From the President of the Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC), Chief Brian Richart:

The safety and the well-being of clients, staff and our communities is THE top priority of Probation Departments statewide. The coordinated community response to COVID 19 is a very fluid situation with an influx of new information daily and at times hourly.  Probation Departments are being vigilant and working closely with their County administrations, partners in public safety, Departments of Public Health, California Health and Human Services Agency (HHS) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to make decisions informed by the latest science-based information. All responses, policies, and plans are and will be designed to help provide a safer environment for everyone.  We remain committed to our public safety duties and we will continue to monitor the situation closely as new information comes to light and make decisions based on best-practices in health and safety standards.

We know everyone is being deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We know firsthand about the impact this crisis is generating. We are also hearing inspiring accounts of commitment and innovation from probation departments and probation officers as they balance the needs of community safety, their families, our clients and our critical government support systems.