CINCINNATI — Hamilton County is closing its probation substations in Price Hill, Avondale, Over-the-Rhine and Madisonville, the Court of Common Pleas General Division announced in a release.
The court said the 11 field officers currently working at substations will now operate out of the Hamilton County Court Administration building at 800 Broadway, with six officers focusing exclusively on field work without supervision responsibilities.
This restructuring, the court said, is the final phase of an effort to create a new model for probation officers based on data, best practices and the state-mandated Ohio Risk Assessment System. Under this new model, probation officers will specialize in one of the following areas:
- Elevated Supervision Unit (which ranges from Low-Moderate Risk Supervision, High-Very High Risk Supervision and Specialty Courts)
- Field Unit
- Administrative and Low-Risk Unit
- Intake Unit (which includes Pre-Sentence Investigation and ORAS Assessments)
"It doesn't make sense," said Betsy Sunderman, a current Domestic Relations Court judge.
WATCH: Hear the reasoning behind the decision and what to expect moving forward
Sunderman said that despite working with probation like General Division judges, she was told she couldn't have input on the decision.
"Why would we be cutting anything dealing with public safety or law enforcement resources?" Sunderman said. "If anything, we should have more substations."
Probation officers are required to apply for one or more of the units. Those in the Elevated Supervision Unit will get a 5% pay increase, and the court said no officers will get a pay cut or lose their position.
The probation substations opened more than 20 years ago to ensure those on probation were following the law and the rules of their release.
Chief Probation Officer Tiana Johnson said moving to a central office and having six of the current 11 field officers focus exclusively on field work without supervision would help the overall work they do and expand their reach.
"I saw how much time was lost managing both supervision and field visits. By centralizing and focusing our field work, we’re giving officers the ability to be present, reliable and effective in every corner of Hamilton County," Johnson said in a release.
The court also said it has requested funding from the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners for six new full-time probation officer positions for the next fiscal year.
Former Common Pleas Judge Curt Hartman disagrees with the decision completely.
"Substations are really a positive — it's a win-win situation when you look at the services you're looking to provide," Hartman said. "But also, the accountability for those who are placed on probation. Having a probation officer in the communities, they're able to have their finger on the pulse of what's happening. They know what's going on."
Price Hill Safety Community Action Team member and longtime resident Patti Hogan said closing the substations "disregards the will of the citizens."
"We'll be paying the price for this nonsense," Hogan said.
Hartman also expressed concern about the impact on people serving probation.
"For the probationers, I think it sets them up, almost for failure," Hartman said. "You know, having substations is a positive for probationers because they're able to get to their probation offices while still working, taking care of other stuff. Now we're going to force every probationer to come downtown; transportation's an issue."
We attempted to speak to some of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas judges who attended the meeting Thursday, but none would comment on the vote.
