“[W]hen to be quiet, when to listen, when to step in, when to say no, and when to let them cry.” Gennine Hagar, with 30 years of experience as a probation officer, poignantly identified these as the most significant skills of a probation officer. In her oral history, taken by Kurt Hamrock for the Historical Society, Hagar shares her story of rising to become Chief Probation Officer for the US Probation Office in the District of Columbia, and all she experienced along the way.
The oral history reveals the bedrock decency that characterized Hagar’s approach to her crucially important work. “I don’t recall talking to any offender who wanted to return to crime or drugs,” she shared. “Overall, I would say 99.9% want to do the right thing, and live a decent life, but things happen – and it doesn’t end that way.” The events and changes that stand out, she shares, include “the AIDS epidemic and the ostracism that was associated with the disease; crack – severe addictions and long prison sentences; technology – it changed and continues to change everything; and the return to focusing on rehabilitation and treatment.” Hagar’s complete oral history, and Hamrock’s summary of it, are now available on the Society’s website here.