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Some Highlights of Our Breakout Sessions and One of Our General Sessions!
Day 1 of our conference will feature a general session by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) covering California’s new Permanent Foster Care Rate Structure. Starting July 2025, a key part of this rate structure will take effect, requiring the use of standardized high-fidelity Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment for all youth and non-minor dependents (NMDs) in foster care. This important CANS update will be explored in depth during a breakout session later that day.
Spotlight
Serving Those Who Have Served: Veterans’ Treatment Court Provides Support in Lieu of Incarceration
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.
Anthony’s Story of Justice and Recovery
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.
Reassessing California’s Approach to Public Safety and Reentry
By Karen Pank, Executive Director, Chief Probation Officers of California.
Every day, new reports of crime shake communities across California. Recent high-profile violent crime incidents have intensified concerns about public safety and the policies guiding safety decisions in our state. But it’s not just the high-profile cases that have California residents shaken, it’s the too-close-to-home incidents we all see on the streets of the communities in which we live every day.
It’s natural to wonder who or what is to blame and ask why this surge in crime is happening and what went wrong within our communities and public safety systems. The reality is that the situation is both straightforward and complex.
As on-the-ground experts in community safety and rehabilitation, Probation officers have seen firsthand how the state’s efforts to dictate how to address policy issues that impact public safety are attacking the problem from the wrong point of view. While well-intentioned, the state’s top-down approach, which has not fully taken into account the expertise and input of the professionals who do this work every day at the local level – is failing.
Orange County Probation Officer Earns Award from MADD
Orange, Cali., September 11, 2024 – In a world where driving under the influence (DUI) remains a critical public safety concern, the dedication and innovative approaches within the justice system can make a significant difference. One such individual, Ronald De La Riva, is a recently honored member of the Orange County Probation Department, whose work with DUI court programs has earned him the 2024 Outstanding Probation Officer of the Year from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). The following insights shed light on this remarkable journey, from groundbreaking initiatives to a lasting impact on the community.
A Career Built on Commitment
The MADD 2024 Outstanding Probation Officer of the Year award was not a spontaneous accolade but rather a result of a deliberate and impactful career. De La Riva joined DUI Court as a Supervising Probation Officer (SPO) in 2013. His drive to improve DUI interventions was influenced by a department wide initiative towards evidence-based practices (EBPs). This commitment to employing effective, research-backed methods rather than traditional approaches laid the foundation for significant advancements in the DUI court program.
Statement on CPOC’s Support for Proposition 36 from President Kelly Vernon
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.
Victim Resources
CA Department of Justice Victims’ Services Unit – The Victims’ Services Unit offers crime victims and their families support and information at every stage of the criminal process.
CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation, OVSRS – Provides information on offender release, restitution, parole conditions and parole hearings when the offender is incarcerated in prison. 1-877-256-6877
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Chief Probation Officers of California Respond to Criminal Indictments of 30 Los Angeles County Probation Officers
Sacramento, California, March 11, 2025 – The Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC) has sent a letter regarding the Criminal indictments of 30 probation officers within the Los Angeles County Probation Department to The Honorable Mike McGuire, President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate, and The Honorable Robert Rivas, Speaker of the California State Assembly.
Re: Criminal indictments of 30 probation officers within the Los Angeles County Probation Department
Marin County Probation Participates in Multi-agency Warrant Operation
Compliance checks take place throughout Marin; five violations found.
From Marin County.
MARIN COUNTY, Calif. – February 27, 2025 – The Marin County Probation Department’s AB 109 Unit led a coordinated operation to enhance community safety, targeting individuals on active supervised probation, Mandatory Supervision, or Post-Release Community Supervision. The multi-agency effort aimed to enhance community safety by addressing outstanding warrants and ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of supervision.
