Minutes of the Board - 1957 - 01/17 - 01/19

Pres. Doyle advised the Board that he had caused to be prepared, on his own responsibility, a commendatory statement memorializing Chief Justice Earl Warren for his interest in Probation and Parole, and the support he has given the Probation-Parole movement throughout his public life. Mr. Doyle refused to accept reimbursement, or to state how much this had cost him. The Board voted to reimburse him in the amount of $20.00 for expense incurred anyway.

 

OLD BUSINESS: Pres. Doyle called for reports from the Standing Committees. These reports were brief and informal; Mr. Meador reporting for the Economic Comm. stated he would not be able to continue as Chairman as he will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 during his current term of office. He recommended that another Chairman be appointed.

 

Mr; Martin requested that he as Chairman of the Legislative Comm. receive a copy of the 'Federal Employees News Letter. After discussion it was agreed that all Officers of the Association receive· this publication. (The Secy.-Treas. later ordered subscriptions for all Officers except himself. This publication is received at the SD/NY Office through another subscription. The Secy.-Treas. thereafter subscribed to a separate publi­cation called Federal Civil Service Bi-Weekly News Letter for the same amount of money).

 

Mr. Nau reported on activity of the Professional Comm. The major work of this Committee was to produce the booklet on "Professional Standards" which was published for the organization by the Administrative Office. This booklet already is in rather wide circulation. It was agreed that the Secy.-Treas. would write to the Administrative Office Staff thanking them for assistance in publishing the booklet.

This meeting adjourned at 11 p.m.

 

January 18; 1957

Morning Session

The Executive Board convened in the office of Mr. Louis J. Sharp, Chief of Probation, Administrative Office, U.S. Courts at 9 a.m. While waiting to be called for an audience with Chief Justice Warren, several topics were discussed.

 

PROBATION CLERK SALARIES: There are several large districts where it has been necessary to appoint a Chief Clerk to administer the work of the other Probation Clerks. At present the maximum salary classification for this position is GS-6. Under the present salary and promotion plan approved by the Judicial Conference, a Chief Clerk is defined as a person who "supervises a large clerical staff.” The salary limit is fixed by the Judicial Conference which has gone on record as saying that it would not agree to promoting a Probation Clerk beyond GS-6 as long as there are Judges Secretaries in this classification. At present Judges Secretaries run from GS-5 to GS-8, and there is a proposal before the Judicial Conference to advance them one grade. This would still not do Probation Clerks any good as long as their salaries must be compared to Judges Secretaries. This matter was considered by the Judicial Conference and, Mr. Sharp reported, the Judicial Conference did not feel that Clerk-Stenographers were now under-classified. Some of the members of the Board felt that FPOA should go on record as recommending to the Judicial Conference that Chief Clerks be permitted to progress through GS-7. This was voted. Mr. Sharp stated there would be a special meeting of the Judicial Conference Committee on Supporting Personnel in March, and if we wanted to get any recommendations before this group, a letter should be written in time to reach Judge Biggs before the meeting. He added the comment that the Probation Service has greater flexibility in promotion than regular Civil Service positions because Probation System people are able to progress through various salary classification stages, without passing Civil Service Examinations. In the regular Civil Service it is impossible to move from GS-4 to GS-5 without passing an examination, and the same for moving into GS-6. Our Officer classifications are also not subject to Civil Service promotional tests. Mr. Sharp also expressed a need for information on duties and activities of Chief Clerks, especially from the larger offices.

