From Bakersfield.com.

The week of July 20-26, has been proclaimed as Probation Services Week in Kern County by the Board of Supervisors. The women and men of the Kern County Probation Department provide wide-ranging vital public safety services every day. It is the dedicated work of our staff that defines our commitment to a safe community as we seek to reduce the incidence and impact of criminal behavior in Kern County.

Probation staff have one of the most important missions in society through their work with those who have had a negative impact on the community, themselves and their families through their actions. By embracing the values of accountability and opportunity, probation staff make a positive impact in people’s lives and provide for a safer community. We believe we must hold people accountable when they misstep or fail to adhere to court orders and the law. We also must provide opportunities for people to change their behaviors and thinking patterns, turn their lives around and become productive, law-abiding citizens.

We seek to accomplish our mission by taking a collaborative, best-practice-driven, evidence-based treatment and trauma-informed approach across the spectrum of our duties, from youth services through adult services. Our staff are trained in these principles and practices and regularly work with numerous other government agencies, community-based organizations and dedicated volunteers to affect positive changes in those we are called to work with.

Probation’s footprint and impact on the criminal justice system has continued to grow throughout the years, mostly due to several state mandates and realignment efforts that have shifted services from the state to counties. With AB 109 realignment in 2011, we took on supervision responsibilities for more than half of the population of people being released from state prison back to Kern County.

With SB 823 Division of Juvenile Justice realignment in 2020, the state shifted responsibility for the most high-risk youth offenders to probation. We are now responsible for all youth whose cases remain under juvenile court jurisdiction, which can last up to age 25 in some instances.

Through a California Supreme Court case and subsequent legislation, probation is now responsible for adult pre-trial assessments and monitoring of certain individuals pending the resolution of their criminal cases. It is critical these realignment efforts and others are supported with sufficient funding from the state Legislature and barriers to local revenue opportunities are mitigated.

Amid all the growth and changes, we remain strong in our traditional roles. These include the supervision of adults and youth on probation, operating secure youth facilities, and providing complex dispositional and sentencing reports to the courts. Our role as sentencing law experts and our presence in the courtroom brings tremendous value to the judicial system.

Every day my staff work with some of the most challenging people in our county, be it in our youth facilities, courtrooms, classrooms, or environments that are often dangerous and unpredictable. What remains constant is the high level of dedication, work ethic and passion my staff bring to their jobs each day.

When I look at the landscape of this department and the tremendous work of my staff, I am truly inspired and grateful to have the privilege of representing the men and women of the Kern County Probation Department. During Probation Services Week, I hope people take the time to gain a better understanding of and reflect upon the impact of probation services in Kern County and throughout the state.

Bill Dickinson is a lifelong Kern County resident and serves as Chief Probation Officer of the Kern County Probation Department.

Read the full article here.