Regular contacts depict personal interest and may assist in the family religion, motivation to help build strong family ties, and identify problem areas and increase trust.

 If for any reason, you are not able to continue your case assignment, please contact the Probation Officer immediately.  In order to further coordinate the “team effort” volunteers are requested to:

1.  Make a minimum of one weekly contact with the probationer and sufficient collateral contacts with family, employer or others to reinforce and strengthen supervisory programming.
2.  Submit a monthly resume or summary of contacts and activities of the probationer to the Probation Officer.
3.  Be alert and innovative for new approaches in successfully dealing with specific problems encountered by the probationer.
4.  Make a personal contact with the Probation Officer once each month either in person or by telephone.
5.  Advise of new ways and means which you feel will make probation more effective in meeting the needs of the offender and the society.

 Although the volunteer is nor an authoritarian figure ( a Probation Officer fulfills this role).....hopefully you will be the probationer’s friend, counselor and helpmate.  When reprieve, reprimand, or authoritative approach is in order, recommend the course of action to the Probation Officer.  DO NOT EXERCISE AUTHORITY OF YOUR OWN IN THIS REGARD!!!!!!!

 REMEMBER, major responsibilities of volunteers include empathy but not sympathy to the point where objectivity is lost.

 REMEMBER, information about probationers background and activities is classified and should be kept confidential between you and the Probation Officer.