The third week of July was “Probation Services Week,” an annual celebration honoring the work of community corrections professionals. On the occasion, Chief Probation Officer Keevin Allred, said, “I wanted to take a moment to personally thank the amazing staff I have the privilege of working alongside. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to our department.”
The department’s role is to administer for adult and juvenile probation programs countywide, with the aim of preventing crime, protecting the community and young people, and rehabilitating probationers.
Probation provides an alternative to incarceration for people convicted of certain crimes, Allred explained. The department also supervises adults who are ordered by the court to abide by specific terms and conditions, or who are released from prison under the condition of post-release community supervision. The primary goal of probation is to protect the community by preventing crime and reducing recidivism. Individuals under probation supervision are provided with accountability, as well as support and rehabilitative services. Rehabilitation of those on probation is considered an effective means of reducing recidivism.
In working with juveniles, the department’s aim is to prevent youth from entering the criminal justice system through diversion, truancy prevention, parenting classes and other programs. They also manage informal supervision programs, wardship/general supervision, foster care and detention. Probation officers work to connect individuals under supervision with services available in the community.
Although probation work can be extremely rewarding, Allred said, it is also demanding, stressful, and emotionally and mentally taxing, requiring staff to wear many different hats. “Every day, I witness our staff striving to support our court, clients, and community. They are dedicated to excellence and improving our service to the community. They take personal responsibility and ownership of their role as public servants. This is their department, and they have made it what it is today. There is still much to do and many things we want to improve, but this team has elevated this department significantly over the last few years, and I am optimistic that they will continue to do so for many years to come.”
