CAPO History

by

Jan Hopkins

The first professional probation organization in Colorado was originally known as the Colorado Adult Probation Association (CAPA), which,was founded by Frank Dillon in 1964. Due to changes in the structure of the state government, specifically State Judicial joining the Executive and Legislative system in the 1970's, CAPA became the Colorado Association of Probation Officers (CAPO). The $5.00 annual dues were paid through the Judicial Budget for all who desired membership.

During this era, CAPO concentrated its efforts on developing and running an annual three day conference. Additionally, the CAPO Board negotiated with the State Court Administrator's Office (SCAO) to equalize probation officer's salaries with those of State Parole. This ultimately resulted in a salary increase of about 20%, which was phased in over a two year period.

As probation departments grew to encompass alcohol units (10-1-79), CAPO saw a need for expanding membership. As a result, the Association became known as the Colorado Association of Probation Offices (CAPO), and the membership grew to include clerical staff and alcohol evaluators. Efforts of the association were directed toward regional training, as well as the annual conference. The State no longer subsidized membership fees and dues became a controversy.

By the late 1980's, CAPO acknowledged volunteers and other professionals affiliated with probation, which subsequently lead to CAPO actively recruiting those individuals for membership by the early 1990's. Simultaneously, CAPO was struggling for autonomy and experienced differences in opinion about its purpose and direction. The Board did agree that validation and recognition by SCAO was a priority, from the standpoint of legitimizing CAPO. Over time, SCAO solicited CAPO representation on state committees, which further enhanced the organization's role. Meanwhile, CAPO continued with the annual conference, as well as regional training sessions, and they began what is now a tradition of sponsoring the attendance of the Colorado Probation Officer of the Year recipient to the National APPA Conference each summer.

The State Legislature developed a major interest in the criminal justice system during the early 1990's. Motivated by an interest in consistency, professionalism, and fiscal conservatism, legislation was introduced which was designed to consolidate Probation and Parole. While the collective opinion was not unanimous, the consensus of CAPO was to endorse consolidation within the Judicial Branch. CAPO took an active part in lobbying around the state, by contacting legislators and attending legislative committee meetings at the State Capitol. CAPO, CCPOA (Colorado Chief Probation Officer's Organization), and SCAO maintained open communication and combined their resources in an effort to influence the consolidation process. The legislation was eventually tabled, with Probation and Parole remaining independent agencies.

Despite their adversarial positions during the consolidation efforts, probation and parole officers joined forces within CAPO during the early 1990's. The annual conference, traditionally sponsored by CAPO, was abandoned in favor of the annual Interagency Training Alliance, geared toward accommodating all criminal justice agencies in Colorado. CAPO took on the role of sponsoring several social functions at the annual event, assisting in the recruitment of trainers and presenters for the conference, and hosted the annual awards luncheon.

Thus far, CAPO has nominated three officers who have been recognized nationally by the APPA as Line Officer of the Year. Specifically, those officers are Leah Wicks (1990), Jan Hopkins (1993), and Dave Zobeck (1996). Additionally, two CAPO members are currently serving on the national APPA Board as co-directors of Region 13, namely Vern Fogg of the SCAO and Charlie Hankins of the 4th Judicial District.

Recently unveiled history given to us by Shiela Lee of the 10th Judicial district:

Homer Kidder was born November 29, 1896, on a farm near the confluence of the Poudre and South Platte Rivers, son of a pioneer family. Both parents were descendants of Revolutionary stock, so his roots are deep in the soil of the United States and being a descendant of Zebulan Pike, his roots go deep into the soil of Colorado also.

