Probation and Pretrial Officers Train at State-of-the-Art Facility

For its graduates, the Federal Probation and Pretrial Academy in Charleston, S.C., is often a life-changing experience. In this video, students and instructors discuss and also demonstrate the intensive new officer training that takes place at the academy, which covers everything from establishing meaningful relationships with defendants and offenders to responding to dangerous encounters.

Over the course of six weeks, student officers engage in both classroom learning and real-life simulations. Perhaps most importantly, they gain confidence in their skills and build relationships that will last their entire careers.

“It also allows us to form a culture so that we and the new officers here can help shape what we stand for, not only now but what we’re going stand for moving forward,” said Matthew Rowland, chief of the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office, part of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.  “And I think that’s only possible because you have a common experience, and the academy offers that common experience.”

Approximately 400 new officers graduate from the academy each year and another 800 graduate from one of the Academy’s advanced programs.  Use of the state-of-the-art training facility is made possible through a partnership between the Administrative Office of the US Courts and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.