Federal probation officers began as volunteers in the 1900s. Congress passed legislation establishing the federal probation system in 1925. In 1929, the first probation officer American was designated by the US Department of Justice. Until 1939, the United States Probation Office was under the administration of the United States Department of Justice. Congress then authorized the creation of the Office of Court Administration of the United States. Within the Administrative Office, the Division of Probation and Pretrial Services was established. (United States District Court, 2011) The Pretrial Services Act of 1982 was signed into law by President Reagan "authorizing the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts of the United States, under the supervision and direction of the Judicial Conference of the United States, to provide, directly, by contract or otherwise, for the establishment of pretrial services in each judicial district of the United States. (United States District Court, 2011) There are 94 federal district courts today and each district has its own United States probation office, while many also have their own state pretrial services offices -United. Federal probation and pretrial officers are federal law enforcement officers, individually appointed by the chief judge of that district. Officers are eligible for a 20-year retirement and must be appointed before their 37th birthday, due to the mandatory separation age of 57. (United States District Court, 2011). Federal pretrial services offices are different from other federal law enforcement agencies because they are “regionally aligned” to their judicial districts, not a single main command office. All Pre-Trial Services Officers report to the Chief of Pre-Trial Services this ...... middle of document ......ed as the cycle of crime into which individuals fall, due to social and economic struggles. These individuals are more likely to continue in the cycle of crime, due to certain policies that have been created to "punish" these individuals (e.g., the three strikes law). These populations are often negatively targeted by policy makers. This policy shift provides a realistic view of how policy decisions can negatively affect certain populations, while causing more problems for society and allowing the cycle of crime to continue. Chapter 207 http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/usc_sec_18_00003154----000-.html, accessed December 3, 2011. United States District Court, Southern District of California, US Pretrial Services, http ://www. .caspt.uscourts.gov/, retrieved December 3, 2011.