In 1915 Attorney General T. W. Gregory selected a case from the Northern District of Ohio where Judge John M. Killits suspended "during the good behavior of the defendant" the execution of a sentence of 5 years and ordered the court term to remain open for that period.
The defendant, a first offender and a young man of reputable back ground, had pleaded guilty to embezzling $4,700 by falsifying entries in the books of a Toledo bank.
The motion was denied by Judge Kiliits; A petition for writ of mandamus was prepared and filed with the Supreme Court on June 1, 1915.
On March 4, 1925, President Calvin Coolidge, a former Governor of Massachusetts and very familiar with the benefits of a functioning probation system, signed the bill in to law.
It was developed as a means to reduce both crimes committed by persons released into the community pending trial and unnecessary pretrial detention.
Almost all districts require prior experience in a similar field, a background suitability investigation, drug test, and medical examination as a pre-requisite for hiring.
The national element is the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Washington, DC, which provides administrative support to the courts, including staffing and other resources, and enforces policies promulgated by the Judicial Conference of the United States, the policy-making body of the Federal Judiciary.
Supervision Officers must enforce court ordered conditions and are mandated to use their discretion and skills to mitigate the offenders risk to society.