Home U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services
Eastern District of Wisconsin
Michael Klug: Chief Probation Officer
Jessica Hoene: Deputy Chief Probation Officer
"Together, Making a Difference"

Success Stories

M.F. had a rough beginning in the START Program. He expected to receive social security benefits but was denied. M.F. lost completion credits for not working, lying about having employment, and having a bad attitude about the program. He started working on his GED but had to pause due to the pandemic. M.F. has never worked and was encouraged to work with the Community Resource Liaison (CRL) to change that. He made the initial contact and expressed his goals of finally working and graduating from the START Program. The CRL and M.F. created a resume and email address for starters, which was an exciting milestone for him, and it kept him motivated to keep going. By receiving praise from the Court, his probation officer, and peers, this pushed him even further. The CRL was able to get him an interview with a food manufacturer. He received interview tips from his peers in the program and was able to walk in and secure employment! For the first time in his life, he is working a full-time job. M.F. began the START program in February 2019 and graduated from in July 2020. Although it took a little longer than expected for him to complete the program, M.F. is seen as a success with his accomplishments!


E.C. arrived at the residential reentry center in May 2018. In October 2018, he entered programming at Community Warehouse that included him being employed there and working with a mentor. He began working at the Northside location but after two months he transferred to the Southside location. He continued working at that location until April 2019, when his placement at Community Warehouse ended. He continued working with his mentor, and with his mentor’s help, he was hired by the City of Milwaukee to work on the sanitation crew. He began this position in June 2019 and continues working there today. E.C. also worked part-time at Community Warehouse on Saturdays through the summer and early fall of 2019. In addition to this, E.C. has been working with Milwaukee County to get full custody of his son. He noted, following his most recent court hearing on 2/7/20, he is optimistic custody will be granted.


K.H. was released from custody after serving 15 years. K.H. started selling drugs at the age of 10 with his family and never worked a job. K.H. was referred to the Community Resource Liaison (CRL) shortly before starting phase 4 of the START Program. K.H was not sure exactly what was wanted, but it was expected for K.H. to find a job in order to graduate from the program like other participants. K.H. began working with the CRL and utilizing every resource available. It was suggested for K.H. take the driver’s education classes. K.H. is currently testing to obtain a driver’s license. When K.H was informed about construction training, K.H. went and tried out the program. K.H. would call the CRL on a weekly basis and would speak for close to an hour every time, but during one conversation, the CRL talked with K.H. about thinking about long-term goals and was challenged to think about what K.H. sees happening in years to come. The CRL provided information about training opportunities, including Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine training. This was something K.H. never thought about but was interested in doing so. The CRL assisted with getting K.H. funded through the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) Program. K.H. enrolled in training offered through Milwaukee Area Technical College, and employment is guaranteed after completion. At the age of 45, this is the first time K.H. has worked or received training, and the first paycheck while training!


Tia's Success Story (15min video)