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Lake County Probation Hosts Annual Resilient Reentry at Woodland Community College

From Lake County News

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Lake County Probation Department hosted its fifth annual Resilient Reentry at Woodland Community  College on Friday, Oct. 9.

Twenty-seven community organizations set up tents in front of the Ed Miller Business Lab, offering resources to homeless and justice-involved people. In addition to the tents, several groups gave presentations, celebrated achievements and detailed services offered by the county. 

People who completed Reentry Programs offered by the California Workforce Development Board were given certificates signed by California State Senate Majority Leader Cecelia Aguiar-Curry. 

“We were looking for a way to inspire those on probation with the stories of those that have made it through the system and have changed their lives,” said Chief Probation Officer Wendy Mondfrans.

Article Karen Pank

ICYMI: Governor Newsom’s Juvenile Justice Experiment is Failing By Design

By Karen Pank, Executive Director, Chief Probation Officers of California. Originally published in Los Angeles Daily News.

Close the youth prisons first. Invent the replacement later. That was California’s plan.

To understand how we got here, step back. From 2000 to 2019, California’s juvenile justice system made historic gains. With state support during that time, county probation departments cut juvenile arrests by 73 percent and kept more than 90 percent of youth who committed crimes in the community instead of locked facilities….

Then the design changed. In 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 823, which closed the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), and shifted California’s highest-risk, highest-need youth onto the counties. Probation departments warned that closing DJJ without a focused replacement would fail the young people the state claimed to be helping. The warnings were ignored.

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California State Legislative Members Recognize Probation Services Week 2026

California State Legislative Members Recognize Probation Services Week 2026

As Probation Services Week 2026 begins, California’s probation professionals were recently recognized on both the Senate and Assembly floors for their vital contributions to public safety and community well-being. We extend our sincere thanks to legislators Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen and Senator Anna Caballero who took the time to acknowledge the dedicated work of probation professionals across the state and highlight the essential role they play in California’s justice system. 

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Lake County Probation Hosts Annual Resilient Reentry at Woodland Community College

From Lake County News

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — The Lake County Probation Department hosted its fifth annual Resilient Reentry at Woodland Community  College on Friday, Oct. 9.

Twenty-seven community organizations set up tents in front of the Ed Miller Business Lab, offering resources to homeless and justice-involved people. In addition to the tents, several groups gave presentations, celebrated achievements and detailed services offered by the county. 

People who completed Reentry Programs offered by the California Workforce Development Board were given certificates signed by California State Senate Majority Leader Cecelia Aguiar-Curry. 

“We were looking for a way to inspire those on probation with the stories of those that have made it through the system and have changed their lives,” said Chief Probation Officer Wendy Mondfrans.

Article

ICYMI: Chief Probation Officer Mark Ferriera Published in APPA Magazine

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Chief Probation Officer Mark Ferriera of Stanislaus County Probation, recently wrote an article published in the American Probation and Parole Association’s peer-reviewed quarterly journal Perspectives Volume 50, Number 2.

His article, Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in Community Corrections, explores how artificial intelligence can help address staffing shortages and streamline administrative tasks in community corrections. His article highlights how AI tools can improve efficiency, support officer safety, and provide timely access to critical case information—while emphasizing that professional judgment and human connection remain central to effective supervision. 

You can read the article in Perspectives here.

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