CEDAR RAPIDS - A week after Governor Culver announced a 10 percent cut in state spending, corrections officers hope to be spared from the cutting board. The way things stand now, the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services in Cedar Rapids must cut about $1.4 million this fiscal year. That likely means lay-offs of parole and probation officers who work to keep local offenders from committing more crimes and work to bring the community together.

These carved pumpkins didn't last very long in front of the Wellington House in Cedar Rapids Thursday. Even thought they were heavy and hard to carry, local kids couldn't pass up a free pumpkin. Randy Day helped organize the early Halloween celebration for area youth. He's a parole and probation officer stationed in the Wellington Heights neighborhood.

"I work with different agencies and organizations in the community to help improve the neighborhood," says Day.

But Day's responsibilities go well beyond Thursday's pumpkin giveaway.

"I run a high-risk case-load of convicted felons. I supervise them," says Day.

Depending on the severity of their crimes, Day and his fellow parole officers supervise anywhere from 25 to 250 offenders.

"They work in the community in such a way that their goal is to reduce victimization," says Gary Hinzman, director of the Sixth Judicial District.

Budget cuts increase that case load. The Sixth Judicial District's proposed cuts includes laying off 42 people from parole officers to staff to management. But Hinzman says not so fast. He's working with state government and local union leaders to save as many jobs as possible.

"We're committed professionals, and we will do what we have to do provide public safety. And we will do what we need to do to keep the community as safe as we can," says Hinzman.

And to keep the community connected with events like the annual Wellington House pumpkin mania.

The department of corrections will have a better idea of how many layoffs it will face next week.

As a side note, prisoners from the Anamosa State Penitentiary grew the hundreds of pumpkins for the department of corrections to give away Thursday in Wellington Heights.