This summer, the American Probation and Parole Association named Jacqueline Forbes its 2004 Scotia Knouff Line Officer of the Year.  Forbes, a community corrections officer for the Probation Unit of the Community Corrections Division of the Orange County Department of Corrections, was recognized for her success in supervising probationers on the county's prostitution mapping zone caseload.

In 2000, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff's Office and other area law enforcement agencies collaborated to create the prostitution mapping zone – a designated area of the city where prostitution and drug use is common.  Soon after, Forbes was tapped to supervise offenders who, as a condition of their probation, are prohibited from entering that zone.

Forbes' dedication to helping her clients change their lives earned her an APPA national award this year, which came as both a surprise and an honor, she said. 

Recently, The Corrections Connection talked with the University of Florida graduate about her accomplishments in the corrections field as well as what keeps her coming back to work each day.

Q: What led you to the corrections field?

Forbes: Actually, I always wanted to work for the government.  When I graduated from college that was one of my goals.  I worked at a treatment center and a psychiatric hospital, for four years.  I attempted to get a corrections job twice [and then] I finally got in.  I always just wanted to work for the government, so it worked out perfect for me.

When I started 11 years ago, I started as a life skills specialist and to translate that for you, I actually taught the inmates life skills in the horizon [at] the Orange County Jail.

Then, I worked in the classification department for four years.  And after that, I went to the assessment unit, which is actually the unit that, when inmates are booked, they are given a substance abuse, life circumstances evaluations.  I was one of the people [who] actually administered that test and scored it and recommended the inmates to the different programs based on their needs, their goals and what would be helpful to them.

In June 1999, I came to the probation unit.  I [became] interested in probation while I was working at the jail.

Now, as a community corrections officer, I only deal with probationers - anyone sent to misdemeanor probation for a prostitution related charge.  They're sentences to a year or less probation and one of their conditions of probation is that they are not to return to the prostitution mapping zone. 

Q: What is the prostitution mapping zone?

Forbes:  Basically, the prostitution mapping zone is an area here in Orlando that is four blocks wide.  How is started was, of course, business owners and residents were complaining about the fact that they can not give away their business or their property due to that fact that there is so much prostitution and drugs in the area.  So, [area law enforcement agencies] created the mapping zone.  It was a collaborative effort between, at that time, the metro bureau of investigation, the Orlando police department and the Orange County Sheriff's Office.  When it was created in January of 2000,  they made it a condition of probation.  If at any time [the probationers]  return to the prostitution mapping zone while they are on probation, the police can arrest them for a violation of probation.  There's a list that is kept [and we update it on a weekly basis to] make sure that all of the dates are correct [for people who] are placed in the system.  If a police officer sees a gentleman or a lady on the street, they can run their names and see if they are mapped or not.

I came on board when the mapping zone was already created.  I used to do the domestic violence caseload.   I only did that for a few months, then I was tapped to become the officer who oversees the prostitution mapping zone.

From that point forth, my role [has been] to ensure that [the offenders] comply with their conditions of probation set forth by the judge. [I try to help them become] successful and productive citizens of Orange County.

Right now, I would say [I have] 78 [probationers] on my caseload.  It has gone down from 350 - it was quite high for a very, very long time. 

Q: What are some of your daily activities?

Forbes: On a daily basis, I would come into the office and, of course, I would see the probationers or offenders.  They'll report in and [for] each person, I would go over their specific conditions of probation and all their due dates because the main thing is to make sure they finish everything, such as treatment, by the deadline they are given by the judge.  [One common treatment  program for my probationers is]  AIDS awareness class.  They have to do a HIV test, treatment sometimes is included and community service is included [as a condition of probation] at times.

After I meet with them, I give them another appointment.  At times, we [also] give them a urinalysis.  Each officer administers their own urinalysis. 

The rest of my day consists of writing warrants, especially with this caseload.  I have more johns now than I do actually prostitutes.  [I do] paperwork, data entry, warrants - to prepare them for the judge – [and] sometimes [I go] to court.  It just depends on the day.

Q: Who do you supervise?

Forbes: The prostitutes range from people who are doing it for drug reasons all the way up to professionals, or people who have [just] gotten caught up [in it].  I have seen housewives that were financially abused at home.  They felt they had to go out there [and prostitute themselves] for more money.  [Also, there are] professionals that have very good jobs.  The johns tend to be clean cut.  They all are employed.  Very few are unemployed and they usually do not have a history. The prostitutes range from a lot  of history all the way to zero history.  I have female and male prostitutes and, usually, it's just male johns.

Q: What are some of the challenges of working in the probation field?

Forbes: The challenges are that you deal with so many different people from different walks of life, which you really have to learn how to adapt to and focus in on what would benefit them, [considering] their background.  Just being able to make sure you understand where that person is coming from to make sure that you actually help them.

Q: How successful have you been in working with this caseload?

Forbes: With this caseload, the success rate from the day it started is around 30 percent.  It is not as high as other caseloads, but it's higher than prostitution caseloads have been in the past.  Prostitution offenders were not on one caseload before – [they were] spread out throughout probation.

Q: What does receiving the 2004 Scotia Knouff Line Officer of the Year mean to you?

Forbes: I received the Scotia Knouff Line Officer of the Year award on July 25, 2004. [It was] very much a surprise for me.  It was for my work in probation [with] my caseload.  It is very prestigious.  They picked me out of the whole nation for the award as the probation, parole, community corrections officer who has performed their assigned duties in an outstanding manner.

I deserved this award because I work very hard. I managed this caseload by myself for a long time.  (I got help at the end.)  I also made a lot of alliances with a lot of agencies and created a whole system for the caseload.  It was like a pilot program (the mapping zone caseload) that started out and has remained there for five years.  

Q: What keeps you going everyday?

Forbes:  It's the fact that I help people.  I really feel that I help people get their lives back on track. 

We all have ups and downs in life and even if I just touch one person, really, that is important to me.  A lot of them have never held a job down longer than two weeks.  If I can save one out of the whole bunch, that is what gets me up every morning and [keeps me] coming into work.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

Forbes: My plan for the future is to rise to any occasion.  It just really depends on what happens. Whatever I do, I just want to make sure I am helping people -  that makes me happy regardless of the monetary value of it.