CHARLESTON – The Supreme Court of West Virginia has appointed a new director of Probation Services, according to a press release issued by the Supreme Court of Appeals for the State of West Virginia.
“Stephanie Bond has a wealth of experience and a deep respect for probation officers and the people the division serves,” Chief Justice Allen H. Loughry II said, according to the press release.
Bond had been serving as the executive branch’s director of juvenile services since 2014. She is taking over for Mike Lacy, who has held the position for 15 years and has served more than 30 years in the Probation Services Division. Lacy is retiring.
“[It] offers a great opportunity to help effect change,” Bond told The West Virginia Record.
Bond’s first job in criminal justice was as a correctional counselor at the West Virginia Industrial Home for Youth. Since then, she has served as a unit manager, assistant superintendent and Division of Juvenile Services superintendent.
Although she hasn’t yet had time to work out a specific itinerary, Bond has one overarching goal she wants to achieve while director.
“I would like to improve communications between the administration and the probation officers and judges,” she said.
However, it seems that Bond’s humility won’t let her peer too far down the road.
“I haven’t gotten that far yet,” she said when asked what she would like her legacy to be. “I’ve got a lot to learn and I’ve got a lot of great people to work with. It’s an exciting change.”
In addition to her time with Juvenile and Probation Services, Bond has been a member of the Governor’s Intergovernmental Task Force on Juvenile Justice and is an active member of the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators. She is also a member of the Correctional Peace Officer’s Foundation, according to the press release.
Bond, a native of Clarksburg, received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Fairmount State University and her master’s in counseling from West Virginia University.