LaPorte Chief Probation Officer Stephen T. Eyrick has been named to “The Order of Augustus” by the Probation Officers Advisory Board of the Judicial Conference of Indiana.  The annual award is presented to an outstanding probation officer who exemplifies the ideals of John Augustus.  Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard presented Mr. Eyrick with the honor at a recent probation officers conference.

The Probation Officers Advisory Board Vice-Chair Susan Lightfoot explained the significance of the award by calling attention to its namesake—John Augustus.  An 1800’s Boston bootmaker, Augustus is considered the father of probation.  “We give this award to a person whose commitment and personal dedication have exemplified the ideals and philosophy of John Augustus.  The creed of John Augustus was, ‘To raise the fallen, reform the criminal, and so far as my humble abilities would allow, to transform the abode of suffering and misery to the home of happiness.’  Steve follows in that strong tradition and is making his community a better place.”

Mr. Eyrick began his public service career in LaPorte County as a Deputy Sheriff in 1984.  He became a probation officer in 1986 and has served as Chief Probation Officer for Superior Court #4 since 1990.  Eyrick points to faith, family and friends as the cornerstones of his success.  He explained, “This award is gratifying; I am truly humbled.  First and foremost I thank my family, including my wife and our two children.  But there is another family, my co-workers.  A person spends half his waking time with co-workers.  I could not run a department, see offenders, or help develop and coordinate the direction of the probation department were it not for my staff.  They are deserving of sharing this award with me.”

The Honorable William Boklund and Magistrate Greta Friedman of LaPorte County support and congratulate Mr. Eyrick as the recipient of this award.  Both judges point to his work bringing the ignition interlock program and video conferencing capabilities to LaPorte County.  Attorney Shaw Friedman of LaPorte described Mr. Eyrick as “instrumental” in creating Harmony House, a facility to provide children a home-like setting for supervised visitation.

The Probation Officers Advisory Board consists of 23 probation officers, 17 who are elected from Indiana’s judicial districts, and 6 who are appointed by the Chief Justice.  The Advisory Board is supported by the Indiana Judicial Center, which develops and provides continuing education and research assistance for judges, probation officers, and other court personnel.  As the staff agency for the Judicial Conference of Indiana, the Judicial Center provides support to nearly 30 state-level judicial committees dedicated to improving the operation of Indiana's judicial system. For more information on the Advisory Board and the Judicial Center, visit www.courts.IN.gov/center/.