SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 14, 2026) – Governor Gavin Newsom today released his May Revision of the California State Budget. Chief Probation Officers of California President Esa Ehmen-Krause issued the following statement:

“Pretrial programs have increasingly become the dumping ground for nearly every state court-ordered community release, yet the state continues to reduce the funding needed to safely monitor those cases. That is not sustainable.

Especially at a time when the California Supreme court just issued a ruling that requires courts to rely heavily on alternatives to monetary bail, the fact the state would double down on harming the only alternative to pretrial detention is mind boggling.

The state continues to build a myriad of offramps from incarceration but is failing to support the corresponding safeguards necessary when looking at people in the communities.  It is easy to see the public safety crisis ahead with these policies, yet the state continues to drive towards it.

California cannot continue expanding local public safety responsibilities and expect good outcomes without making the investments necessary to support them.

The state is increasingly relying on county probation departments to support state courts, improve public safety, oversee rehabilitation, and implement voter-approved Proposition 36, yet the state continues to reduce the very resources needed to carry out that work.

We remain committed to working with the Legislature and Administration to advance practical, evidence-based solutions that improve safety, accountability, and outcomes across our communities.”

For more information or interviews, please contact Laura Dixon at laura@cpoc.org.

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