Charter for Excellence
We, the members of Probation and Pretrial Services of the United States Courts, are a national system with shared professional identity, goals and values. We facilitate the fair administration of justice and provide continuity of services throughout the judicial process. We are outcome-driven and strive to make our communities safer and to make a positive difference in the lives of those we serve. We achieve success through interdependence, collaboration, and local innovation. We are committed to excellence as a system and to the principles embodied in this Charter.
We are a unique profession.
Our profession is distinguished by the unique combination of:
- A multidimensional knowledge base in law and human behavior;
- A mix of skills in investigation, communication, and analysis;
- A capacity to provide services and interventions from pretrial release through post-conviction supervision;
- A position of impartiality within the criminal justice system; and
- A responsibility to positively impact the community and the lives of victims,defendants, and offenders.
These goals matter most
Our system strives to achieve the organizational goals of: Upholding the constitutional principles of the presumption of innocence and the right against excessive bail for pretrial defendants by appropriately balancing community safety and risk of non-appearance with protection of individual liberties;
Provide objective investigations and reports with verified information and recommendations to assist the court in making fair pretrial release sentencing, and supervision decisions;
Ensuring defendant and offender compliance with court-ordered conditions through community-based supervision and partnerships;
Protecting the community through the use of controlling and correctional strategies designed to assess and manage risk;
Facilitating long-term, positive changes in defendants and offenders through proactive interventions; and
Promoting the fair, impartial, and just treatment of defendants and offenders throughout all phases of the system.
We stand by these values
Our values are mission-critical:
- Act with integrity
- Demonstrate commitment to and passion for our mission.
- Be effective stewards of public resources.
- Treat everyone with dignity and respect.
- Promote fairness in process and excellence in service to the courts and the community.
- Work together to foster a collegial environment.
- Be responsible and accountable.