18 U.S.C. § 3603: Duties of probation officers

Summary

Probation officers must tell each person they supervise what the court ordered and give them a written list of those conditions. They must watch how people under their care behave and report that information to the sentencing court. They must use suitable ways to help supervisees improve, supervise anyone known to be in their judicial district, keep records of their work, and make reports the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts requires. When asked by the Attorney General, officers must help supervise people on work release, furlough, other authorized release, or prerelease under section 3624(c). They must check compliance with conditions, including payment of fines or restitution, and tell the court if a fine in default is not paid within thirty days after notification so the court can decide on revocation. If the court directs, they must supervise people conditionally released under sections 4243, 4246, or 4248 and report conduct and any violations to the court and the Attorney General. If a district court approves, officers may carry firearms under rules set by the Director. They must also perform other duties the court assigns.

Title 18, §3603

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

A probation officer shall—

(1)instruct a probationer or a person on supervised release, who is under his supervision, as to the conditions specified by the sentencing court, and provide him with a written statement clearly setting forth all such conditions;

(2)keep informed, to the degree required by the conditions specified by the sentencing court, as to the conduct and condition of a probationer or a person on supervised release, who is under his supervision, and report his conduct and condition to the sentencing court;

(3)use all suitable methods, not inconsistent with the conditions specified by the court, to aid a probationer or a person on supervised release who is under his supervision, and to bring about improvements in his conduct and condition;

(4)be responsible for the supervision of any probationer or a person on supervised release who is known to be within the judicial district;

(5)keep a record of his work, and make such reports to the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts as the Director may require;

(6)upon request of the Attorney General or his designee, assist in the supervision of and furnish information about, a person within the custody of the Attorney General while on work release, furlough, or other authorized release from his regular place of confinement, or while in prerelease custody pursuant to the provisions of section 3624(c);

(7)keep informed concerning the conduct, condition, and compliance with any condition of probation, including the payment of a fine or restitution of each probationer under his supervision and report thereon to the court placing such person on probation and report to the court any failure of a probationer under his supervision to pay a fine in default within thirty days after notification that it is in default so that the court may determine whether probation should be revoked;

(8)(A)when directed by the court, and to the degree required by the regimen of care or treatment ordered by the court as a condition of release, keep informed as to the conduct and provide supervision of a person conditionally released under the provisions of section 4243, 4246, or 4248 of this title, and report such person’s conduct and condition to the court ordering release and to the Attorney General or his designee; and

(B)immediately report any violation of the conditions of release to the court and the Attorney General or his designee;

(9)if approved by the district court, be authorized to carry firearms under such rules and regulations as the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts may prescribe; and

(10)perform any other duty that the court may designate.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Par. (8)(A). Pub. L. 115–391 substituted “, 4246, or 4248” for “or 4246”. 1996—Pars. (9), (10). Pub. L. 104–317 added par. (9) and redesignated former par. (9) as (10). 1992—Pars. (8), (9). Pub. L. 102–572 added par. (8) and redesignated former par. (8) as (9). 1986—Pub. L. 99–646 redesignated pars. (a) to (h) as (1) to (8), respectively, and in par. (6) substituted “assist in the supervision of” for “supervise” and inserted a comma after “about”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1992 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–572 effective Jan. 1, 1993, see section 1101 of Pub. L. 102–572, set out as a note under section 905 of Title 2, The Congress.

Effective Date

of 1986 Amendment Pub. L. 99–646, § 15(b), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3595, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the taking effect of section 3603 of title 18, United States Code [Nov. 1, 1987].”

Effective Date

Section effective Nov. 1, 1987, and applicable only to offenses committed after the taking effect of this section, see section 235(a)(1) of Pub. L. 98–473, set out as a note under section 3551 of this title.

§3603 Duties of Probation Officers

Summary

Title 18, §3603

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Amendments

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata