders to connect people 
with community services and resources that set them up for success.
  This week, Federal probation officers from across the country, 
including my home State of Rhode Island, gathered in our Nation's 
Capital to celebrate the progress made over the past hundred years and 
look ahead to its future. I extend my sincere gratitude to our Federal 
probation workers for dutifully protecting the communities they serve

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and for their commitment to promoting the fair administration of 
justice. As we mark this important anniversary, let us reaffirm our 
commitment to a criminal justice system that is fair, effective, and 
rehabilitative.

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