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The Bethel District Office covers a large area in western Alaska and some parts of
Interior. Bethel is the "Hub" for the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta and has a population of
approximately 6,000; the majority of the people living in Bethel are Yupik Eskimo.
The Bethel Probation Office is considered a rural office and is staffed with five
Probation Officers, a Criminal Justice Technician, and two Admin Clerks. The area
comprises Judicial Districts 2 and 4.
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About the Area
Probation Officers in the Bethel office supervise an area of approximately 100,000
square miles, which is larger than the state of Oregon. The population of the Yukon
Kuskokwim Delta is estimated to be between 22,500 and 25,000 people, consisting
primarily of Yupik Eskimos and Athabascan Indians. Within the area there are 58 remote
villages, accessible only by small aircraft, riverboat or snowmachine. Officers travel
to these villages using all three means.
The farthest village from Bethel on the Kuskokwim River under the supervision of this
office is the Athabascan village of Nikolai; some 500 miles from Bethel. The farthest
interior village on the Yukon River is the Athabascan village of Grayling. The Coastal
villages covered by this office are all the villages from Kotlik on Norton Sound to
Platinum located on Goodnews Bay, including the island of Mekoryuk.
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