The San Luis Obispo County Probation Department is a Community Justice (Corrections) agency serving the citizens of San Luis Obispo County. The term "Probation" refers to a conditional sentence imposed on law offenders by the Court. In reality the Probation agency also provides a wide array of services to both the juvenile and adult population.

Services are recommended and provided along a continuum of care that includes prevention, intervention, supervision and incarceration. Most Probation services are mandated by the State Legislature (representatives of the people of the State of California) and identified in the Statutes and Regulations of the state of California. Thus, the majority of the referrals received by the department come from the court. As a result Probation personnel are often referred to as an "arm of the court".

As ordered we provide the following services to the court:

• Pre and post sentencing reports on adult defendants
• O.R. bail recommendations
• Supervision of adult offenders placed on Probation
• Various diversion and specialized programs for both juvenile and adult offenders
  
• Transportation to treatment programs
• Juvenile supervision services for juveniles on Probation
• Placement of minors in out-of-home care (group homes, foster homes, residential treatment facilities)
• Dispositional reports for juvenile court, and incarceration in Juvenile Hall
• In addition to these supervision services, the department receives and reviews all Police reports on juvenile offenders

In an effort to hold offenders accountable and rehabilitate them, the court typically orders individuals to obtain treatment, enter specific programs, provide services to the community (CWS), and pay fines and restitution to victims in addition to a variety of general orders as a condition of their probation.

As Probation Officers must ensure probationers abide by their terms and conditions of probation, we find ourselves needing to develop, monitor, and ensure programs are available to the Probationer. Evidence based programs that address the criminogenic needs of Probationers are essential to their rehabilitation, ensuring they become law abiding productive citizens. Programs that are community based, family focused, strength based, and restorative in nature are ideal.

In addition to ensuring programs are available and effective, we also know, as with all people, offenders that have their basic needs met of food, clothing, shelter and meaningful relationships are better able to move forward in making the necessary changes in their lives. Thus, Probation Officers also work with their clientele in ensuring they have and keep an income (job or Federal/State aid), obtain and maintain housing, have food, and assist them in maintaining a healthy relationship with others.

As Officers of the Court, and Deputies of the Chief Probation Officer, Probation and Juvenile Services Officers are expected to evaluate, assess, and re-assess each case and individual offender in accordance with the appropriate rules of the court and legal codes, in a non-biased, thorough manner.

Although Officers are constantly making decisions as to an offenders level of danger (re-offending) to the community, and thus whether or not they must be taken into, or remain incarcerated, they are also expected to develop a relationship with the Probationer. We often talk about Officers taking a "balanced approach" to the work they do. This balance involves the Officer's ability to be flexible, moving from "social worker" to "enforcement officer" as the situation demands, the teeter-totter role of the Probation and Juvenile Services Officer. This makes the job of a Probation Officer and Juvenile Services Officer unique in the law and justice community.

Those offenders who have made significant changes in their lives by becoming law abiding productive citizens state the relationship with a caring adult made the true difference in their lives. We see this model at work everyday in the specialized courts (Drug Courts; Mental Health Court; Truancy Court; etc.) and the desire of the offenders to do well and "please" the Judge who is spending weekly time with them, caring about their lives.

Probation and Juvenile Services Officers are sworn peace officers that are armed at the discretion of the Chief Probation Officer. Our role includes that of: a broker of services; a collaborator and an assessor of risk and needs; a supervisor of probationers; an identifier and developer of programs; and an implementer of legislation as enacted into law.

Probation, as a community corrections agency, is successful if we can rehabilitate Probationers in the community, assisting them to become law abiding productive citizens, thereby reducing the number of victims in the community, keeping the community safe, and reducing the need for costly state incarceration. It is in this way, our profession has become an indispensable, necessary, and valued one to the public we serve.

The Vision of the San Luis Obispo County Probation Department is to promote justice and safety in the community through the provision of probation services that:

• Utilize a neighborhood, family-focused, strength-based, community-supervision approach
• Provide safe and secure juvenile detention and treatment programs
• Emphasize the strengthening of citizen and community response to crime
• Support restorative justice and restitution to victims
• Coordinate closely with courts, law enforcement, schools, and social service agencies
• Educate offenders and develop their sense of social responsibility
• Provide services to offenders along a continuum of care from prevention through incarceration

Kim Barrett - Chief Probation Officer