Akron Parole Officer nationally recognized

By India Duke & Joseph Suciu

Congratulations to Mark Belaney, Parole Officer Akron Region, for receiving the 2023 Scotia Knouff Line Officer of the Year Award presented by the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA). The award is the association’s most prestigious and competitive practitioner award.

The officer who earns this honor has performed assigned duties in an outstanding manner and/or is making a significant contribution to the profession at a local, regional, or national level.

This year, Belaney earned that honor.

“I am proud to accept this honor and hope it brings attention to the great work being done within the state of Ohio by countless parole officers with the Adult Parole Authority,” said Belaney. “However, I don’t believe I do anything special which deserves a spotlight; I’m just doing my job.”

He came to the agency in 2001 as a case manager at Lake Erie Correctional Institution. A career in criminal justice wasn’t his first choice, but after deciding his major in college was more of a hobby than a career, he switched gears.

“Criminal justice was something I was always drawn to just because I had an interest in working with people and being able to help them do better,” he said. “I thought I could go into the corrections field and maybe be a warden one day.”

But that’s not where his journey took him.

Instead, after working in the institution for 8 years, he became a parole officer in 2009 and quickly implanted himself in the community to help make a difference.

“I think my time working in the institution, more than anything, gave me an understanding of the environment in which supervisees are being released,” he said. “When I’m meeting with someone on supervision, sometimes they’ll say, ‘You don’t know what prison is like,’ and I tell them actually I do.”

Belaney was nominated for the award by Parole Services Supervisor Michael Burgett.

“PO Belaney is exceedingly skillful at balancing the social work and law enforcement requirements of a parole officer’s duties. He is always willing to assist with field contacts, reports, or Ohio Risk Assessment System interviews,” Burgett said.

Belaney said that his favorite part of being a parole officer is being able to serve the community in many ways through one position.

“We get to wear so many hats, and there are so many opportunities and things you get to be a part of,” he said. “One day, you might be responding to a situation to protect people; another day, you may be wearing the counselor hat, writing referrals, trying to get people into programming to help with addiction issues or mental health. No day is necessarily the same.”

“The work of our staff in the Adult Parole Authority is so important to overall public safety. Mark Belaney has earned national recognition for coming to work each day and making a difference in the lives of others,” said Director Annette Chambers-Smith. “He is truly an example of the agency’s mission, vision, and values in action.”

Congratulations, Parole Officer Belaney!