The Children, Youth and Families Department of New Mexico honored juvenile officers earlier this month during National Probation and Parole Officers Week.
The CYFD hosted a banquet to recognize the more than 200 officers who work with New Mexico's youth.
Deborah Martinez, public relations manager for CYFD, said the officers play a crucial part in society.
"It is important for the children that are on probation to have a role model - someone that they can look up to and learn from - especially for children who have not otherwise had role models before," Martinez said.
Officers work with children all over New Mexico, supervising the removal of graffiti and trash and coordinating car washes to help local nonprofits.
According to the CYFD, more than 60 percent of youth under supervision are involved with gangs. The officers work with those children to steer them away from any kind of gang activity, Martinez said.
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Craig Sparks, regional manager for Field Services for juvenile probation and parole officers for the New Mexico CYFD, said supervising at-risk children is vital to the next generation's future.
"There are a lot of reasons to be thankful for JPPOs," Sparks said. "Understanding that youths who have committed crimes are out on the streets and need adequate and appropriate supervision to help - not only physically but mentally - is important."
He said it's crucial for the children to learn how to behave, because with the completion of the probation period, a kid will have a much smaller chance of getting thrown in jail later on in life.
The officers created the Bernalillo County Juvenile Probation and Parole Girls Unit, which offers gender-specific programming and activities.
Roberta Muro, who supervises the Girls Unit, said separating genders is important to reaching kids.
"The judicial system was set up by men and for men, and now that we have this program, we can work more efficiently for the common goal of helping these youths," she said.
Sparks said the true honor of the job comes from helping other people through hard times.
"I once had to supervise a 19-year-old boy who was addicted to methamphetamines, which is one of the hardest drugs to stop," Sparks said. "It was a hard battle that we fought together, and I had to remind him every day that he is not a burden and to persist through everything with a positive approach."
Sparks said that as time went on, he fell out of touch with that young man but was later rewarded for his hard work.
"Many years later, I received a phone call from the same 19-year-old boy, who now had a boy of his own," Sparks said. "He told me that without the CYFD, his life would have been far different and thanked me for not allowing him to end up in jail or dead. It's those moments that offer the real reward for this job, and I wouldn't trade that for anything."
