General Sessions
Hunt the Good Stuff
Wednesday, October 22
8:50 AM–9:50 AM
Author, veteran, and global resilience advocate Duncan Kirkwood guides participants through the foundational tools of personal and professional resilience. Using his Hunt the Good Stuff framework, he demonstrates how presence, grit, joy, and gratitude strengthen mental health, boost workplace performance, and foster a grounded sense of self. Key themes include letting go of the past, developing grit to overcome challenges, and reframing negative thoughts through gratitude and self-discovery.
Speaker: Duncan Kirkwood, 1LT, MP
Investing in People is the Key to Investing in Safety
Wednesday, October 22
10:10 AM–11:10 AM
A human-centered approach to strengthening the probation workforce can transform both correctional systems and communities. By investing in workplace culture, probation enhances staff effectiveness, fosters innovation and collaboration, and supports overall well-being. Learn how organizational health strategies build stronger leadership, improve outcomes, and create safer communities through transformative rehabilitation.
Speakers: Dr. Myrinda Schweitzer Smith, Executive Director, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute
From Rock Bottom to Redemption: A Probation Officer’s Journey Through Trauma, Recovery and the Power of Perseverance
Wednesday, October 22
11:10 AM–12:00 PM
After surviving a near-fatal surfing accident, one probation officer’s journey from paralysis to completing an ultramarathon became a powerful metaphor for personal and professional purpose. This session will explore how a near-death experience, resilience, and rehabilitation became not just a story of survival, but a renewed call to serve—more intentionally, more humanely, and more powerfully as a probation officer.
25 Years Strong: How JJCPA Reshaped Juvenile Justice
Thursday, October 23
8:45 AM–9:30 AM
This year marks the 25th anniversary of California’s Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA), a landmark investment in prevention that gave probation departments critical resources to help keep youth from entering—or progressing further into—the justice system. With this support, probation fostered strong community partnerships to address risk factors and reduce system involvement. This session will reflect on JJCPA’s origins, its impact in both urban and rural counties, and how it laid the groundwork for future juvenile justice reforms.
Reforming Futures: Lived Experiences from the Justice System
Thursday, October 23
9:45 AM–10:30 AM
Individuals with firsthand experience in the justice system share powerful personal journeys toward rehabilitation. Through candid stories, panelists will reveal the pivotal role probation played in their progress—offering both accountability and support. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of probation’s human impact and the transformative potential unlocked when people are connected to essential resources and provided opportunities to build safer, healthier, and stronger lives.
If Youth and Young Adults Are So Smart, Why Do They Engage in Risky Behaviors?
Thursday, October 23
10:45 AM–12:00 PM
Individuals with firsthand experience in the justice system share powerful personal journeys toward rehabilitation. Through candid stories, panelists reveal the pivotal role probation played in their progress—offering both accountability and support. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of probation’s human impact and the transformative potential unlocked when people are connected to essential resources and provided opportunities to build safer, healthier, and stronger lives.
This Isn’t a Wellness Talk – It’s a Wake-Up Call
Friday, October 24
8:40 AM–9:40 AM
Emotional regulation isn’t a soft skill—it’s a survival skill. This energizing keynote introduces EmotionalEndurance, a neuroscience-based framework for recognizing and managing stress before it impacts performance, leadership, and safety. Attendees will learn why most people aren’t trained to manage emotional energy and how that gap affects clarity, relationships, and careers. Through practical tools and powerful insight, this session offers a wake-up call to shift from reactive to resilient in probations’ high-stakes environment.
Behind the Headlines: Insights on Public Safety Media Coverage
Friday, October 24
9:55 AM–10:55 AM
Public safety coverage in the news often shapes how communities view community safety. This discussion brings together an investigative reporter, a national public relations expert, and CPOC Executive Director Karen Pank, to examine the challenges of communicating probation’s multifaceted mission. Panelists will explore how safety news is covered, why it can be difficult to break through the noise of public safety coverage, and how probation can better highlight its dual role of accountability and rehabilitation.
Speakers:
Chief Panel: Investing in People, Strengthening Public Safety
Friday, October 24
10:55 AM–11:45 AM
Probation officers and staff are the foundation of the profession—providing stability, guidance, and the essential link between accountability and rehabilitation. In this panel, probation chiefs will discuss why investing in the workforce is critical to public safety, particularly amid rising challenges in public safety. The conversation will also address how probation will navigate these issues and the future of the profession in California, ensuring officers are equipped to connect those they supervise with both accountability and rehabilitative services.