James. J. Dwyer is currently the Massachusetts State Representative for the 30th District of Middlesex County. Prior to starting his term as a state representative, Mr. Dwyer worked as the Assistant Chief Juvenile Probation Officer for Middlesex County. Mr. Dwyer has 35 years of experience in juvenile corrections.
Mr. Dwyer earned his undergraduate degree from Norwich Military University while studying history and government. It was here that he developed a strong interest in community service, and became very interested in both sociology and psychology.
What type of training best prepared you for your work in juvenile corrections?
I enrolled in a Criminal Justice graduate program at Anna Maria College and I received my master’s degree. I also took sociology courses which I found helped me understand why children and adults act the way they do, and helped me better understand human behaviors.
What was an average day at work like for you?
The best thing about my average day at work was that it was far from average. Every day was a new day, new experience, and had new issues to face. Court experiences can range from working in a suburb of Woburn to working at a more urban court like Lowell, Brockton or Cambridge. While these were very different experiences, I had the same motives to help people.
What did you like most about your work as a juvenile probation officer?
The fulfillment of helping someone change their life for the better, assisting victims through the court process, creating community programs to help prevent issues, and diversion programs to get troubled kids back on the right track.
What advice do you have for those who are interested in working in this field?
Any and every person who wants to work for an agency that will have a direct impact on changing the lives on children for the positive should seriously think about getting into this field.
Mr. Dwyer also advises those who are interested in working in the field of juvenile corrections that these types of positions are often underpaid and underappreciated. They are, however, very emotionally rewarding. He explains, “Any time you deal with trouble children and families you are doing God’s work. You really have to want to do the job.”Dwyer also highly recommends taking courses in sociology and psychology.
