Anaheim, California, June 26, 2024 – Today, the Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC) and the CPOC Foundation concluded their 2024 Supporting Excellence in Probation: Strategies for Success Conference. The conference, which began on Monday, June 24 aimed to educate and elevate probation professionals in the state, and provide attendees with opportunities to expand their knowledge, skills, and tools to enhance their probation work.

Designed to ignite innovation, inspire growth, and empower excellence in the probation profession within California, the conference showcased a series of transformative general sessions that focused on key areas of probation’s work, including Probation’s critical role in successful reentry, evidence-based supervision strategies, connections to individualized services for probation clients, specialized support for foster youth in the juvenile justice system and pretrial programs and accompanying supportive services.

Each session helped advance the field of probation, featuring speakers and panels led by both California probation leaders and national voices. Keynote speakers included Professor Jennifer L. Skeem, renowned UC Berkeley Professor of Public Policy and Social Welfare, Dr. Brian Lovins, an expert in criminology and probation, and Rodney A. Cortez, Assistant Presiding Judge for the San Bernardino Superior Court.

The conference included a session with a powerful discussion with voices with lived experience from the justice system and featured Tony M. and his daughter Reese.  They discussed how a probation officer with Riverside County Probation was able to build report with Tony despite his distrust of law enforcement, and help engage him and his family in his journey to rehabilitation.  Tony credits his officer with truly helping him turn his life around.

“She saved my life, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her,” Tony said during his session.  “She was able to slowly break down my walls, and she was trustworthy and followed through with what she said.  I knew what she was doing, even if I didn’t like it, I trusted that she was doing what was best for me.  When I was still using drugs, even my daughter trusted her enough to call her and say, ‘You need to come get my dad’.”

Other presentations discussed extensive research pointing to the most successful people under probation supervision and in reentry are those who are able to have a firm, fair and caring relationship with their probation officer.

CPOC President Chief Kelly Vernon also announced the Reentry 2025 and Beyond Education Campaign to elevate and educate communities and stakeholders about the transformative work done by California Probation Professionals in reentry and how they provide critical supervision and supports and services to help those reentering our communities from incarceration.

“There are many pathways to positive change, both for those we supervise and for the communities we serve, and these pathways depend on the individual and their rehabilitative needs, and the needs of the communities into which they are reentering,” said Chief Kelly Vernon, Chief Probation Officer of Tulare County and President of CPOC. “To continue to make this positive change in people’s lives and in our communities we must continue to have the tools needed to do our work and have investment in the services our clients need to succeed.”

Other conference discussions and focuses included wellness strategies for probation officers and approaches to victim healing sessions on fostering belonging and engagement to drive organizational change.

Video: What Does Successful Reentry Look Like?

For more information about the conference, please click here. For more information about CPOC, please go to www.cpoc.org. 

Media Contact: Laura Dixon laura@cpoc.org 510-384-3020

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