Carli Galey

December 1st, 2015

FCS 1010 Laurie Bulock
Ethics Interview & Job Shadow
Kenneth Rogers is a Juvenile Probation Officer at the 9th Judicial Circuit Court of
Kalamazoo County, in Kalamazoo Michigan. The purpose of the 9th Circuit Court is to serve the
public, foster a healthy environment, work proactively to help with individuals development,
provide adequate restorative and therapeutic justices, and show everyone that they deserve to be
treated with respect and dignity. Rogers was interviewed on November 25th, 2015 at his office on
Gull Road. The interview focused on what guides Rogers in making decisions during difficult
situations and his professional ethics. Ethical decision-making is a habit that reflects our moral
character, so it is necessary for family life educators to be knowledgeable about the proper
ethical practices to best help their clients (Palm, 2009). The following report summarizes the
experience of shadowing Rogers at his job for two hours and the responses he provided when
asked about professional ethics (K. Rogers, personal communication, November 25, 2015). In
addition, the family life education content areas (National Council on Family Relations, 2011)
that his work most relates to are discussed in this report.
Job Shadow Experience
Name and Address
State of Michigan 9th Judicial Circuit of Kalamazoo County
1400 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 49048
Name, Title, and General Job Description
Kenneth Rogers
Juvenile Probation Officer
Works with juvenile delinquents with in-home detention and school visits.
Organization and Its Mission
The 9th Circuit Court has jurisdiction over criminal matter, domestic relation matters,
juvenile delinquency matters, child protection, adoptions, name changes, emancipations,
civil actions, as well as appeals from the courts and agencies of state government all
through the county (Kalamazoo County Government).
The missions of the 9th Circuit Court, as stated on their website, are to provide timely,
fair and cost effective disposition of all matters properly presented to any of its service
units or courts. We subscribe to these guiding principles and values: To serve the public
and foster a friendly accessible environment, treating all individuals with dignity, respect,
honesty and fairness. To operate with a pro-active, innovative and progressive approach
to program development and implementation, remaining open to suggestions for
improvement. To respect the interests of the taxpayers and our funding unit by
continuously seeking greater efficiencies for improved service in coordination with

elected officials, county departments and other units of government. To provide the least
restrictive alternative for offenders consistent with public safety while seeking to
maximize restorative and therapeutic justice. To comply with all Trial Court Performance
Standards promulgated by the Michigan Supreme Court. To encourage the spirit of
teamwork among courts and service units to exemplify a unified Circuit Court. To serve
as an example worthy of emulation by other courts in Michigan and the United States
(Kalamazoo County Government).
My Thoughts and Impressions of the Organization
The 9th Circuit Court of Kalamazoo County is very organized, knowledgeable, helpful,
and friendly. Every staff member I interacted with was enthusiastic about their work, and
really seem to care about the individuals they work with. I think there is typically a
negative view of those who work in public corrections, and those views were shown to be
incorrect after my experience at the courthouse. Rogers is a very down-to-earth person
with a good sense of humor who is able to relate to his clients, and shows he cares about
their well-being. He is not just there to get kids in trouble.
The Suitability of the Family Studies/Family Development Degree or Minor for the Position
Shadowed
A Family Studies or Family and Child Development degree or minor would be helpful in
this field. Rogers works one-on-one with kids in the juvenile delinquency system, both in
home and at school. This field of work requires frequent interaction with families, as well
as educating parents on ways to control and handle their childrens problematic
behaviors. In addition to helping the juvenile delinquent with their issues, probation
officers work to help the parents if they are struggling with their own problematic
behaviors as well.
Ethics Interview
In difficult work situations, how do they decide what to do?
They go off of past experiences, which show them what they are able and capable to do.
It is important to not abuse the power they are given. Probation officers do not have the
power to arrest anyone, they cannot just go out into the field and assign punishments as
they deem fit. Rogers talked about how he does carry around handcuffs, and has detained
people before, but he does not enjoy that and it is not a very frequent occurrence. It is
important to be careful in some situations because taking too much action towards the
delinquent can cause even bigger problems. While he never knows what exactly is going
to happen on the job, he refuses to fight or wrestle with kids anymore. In special
occasions, if a case is so bad that probation officer(s) cannot desist the behavior of the
delinquent, the police will be called in to help out.
Are they aware of the code of ethical conduct guiding their profession?
Rogers actually did not know the specific ethical code of conduct for his workplace (he
said that he had missed the most recent training on ethics the past week). Based on last

