County Probation, About Us, Sumter County, Florida

The Sumter County Probation Bureau, established September 1981, is a department of the Board of Sumter County Commissioners. The department is charged with the duty of overseeing those persons sentenced on criminal offenses to misdemeanor probation. The individual is sentenced by the Judge, assigned a probation officer, set up with a case management plan, reports at least monthly to the assigned officer, and complies with the orders of the court. If the individual complies with the orders within the time frame specified their probation is successfully terminated and the case is closed. If, however, the individual fails to comply with the orders within the time frame specified, their probation is violated and generally a warrant is issued for their arrest. Probation is the liaison between the individual and the court.

In addition to the supervised probation program, this department also offers supervision for the Pre-Trial Intervention Program (PTI). The State Attorney offers PTI as an alternative to prosecution. If the individual complies with the specifics of a contract, the State Attorney, in most instances, will "drop" the case (decline to prosecute). The program is administered in much the same pattern as supervised probation.

The overall philosophy of this department is to assist an individual in the change process. Breaking cycles of violence, crime, and behavior patterns is the premise behind the use of probation by the courts. Probation in and of itself is not punishment although it may feel that way to some individuals. Probation is an alternative to jail and an effort by the court to hold the individual responsible for their conduct and display their responsibility back to the community.