 

CHIEF PO CLASSIFICATIONS: The discussion then turned to inequities in the Chief PO classifications which were created by the upgrading of salaries effective July 1, 1956. Mr. Sharp stated there are now 11 metropolitan districts, which have Chief Probation' Officers in Grade GS-14, whereas prior to July 1, 1956 there were 22 metropolitan districts in which the Chief PO’s were classified in Grade GS-12. At present there are 19 Chief PO's who, because of prior service as a Chief PO, were classified in Grade GS-13 and there are 65 Chief PO's who are classified in Grade GS-12. According to the present salary classification plan a Chief PO cannot move into Grade GS-13 until he has been in Grade 12 at least 3 years. This means that CPO's in smaller districts, who have prior to July 1, 1956 been classified in GS-10 or GS-11 must wait out 3 years in GS-l2, whereas CPO's who were in GS-12 prior to July 1, 1956 (the 11 “metropolitan districts” not now so classified) were able to move into GS-13 immediately. It was felt by some members of the Board that this created an unfair situation as some CPO's who had been Chief Officers for many years find themselves several promotion grades behind CPO's with fewer years ex­perience and perhaps little more in the way of office responsibility who were fortunate enough to be in the class of office previously classified as "metropolitan area." Mr. Sharp indicated the Administrative Office would be glad to consider any recommendation which the FPOA Board wished to make in this regard.

 

VISIT WITH MR CHANDLER: At approximately 10 a.m. the Board and Mr. Merrill Smith, Asst. Chief of Probation, visited the office of Mr. Elmore Whitehurst, Acting Director of the Administrative Office for an interview with Mr. Henry P. Chandler, retired Director of the Administrative Office. Mr. Chandler expressed thanks to all Federal Probation Officers for the gift of a Fisher Hi-Fi Phonograph and Record Player. He indicated that he is still keenly interested in Federal Probation and would be glad to help in any way he can in furthering the cause of the Federal Probation Service. He felt there was a tremendous opportunity for advancement as the result of our regent increases in salary and staff, and recommended that Federal Probation Officers consider research as a valid part of their work. He thought plans might be worked out in cooperation with local Universities. He commended the FPOA for its splendid work and help to the Administrative Office in securing the reclassification and remarked that he thought it was appropriate that FPOA Board represent the different kinds of Federal jurisdictions, pointing out that on the Board were members from metropolitan as well as the rural areas.

 

AUDIENCE WITH GHIEF JUSTICE: The members of the Board and Mr. Sharp then went to the Chambers of Chief Justice Earl Warren where Pres. Doyle presented him with the scroll. Chief Justice Warren commented on the desirability of better interpretation of Probation and its needs to the District Judges and through them to the Judicial Conference. He recommended that Probation Officers make themselves known to the Courts. He assured the group of his continued support of Probation.

 

AFTERNOON SESSION

Room 343 Continental Hotel

This was the formal annual business meeting of the FPOA Board and was cal1ed to order by Pres. Doyle. The Minutes of the special meetings of the Executive Board on June 25th and June 26, 1956 were read and approved.

The Secy.-Treas. reported on the results of the election held pursuant to Constitutional Provision and reported in FPOA NEWS LETTER November 30, 1956. Mr. Meador reported he had been unable to attend the Conference of Correction in Los Angeles during August, 1956 as the official delegate of the FPOA due to his own serious illness at that time.

 

TREASURER'S REPORT: Travel and per diem expenses for this meeting total $1139.35. Additional expenses come to $40.63 for a total charge against the Treasury of $1179.98. This means the Treasury is $291.99 short of paying all bills at this time. Mr. Sayler requested that the Board members hold their checks until January 25th before depositing them in order for sufficient funds to have been received from dues and deposited in the bank account to cover the checks. All agreed.

 

YOUTH DIVISION REQUEST: Mr. Glenn C. Petty, Youth Division Executive was invited to attend as a special guest. He stated the Youth Division of the U.S. Parole Board had noted a need for better and more complete reporting of parole plans. There have been about 1000 commitments under the Youth Corrections Act and approximately 300 releases. The average time served on parole is a little over a year. Some offices have given special consideration to Youth Offender treatment. The Detroit office has three men assigned to supervise Youth Offenders, with a case load of about 45 cases per man. Mr. Petty wondered if the FPOA could form a special committee to study and make recommendations concerning release procedures for Youthful Offenders, and report back to the FPOA Executive Board and to the Parole Board. The Board agreed to be of assistance in this project, committee to be appointed later by the President.