Mr. Kidder's parents moved to Greeley when he was age five, where he received most of his education, beginning in a one-room school at the edge of Greeley. He attended Greeley High School, but completed his high school and also his pharmacy education in Nebraska. Upon the completion of pharmacy school, he returned to Greeley and was employed as a pharmacist and later became manager of a drug store located at the corner of Ninth Street and Eighth Avenue, in the Fall of 1916. In June of 1917, he enlisted in the United States Army Medical Corps, Base hospital Unit No. 29, made up in the city of Denver. His basic training was taken at Camp Cody, New Mexico, then he took his social and physical fitness training at Allentown, Pennsylvania, before going overseas, debarking at Liverpool, England, then on to London where the unit was established during the war. He returned home in March of 1919 and after discharge, returned to Greeley where he remained for a short period of time until 1920 when he accepted the management of a drug store at Boulder, Colorado. He remained there until June 1924, during which time he completed work through the University of Commerce, Accounts and Finance, thereafter accepting a sales position with Alexander Hamilton Institute, remaining with them until he was called home to Greeley by the serious illness of his father. It was at this time in 1924 that he was offered the school position of Director of Student Personnel, in where he remained until his retirement from the school system in Weld County in 1962.

While associated with the Greeley School System, he was granted release time to do some research work in the Juvenile Court, at the request of the County Judge in the Fall of 1924, which release time was continued throughout his tenure with the school district. Early in 1927, he organized the first guidance and counseling group within the school system, which became very successful, dealing with student problems and helping in the solutions. Out of this experience, he helped in the organization of the first Child Guidance Clinic in the State of Colorado, remaining as an integral part of the clinic during its sixteen years of existence in Greeley.

From the cross-reference records developed by him while in the school system that dealt with the educational progress, the health, welfare, and environmental problems of the student, a number of dissertations were written for the Master's Degree and the Doctoral Degree at the college, using this material assembled by Mr. Kidder for their papers.

It was following a Colorado prison riot in 1929 that he worked diligently with our judges and legislators, working toward legislation empowering Criminal Courts to grant probation. Then in 1931, the first Act was passed by the Legislature.

On November 1, 1941, Weld County records reflect that Mr. Kidder was appointed Chief Probation Officer by the late Honorable Claude C. Coffin, District Court Judge. He thereafter, from a part-time position through full-time participation, continued actively in the probation field. His position was then later re-affirmed in more recent years by the Judges of the 19th Judicial District in January 1965 after the Colorado Court reorganization. At this time, he became Chief Probation Officer of both Juvenile and Adult Divisions of the Court's Probation Department.

Mr. Kidder, during his service to the Courts, also participated in many ways, both toward the revising and updating of legislature pertaining to probation and parole in Colorado, and in the establishment of Colorado Correctional Associations.

On March 13, 1947, Mr. Kidder, along with Frank C. Dillon, Warden Roy Best, Warden James S. Thomas, The Honorable Hatfield Chilson, Mr. W. W. Gaunt, Mr. Felix LePore, Mr. Ernie Morse, Mr. Kenneth Johnson, Mr. James T. Burke, and Mr. James S. Henderson, met in Denver at the Denver Athletic Club and as a result, the first Colorado Probation and Parole Association was formed. Mr. Kidder was elected the first president of this organization and continued in the capacity of president until 1952. It was during this time that, with the help of Mr. Kidder and many other interested individuals, a modern Parole Legislation Bill was brought about. During the past twenty-three years, Homer has continued in his active work with the Association and has held many other positions, such as board member and committee chairmanships.

In 1963, the new Adult Probation Association was also formed and Mr. Kidder, of course, played an active part in this and became the organization's third president, holding that office from September of 1966 to September of 1967. He, with others, of course, co-authored the writing of the present Probation Act and the use of probation has gradually increased throughout the state to and through the present time.

There is no doubt he has lived throughout the most exciting period of our history; a period beginning with the diminishing use of the covered wagon and the stagecoach as the mode of transportation, the frontier hired gunman, through the expansion of electricity, the railroads, the development of the telephone, the automobile, the radio, the airplane, television, great technological and scientific advances up to the point of putting a man on the moon and the expansion and quality of probation.