years, and the years prior training, he was knowledgeable about the general code of
ethics on the job. There is a required training every year to keep employees updated on
the most recent ethics practices. He said that ethics on the job are, making sure youre
doing things that are right, and right in the work force.
What is the code?
While Rogers did not know the specific code of ethics that the Circuit Court holds, he is
very knowledgeable about how to handle situations ethically based on his ten years of
experience in the field.
If they are familiar with it, do they understand it?
Rogers is very familiar with the ways to ethically handle situations that he deals with on
the job.
Have they used it to guide their behavior, and in what type of situation?
Rogers gave multiple examples of how ethics and power can be abused in everyday
situations on the job. Such as using the countys money to fill your own car with gas, and
using government time or money to take care of personal issues. The most emphasized
principle of ethics is the importance of following through on what you say you are going
to do.
Do they have an employee handbook?
There is a handbook that every employee receives from the county when they are hired. It
has all the information about personal benefits, retirement, policies, and more. There are
policies and rules of conduct in the handbook, and Rogers read me a section that contains
one of these rules. On page 55 it reads, All county employees are expected to conduct
themselves in a manner that may reflect credit upon Kalamazoo county government.
Employees are to maintain compliance with personnel policies that are outlined in this
manual. Each department head and/or county administrator may also comply a set of
specific rules and regulations which cover employees conduct as it is specifically related
to their own department. The departmental rules and regulations must be established in
cooperation with the human resource director and are subject for review. A copy of the
county policy must be available to employees. These policies are changed and updated
almost daily. The court system is ever evolving, and most employees learn as they go.
Some rules and policies that are made for probation officers may not apply to the person
working at the counter as a receptionist. The county has a broad band of policies that
employees are required to follow, but depending on the department there may be specific
procedures and guidelines.
Does it have information to help guide them in decision-making in difficult situations?
There is no set guide that probation officers are to follow. Rogers discussed how multiple
people trained him when he started working at the court. At first it can be overwhelming
because they handle the all issues that can arise from working with troubled families and
individuals. The only skills that can be taught from a guide at this job are how to do and
understand paper work, and how to conduct yourself when doing an at home or school
visit. As Rogers stated, its more on the job training than a guide that lists step one, step

two, step three the job is learned from others who trained you, and really being thrown
into the fire, and going through trial and error.
Have they used it to guide their behavior, and in what type of situation?
He has used ethical guidelines many times in the field. After working in the field of
juvenile delinquency for ten years, Rogers has real-world experience, and knows how to
look past the text. He gave a couple examples of ways he could abuse his power, but does
not. Some families or parents will try to make up for something by giving a gift to the
probation officer(s), but they are not allowed to accept gifts from clients. Another
example is not utilizing his power to get something from a clients parent. If a parent
works at a restaurant, he cannot tell them hey, I wont lock your kid up if you give me a
free meal. Some people allow the power this job gives them to do whatever they want,
which is completely unethical.
Family Life Education Content Areas
#2 Internal Dynamics of Families
Family Life Educators and anyone who work with families must be aware of the possible
influencing factors on any given situation. Rogers majored in criminal justice with a
minor in sociology, and with that degree became a probation officer. As a probation
officer it is his duty to seek out ways to help the clients he works with, improve
themselves, as well as their families. He helps them work through the problematic
behaviors they deal with, and educates them on ways to have healthy happy relationships
with one another.
Rogers talked about how some parents do not follow rules that are set for their children
on juvenile probation. When that happens, he has to educate the parents on why and how
to follow the law, as well as better themselves in the eye of the law.
#3 Human Growth and Development across the Lifespan
In his work with young children and adolescents, Rogers has dealt with every aspect of
the human development process for both young and older adults. He works with some
clients for years at a time and helps them at each step of the way.
He gave the example of working with a sixteen-year-old who was at a 1st grade reading
level. Instead of forcing him to get his GED or finish traditional schooling, Rogers took
the more realistic approach and helped him get a job doing something he was interested
in. Which allowed him to be a productive member of society.
#8 Family Law and Public Policy
As a probation officer, it is a daily occurrence that Rogers uses the law to protect and
control juvenile delinquents. Holding kids accountable for their actions and making them
aware of the laws and consequences is a key part of his job.
The majority of delinquents Rogers works with wear GPS trackers at all times. He
monitors their locations, and when they overstep their boundaries he has to take action
with the law on his side.

References
K. Rogers (personal communication, November 25th, 2015)
Kalamazoo County Government (n.d.). 9th judicial circuit court vision and mission statements.
Retrieved from http:// http://www.kalcounty.com/courts/mission.htm
National Council on Family Relations. (2014). Family life education content areas: Content and
practice guidelines. Minneapolis, MN: Author. Retrieved from
https://www.ncfr.org/sites/default/files/downloads/news/fle_content_and_practice_guideli
nes_2014.pdf
Palm, G. (2009). Professional ethics and practice. In D. J. Brendehoft, & M. J. Walcheski (Eds.),
Family life education: integrating theory and practice (pp. 191-197). Minneapolis, MN:
National Council of Family Relations.