Michael Karas, Probation Agent
Michigan Department of Corrections, 10th Circuit Court
Michael Karas is a Probation Agent with the 10th Circuit Court of the Michigan Department of Corrections, where he works with many other SVSU graduates. Michael graduated from SVSU with a B.A. in Criminal Justice in 1993 and with a Master’s degree in 1995. 
Karas supervises up to 65 of the State’s registered sex offenders, and makes recommendations to judges about what options are available and advisable for individual probation cases. For each individual, Karas tailors an appropriate plan for probation, using such components as counseling, tether programs, searches, GPS location monitoring, and drug testing.
“We look for graduates who have exposure to a good mix of approaches,” said Karas. “SVSU graduates are given a solid mix of law enforcement skills and what I would call ‘social work’ skills, which come from classes in sociology, social work, anthropology, political science and philosophy.”
“To be successful as a probation agent, it’s important to realize you are serving two essential functions: monitoring offenders for the Court, and assisting offenders to help them meet the conditions set by the judge for their probation.”
“SVSU graduates are professional; they become good writers; and they work well with others, which are all absolutely essential in the probation division,” said Karas.
“The SVSU Criminal Justice faculty members are well-versed, and they stimulate independent, creative thinking. Class discussions are never one-sided. I was never afraid to sit down and work through questions with any of them.”
“I worked a full time job while attending SVSU, and took 14-16 credits every semester, even in summer. College is challenging, and the ability to remain close to home was important because, taking on so much, I needed to have my family close at hand to help me through.”
"I feel very fortunate to have such a reputable University in my backyard, and most importantly, I didn’t have to take out exorbitant loans!”
“SVSU’s CJ program gave me the training and contacts necessary to build a career.”
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