Probation Officers: Catalyst for Change or Neglectful Babysitters?

Probation is often assigned to first time offenders or to those who commit crimes of a lesser degree. A probation officer's job is to supervise their probationers and in the course of that supervision ensure that they stay within the guidelines of their probation. Are probation officers a catalyst for change or merely neglectful babysitters?

When I was placed on probation four years ago the conditions of my probation were:

Be employed, gainfully seeking employment or be registered for school
Notify my probation officer of any changes un employment, phone number or address

Do not receive any new charges

Do not leave the jurisdiction of my probation without first notifying my officer

Make all scheduled appointments or give 24 hours notice if unable to attend
Pay any restitution, court costs, fees or other costs incurred by my judgment

When I was violated in March of 2007, four of these reasons were used as my violation and I also had additional charges, which means I broke 5 of the cardinal rules of my probation. I don't deny that I alone broke these rules but where was the supervision by my officer? When I was violated they used information that was 2 years old. I missed an appointment and left to attend a funeral in another state in 2005. Where was my probation officer in 2005 when I committed these violations?

Probation would give you excuses such as: they have too many probationers, they can't control what people do, and they are simply overworked. I think that it is time that probation officers come down from their pedestals and be held to the same job standards we hold the rest of society to. If a nurse's neglect causes patients to die time and time again, she is let go. If a CEO lets the business fall into the red month after month, the stockholders throw a coup. If a teacher's students continuously fail to meet standards, he is released. Then why is it that probation officers fail to do their job yet continue to maintain this job? Society holds probation officers to a low standard simply because they deal with a part of the public that too few want to deal with.