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From Sacramento News & Review, by Anne Stokes

SACRAMENTO, CA | October 26, 2023 — While post-traumatic stress disorder affects millions of people, veterans suffer at higher rates than civilians, three times more for those who were deployed. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 11-20% of veterans who served in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom have PTSD in a given year. Approximately 12% of Gulf War veterans and an estimated 30% of Vietnam Veterans struggle with PTSD. Symptoms include persistent flashbacks or nightmares, difficulty with emotional regulation, particularly anger management, and reckless or self-destructive behavior. Through California’s Veterans’ Treatment Court, veterans facing criminal charges may be eligible for treatment rather than punishment.

“The most common [struggle] for vets is PTSD [and] TBIs, which are traumatic brain injuries, just from service. That can turn into addictions, can turn into anger issues, and those can turn into other criminal activities if it goes far enough,” says Kevin Cadena, senior deputy probation officer with Sacramento County.

“Approximately 90% of the veterans in Veterans’ Treatment Court are combat veterans from mainly the First Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Many have experienced gruesome events.”

The goal of Veterans’ Treatment Court is to address the underlying issues at hand in the hopes of getting those who have served their country back on their feet.

From San Diego County Office of Education.

October 16, 2024 - Recent upgrades to the Youth Transition Campus (YTC) in Kearny Mesa will benefit students, and help streamline experiences at both San Diego SOAR Academy sites.

“The new campus is stunning and will play a crucial role in supporting our students both socially and emotionally,” said Nathan Head, principal at the East Mesa site.

“This enhanced environment will keep students closely connected to their community and families during this challenging period.”

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.