Mr. Petty reported that the Youth Division of the Parole Board will very soon be moving out of the HOLC Building to the Pennsylvania Building on Pennsylvania Avenue and 13th Street, NW.

 

MR. SHARP: Mr. Sharp came in about 4 p.m., accompanied by Assistants Victor H. Evjen and Merrill A. Smith. He gave general information about the present state of the Federal Probation System. Advised that Congress had been quite generous in the budgetary provisions for fiscal year 1957, but had not increased travel appropriations in proportion to the increase in personnel authorizations. The Administrative Office has eleven twelfths of the money requested for travel expenses for the new Probation Officers and with planning, can manage. For fiscal 1958 the Adminis­trative Office is requesting $1250.00 per year per Officer for travel.

Mr. Sharp reported that all but two of' the new Officers appointed during he past year have been to the Chicago Training School. The next session will be February 10, 1957. There will be an advanced group in May.  

Mr. Sharp further stated that several USPOs had been caught by the mandatory retirement law, and did not have adequate warning. Some had been re-appointed on a 1 year appointment basis, others were required to retire.

Progress is being made toward incorporating the minimum standards of selection at present stated only as recommendations by the Judicial Conference, and when that happens, it will then be mandatory for a Probation Officer appointee to meet the minimum standards. Mr. Sharp indicated there had been one or two men appointed d1Jlring the past year who did not meet these standards.

Mr. Sharp was asked regarding progress toward Regional Supervisors. He stated one of the major problems faced by the Administrative Office is that of space. Even if Regional Supervisors were authorized, there is no place to put them in the Supreme Court Building. There has been talk of moving the Administrative Office to another building, but none is available in Washington. In the budget for fiscal 1957 Congress has authorized the appointment of another Assistant Chief of Probation, but there has been difficulty in filling this position due to the low salary, Grade GS-11 being offered. There is no news about appointment of a new Director for the Administrative Office. Salary for the Director is $20,000.00 per year, for Assistant Director $18,000.00 and Division Heads are in Grade GS-15 which carries a salary range of $11,611.00 to $12,690.00, plus longevity increments after the 5th increment. The members of the Board complimented Mr. Sharp, Mr. Evjen and Mr. Smith on the effectiveness of the Training School at Chicago. The three men asked for an official FPOA opinion on the value of the Training School as compared to the Bi-Annual Training Conferences. The next Training Schools will be held during the summer of 1957. The North Central group will probably be in August and the South Eastern and South West­ern groups will be combined probably late in July.

As the three gentlemen were leaving, Mr. Lewis Grout, member, U.S. Parole Board, came in and invited the Executive Board to his house for the evening.

Following the departure of the Administrative Office group, Mr. Grout and Mr. Petty, there was a discussion of a general nature regarding some of the suggestions the FPOA Board will make to the Administrative Office. One of these concerned a revision of the Federal Probation Officers Directory. It was felt desirable to request Mr. Sharp to publish the Directory in loose-leaf form, giving a full page to each district, setting forth the Counties served by each individual unit office, a statement on correspondence policies such as whether the Chief Probation Officer wanted to receive a copy of correspondence which was sent to one of his outlying units, and the terms of Court as given in the Dept. of Justice Directory with which each office was formerly supplied.

It was also recommended that the Directory carry the names of the Parole Board, their address, telephone number and names of the Parole Executive and Youth Executive.

The matter of encouraging former Probation Officers to join the Associa­tion was discussed. It was suggested that former pots be granted membership privileges at one-half the regular dues. No action was taken by the Board as this would create a special course of membership which would require a Constitutional Amendment.

Pres. Doyle asked Logan Webster to act as Chairman of the Economic Committee, with the rest of the members to be named at a later date. Mr. Webster accepted.

Pres. Doyle asked Marshall McKinney to act as Chairman of the Special Study Committee on Release Procedures for Youth Offenders, with the balance of the Committee to be named at a later date.

