The federal Judiciary is served by probation and pretrial services officers who, as a group, are very well-experienced and well-educated, a recent survey indicates.

Seventy-nine percent of all officers have at least six years on the job, and more than half have advanced degrees, the survey shows.

The survey conducted by the Administrative Office’s Office of Probation and Pretrial Services received 4,187 responses from the Judiciary’s 5,765 officers and officer assistants.

“Our officers are proud to work for their courts, and to be part of a well-respected national system that continues to attract excellent recruits year after year,” said John Hughes, assistant director for the AO’s Office of Probation and Pretrial Services.

On tenure, 41 percent of the responding officers have worked within the federal Judiciary for 11–20 years; 28 percent for six to 10 years.

On education, 48.5 percent of the responding officers have college degrees; 47.8 percent have master’s degrees, and 3.25 percent have doctorates.

Nearly 900 officers reported that they speak a foreign language, predominantly Spanish. In the five Southwest border judicial districts—the Districts of Arizona and New Mexico, the Southern District of California, and the Southern and Western Districts of Texas—the percentage of responding officers who speak Spanish soars to 60 percent.

Experience in Federal Probation and Pretrial Services Offices*	Top Foreign Languages Spoken*
* Based on 4,187 survey responses from a total of 5,765 officers and officer assistants.	* Based on 883 out of 4,187 officers and officer assistants responding to survey as speaking another language.
Education Level*
* Based on 4,187 survey responses from a total of 5,765 officers and officer assistants.