The Probation Act of 1925 allowed federal judges to place convicted defendants on probation and to appoint officers to supervise them. The Pretrial Services Act of 1982 extended the system to the period before trial, creating pretrial services officers in every district. Unlike most probation officers in the states, federal officers are employees of the judicial branch, hired by and answerable to the district courts they serve.
Pretrial services officers interview defendants after arrest, investigate their backgrounds, and recommend to judges whether they should be released or detained before trial, then supervise those who are released. After conviction, probation officers prepare presentence investigation reports, which calculate the sentencing guidelines range and describe the defendant's history, and which judges rely on heavily in deciding sentences.
Officers also supervise people on probation and on supervised release after prison, which replaced federal parole for crimes committed after 1987. More than one hundred thousand people are under federal supervision at any time. Officers monitor compliance with conditions such as drug testing and employment, connect people to treatment, and report violations to the court, which can send them back to prison.
| Status | Active |
| Part of | The U.S. District Courts |
| Led by | Chief Probation Officer (per district) |
| Legal basis | Probation Act of 1925, Pretrial Services Act of 1982, 18 U.S.C. 3152 and 3602 |
| Official site | uscourts.gov |
| Probation since | 1925 |
| Pretrial services since | 1982 |
| Employer | The district courts (judicial branch) |
| Key document | Presentence investigation report |
| Supervision | More than 100,000 people |
| Date | Probation Act of 1925, pretrial services since 1982 |
| Location | Federal judicial districts nationwide |