Consideration was given to the need, in many districts, for additional office space. There are some new Federal Buildings being planned throughout the Country. It was felt that Federal Probation Officers should make their needs known to the Chief Judges in their respective districts, as the Chief Judge has a great deal to say about the design of new buildings and the allocation of space. It would also be wise for Probation Officers to write to Mr. Sharp and Mr. Collier regarding space needs.

It was the consensus of the Board that the effectiveness of USP0’S was greatly handicapped by lack of parking space. The experience of several Officers was given. In the design of a new building, there should be planned parking spaces for Court personnel requiring the use of automobiles. The Board further felt that Probation Officers should be reimbursed for parking fees incurred while on official travel, es­pecially overnight garage rent which is now deducted from the per diem allotment. The Board regards parking fees as in the same category as bridge and parkway tolls which are now reimbursable separate from the mileage allotment.

At 6 p.m. the Board decided to adjourn for dinner and reconvene for final b11siness session at 9 a.m. Saturday morning, January 19th.

INFORMAL SESSION HOME OF MR. & MRS. LEWIS J. GROUT 2601 NORTH JEFFERSON STREET ARLINGTON 7, VIRGINIA

           

All members of the FPOA Board were present plus Mr. Merrill Smith and Mr. Glenn Petty. Also present were members of the Parole Board, Hon. Scovel Richardson, Chairman – Hon. William F. Howland, Member and Mr. Grout, the host. Mr. James V. Bennett, Director of the Bureau of Prisons dropped in later in the evening.

/s/ ARCH E. SAYLER  

Secy.-Treas. FPOA Executive Board

 

 

January 19, 1957

Room 343, Continental Hotel Washington, D. C.

FINAL BUSINESS SESSION - ALL MEMBERS PRESENT:

This was regarded as an action session with all present agreeing to hold discussion to a minimum.

SALARY INEQUITIES: As indicated on page 3 of these Minutes, there is some inequity in salaries for Chief Probation Officers. Logan Webster moved that the FPOA recommend to the Administrative Office that the wording of Chief Probation Officer-13 definition be changed to read:

"In charge of office with at least one other Probation Officer, plus 3 years in GS-12 or six years as a U.S. Probation Officer." Seconded by Cal Meador - carried unanimously.

Calvin Meador moved that the FPOA recommend to the Administrative Office that salary ceiling of Chief Clerks in U.S. Probation Offices be raised to GS-7~ Seconded by Drexel Martin - passed unanimously. There was discussion about recommending raising clerical ceilings from grade 5 to grade 6, but no action was taken.

There are several offices in which there is one Probation Officer who, under the present regulations, cannot progress beyond GS-11. Some requests have been received for FPOA to recommend that Officers who have reached their maximum, GS-11, be permitted to go automatically into GS-12 which is the Supervising Probation Officer classification. This matter was given consideration and tabled with no action taken.

PERSONNEL 1ffiEDS: The FPOA Board was in unanimous agreement that the service would be strengthened by the appointment of Regional coordinators who would be a liaison between the Field Officers and the Administrative Office staff, would have their headquarters in Washington, D.C., but would spend most of their time serving the geographical area to which assigned. Claude Goza moved that the FPOA Board strongly recommend that Regional Coordinators be appointed for the five existing geographical regions. Seconded by Marshall McKinney and passed unanimously.

The Board discussed the need for additional Officers. In the Adminis­trative Office request for personnel for fiscal 1957, there was a request for 118 additional Officers. The Congress granted 90. The 28 Officers which were not granted will be requested in budget estimates for fiscal 1958. It was agreed that the FPOA should support this request.

Arch Sayler proposed the need for specialists in the large metropolitan offices, especially as employment consultants. The rest of the Board felt this service was adequately supplied by State Employment Agencies and did not think the Administrative Office should ask Congress for funds to be used in this way. Calvin Meador who has the largest office in the system (28 Officers and 20 Clerks) advised that he has appoint­ed one of his Officers to work part-time on employment needs. No action was taken by the Board.

OFFICE SPACE: This was deemed to be a local problem on which the FPOA need not take a stand. The Administrative Office has offered to give assistance in requesting building space through General Services Administration, and this fact should be publicized through the FPOA NEWS LETTER. If new buildings are being built, Chief Probation Officers and Probation Officers in Charge of Units should be urged to put in applications for space through their Chief Judge, at the earliest possible date.

PARKING ACCOMMODATIONS: As lack of adequate parking facilities is a great handicap to USPO's, the FPOA Board voted to go on record as urging the Administrative Office to attempt to develop a plan either for reimbursing Officers for parking fees or for providing parking facilities at Government expense. All Probation Officers are urged to request parking facilities in new buildings that are being planned.

RESEARCH: The value of adequate research is not questioned. There is some discussion as to whether the FPOA Board should recommend that a research specialist be added to the Administrative Office staff. It was felt that we should urge Regional Coordinators as being more essential than research specialists at this time. In his informal comments to the Board, Mr. Chandler had suggested that individual offices affiliate with Universities for research purposes. It was felt this is a good scheme and workable in certain areas. The matter was tabled for the present.

IN SERVICE TRAINING: The question of the value of the Chicago Training School as compared to Regional Conferences conducted every second year was discussed. The Board felt that both methods of In Service Training were valuable, but if either were to be sacrificed, it should be the Bi-Annual Conference. It was felt that older Officers who were in service prior to the establishment of the Chicago Training School should be invited to Chicago for refresher courses as funds permit.

REHABILITATION FUNDS: Cal Meador and Arch Sayler reported on re­habilitation funds provided through private organizations. The question has been raised that the Probation System should request Congress for funds to be used to assist ex-prisoners and probationers to become re­established. The Board members believed such a fund would be a duplication of existing Welfare organizations. In a private talk with Mr. James V. Bennett on January 18th, Arch Sayler had learned that the Bureau of Prisons set aside certain funds for the use of former inmates and this could probably be made available to be used by Probation Officers if the former inmates were in need of help after reaching their home community. The Board felt that anything of this nature should be worked out on an individual office basis, and no request should be made to Congress for money.

DUES: The FPOA is an organization which needs funds and should have a substantial bank account in order to take care of emergency situations. It may grow in size to the point where it needs to pay a Secy.-Treas. Marshall McKinney felt that the organization was either going to be a strong, active association or it would deteriorate. He recommended that the dues go to $7.50 during 1958. He later moved that the Board go on record as favoring an increase in dues for the purpose of building up the treasury, and to keep the organization from constantly operating on a shoe string. He also recommended that dues for former Probation Officers be set-at one-half the rate for active Probation Officers4 Drexel Martin moved that the Board recommend to the membership that dues be raised from $5.00 to $10.00 per year for active Probation Officers, and that this proposal be submitted to the membership for approval. $10.00 dues to become effective January 1, 1958. This motion was seconded by Logan Webster and passed by unanimous ballot.

GIFTS: Several gifts have been received by the Secy.-Treas. from members of the organization who wanted to support the FPOA more than dues alone. After discussion it was agreed that gifts could be accepted from members, but no gift should be accepted from a person outside the organization unless it was determined by vote of the Executive Committee.

COMMITTEES: Standing Committees are to remain except for the sub­stitution of Logan Webster as Chairman of the Economic Committee from which Calvin Meador resigned. Marshall McKinney to act as Chairman of the Special Committee to be appointed by Pres. Doyle for study of the Youth Offender Parole recommendations.

COMMENDATION: The Board voted to go on record commending the Chicago Office for the excellent job it has done in operating the U.S. Probation Officers Training School, and also to formally thank the staff of the Administrative Office for the cooperation in editing and printing the Professional Standards of U.S. Probation Officers.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/Arch E. Sayler Secy.-Treas. FPOA Executive Board

May 23, 1957