Sonoma County Probation Department

[This information is seriously out of date!]

        A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The Probation Department, as a legally-constituted arm of the Superior Court, is an integral part of the County's justice system. The Department is charged with the responsibility of community protection through the provision of mandated direct services to all of the Courts, including the investigation, supervision, control, and reform of offenders who are granted supervised probation. Probation is a privilege that usually includes conditions that require serving a specific amount of time in jail or a juvenile institution, paying restitution to crime victims, abstaining from the use of alcohol and drugs, paying fines, and doing community service work. Failure to comply with these conditions result in the offender's removal from probation status and the imposition of other penalties.

The Probation Services Division consists of six budget sections including Adult Probation, Juvenile Probation, Administration, Victim Service Program, Jail Programs and TANF - CBO.

The Juvenile Institutions Division includes the three juvenile detention facilities: Juvenile Hall, Probation Camp, and the Sierra Youth Center, as well as the Department's Supervised Adult Crew Program (SAC) which operates out of the Probation Camp facility.


Staff: 252.5 Full time staff, 96 Deputy Probation Officers, 99 Youth Supervisors, 57 clerical, accounting and support staff

Annual Budget:
        $17,490,107 in expenditures, $4,184,403 in revenues, $13,305,704 net cost

Funding Sources: Federal and State grants, fines, fees, County General Fund

Clientele: Adult and juvenile offenders involved in the criminal justice system

Governing Agency: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors

        A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The principal legislative-mandated tasks accomplished by Adult Probation are the preparation of investigation reports and sentencing recommendations for the Superior and Municipal Courts on criminal, diversion and civil matters, and the supervision of persons granted formal probation or diversion by the Courts. Additionally, this Division provides bail information to the Courts, manages the County's Victim Services Project, and operates various Jail Alternatives to incarceration programs, including: County Parole, Work Furlough, Citation Release, Supervised Own Recognizance, Supervised Electronic Confinement, and the Work Release Program.

Juvenile Probation at Los Guilucos provides a number of services to the youth, the community, and other juvenile justice agencies. The principal mandated tasks accomplished by Juvenile Probation are the preparation of investigation reports and disposition recommendations to the Superior Court. Staff determine which youths are appropriate subjects for the Court's jurisdiction, then supervise those minors who are placed under its authority. Additionally, Juvenile Probation provides a Court Officer, out-of-home placement services, and community service work coordination.

Newly established in 97/98 is the TANF- Community Based Organization budget unit through which contracts will be processed for programs which provide early intervention in the areas of substance abuse and/or violence prevention.

	DIVISION TITLE: PROBATION INSTITUTIONS
	DIVISION TITLE: 20 44

        A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The County's Juvenile Institutions are operated by the Probation Department to carry out mandates for temporary custody or longer-term commitment and treatment of delinquent youth in Sonoma County who enter the Juvenile Justice System because they have violated the law and are a danger to the public or themselves.

The Juvenile Hall is a detention facility for offenders under 18 years of age. Also operated through the Juvenile Hall is a Community Detention Program, including electronic monitoring, and Department Commitment Program.

A Home Treatment Program was developed in fiscal year 92/93 as an alternative to group home placement. This program is administered by the Camp, Sierra Youth Center, Juvenile Probation and Mental Health.

The Probation Camp is a 24-bed residential treatment program for delinquent boys. The program includes: Transition Step Program and Community Step Program.

The Sierra Youth Center is a 22-bed male/female residential treatment program. The program also operates two juvenile Weekend Work Crews which work on community projects.

The Supervised Adult Crews (SAC) Work Release Program is composed of 10 offender crews and is administered under the Probation Camp.