By Laura Lane
Herald-Times
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Linda Brady has been at the core of the Monroe County Probation Department for three decades, “dedicated and consistent and relentless,” Circuit Court Judge Michael Hoff said.
“She has never stopped looking for ways to make our system better,” Hoff said in a statement congratulating Brady as the recipient of the 2014 Probation Executive of the Year Award presented by Sam Houston State University.
Brady has worked for the probation department for 30 years, and has been the chief probation officer since 1995. Before taking the helm, she was an adult probation officer and director of the court’s alcohol and drug program.
Brady has served on numerous statewide committees and boards, including the Court Alcohol and Drug Program Advisory Committee, the Probation Officers Advisory Board and the Indiana Corrections and Criminal Code Study Committee.
She also is a member of the American Probation and Parole Association and the board of directors of the National Association of Probation Executives and is president of the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana. Brady has been at the forefront of reviewing legislation regarding community supervision issues and advocating for her profession.
Robert L. Bingham, past president of the National Association of Probation Executives, has worked closely with Brady through the years and presented the award. “Her impact locally has been tremendous,” Bingham said. “She has applied her experience, expertise and knowledge on various boards and committees advocating for youth, education, addiction prevention and treatment, and victims.”
Brady also has received the John Augustus Award, given each year to one Indiana probation officer. She also received the Probation Officers Professional Association of Indiana’s Founder’s Award, given to someone dedicated to improving the field of probation.