News Coverage

From The Press Enterprise. By Anthony Martinez. 

As our communities come together to celebrate National Recovery Month, I want to take a moment to share my personal journey. My hope is that by telling my story, I can help inform ongoing discussions about addiction and criminal justice, while offering some hope to those who struggle with addiction.

I am a recovered addict, and am proud to say I have been sober for almost five years. My recovery journey has been shaped by many factors, but a few stand out as the most important: my family, especially my daughter, who never gave up on me; my faith in God; the treatment programs like the one I attended at the Salvation Army; and, surprisingly, the justice system.

In particular, I am deeply grateful for one of my probation officers who treated me with respect and compassion, seeing me as a human being.

The Chief Probation Officers of California support Prop 36 as an important step toward meaningful change in the justice system and the communities we serve.  As professionals dedicated to public safety, helping individuals transform their lives and supporting victims, we recognize the urgent need for action and approach this decision with a lens of balancing accountability and opportunity for change.

From The Modesto Bee. By Julietta Bisharyan.

Since the California Department of Juvenile Justice’s closure last year, Stanislaus County has had to rethink its approach to juvenile justice, focusing more on rehabilitation, education, and community-based alternatives. Before DJJ’s closure, youth convicted of serious crimes, such as murder and sex offenses, were sent to state-run facilities. Now, these offenders are held in their local counties, where they can be housed until they reach 25.

“Naturally, this means we’re dealing with an older, more sophisticated population with complex needs,” said Stanislaus County Chief Probation Officer Mark Ferriera.

One significant change has been the development of so-called less restrictive programs (LRPs), which allow certain youth to finish their sentences in alternative settings, such as halfway houses or community residential programs. The county has created a network of support services to facilitate the transition of eligible youth into LRPs through collaboration with community organizations like the Center for Human Services and Leaders in Community Alternatives. The county has also partnered with Pine Grove Fire Camp, where youth can work alongside Cal Fire to help fight fires across the state.

Though the number of youth transitioning to LRPs is still small, with just a few having been placed in the programs as of August, Ferriera expects this number to grow over the next year.

From the Daily Republic.

FAIRFIELD — September 24, 2024 — Deputy Probation Officer Clive Lui recently received the “Chief’s Award” at the seventh annual Solano County Probation Department’s awards celebration.

“The awards are given in five categories and award nominees and winners are selected by Probation Department staff. Chief Probation Officer Dean Farrah also bestows a ‘Chief’s Award’ to recognize an employee who goes above and beyond to assist staff, clients and department operations,” the website posting states.