By Jakiya Dudley, Digital Media Specialist
Dothan, Ala – On Thursday, April 6, I visited the Dothan Field Office located at 230 North Oates Street in Houston County. This field office accommodates the needs of the county’s probationers and parolees.
Upon my visit, I received a pleasant welcome from Officer-in-Charge Ken Brown, who has been a Bureau employee for 17 years. He oversees both the Dothan Field Office and the Abbeville Field Office. It was a routine check-in day for probationers and parolees which allowed me to witness firsthand how well OIC Brown and the Dothan staff worked together to assist clients.
As I was introduced to the 13 officers and six support employees, Brown spoke of how hardworking, supportive and dedicated his team is to providing rehabilitation services to the community. He said the diverse backgrounds of the team is what makes the Dothan office special.
“Each officer here has their own skill,” Brown said. “We have some officers who are great out in the field, some are excellent in court, while others provide amazing counsel to offenders.”
OIC Brown also added that he enjoys training and working closely with the support staff and new officers. “With my experience, I like to be an example for them of what a probation officer truly is,” he said.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Officer Harold Purifoy, who joined the Bureau in 2019. Officer Purifoy was highlighted in the Bureau’s celebration of National Second Chance Month for his exceptional efforts in rehabilitating offenders. At the beginning of 2023, he kickstarted the Knowing Education Empowers Progress or KEEP program which provides educational development and job training skills for offenders.
Purifoy said he couldn’t have done it without the support of the Dothan Field Office family. “It took the whole boat’s support to keep this project afloat,” Purifoy said. “Along with the other officers and administrative support assistants, OIC Brown was one of the biggest voices in support of the KEEP program.”
OIC Brown provided insight on his passion for public safety. “In this career field, we have an opportunity to change lives for the better and that’s what we strive to do every single day,” he said.
The Bureau has 62 field offices, serving all Alabama counties. Field offices function as a local base of operations for Probation and Parole Officers, specialists and other support staff. Officers are required to make various contacts with probationers and parolees based on their risk level. These contacts range from a monthly office visit for lower risk individuals to weekly office, home, employment, and curfew checks for higher risk individuals. In addition, officers are tasked with various types of investigations requested by the Bureau or courts, as well as assisting other law enforcement agencies when needed.
Dothan Field Office exterior.
Dothan Field Office interior.