(1215) Probation Operations Division

The San Benito County Probation Department's mission is to serve the Court and support clients through trauma informed care and rehabilitative services to change behavior and enhance the welfare of the community. 

The Probation Department is responsible for the coordination of services to the court and other justice agencies within the county. These services include assessments, case management, investigation, community supervision, disposition, service referrals, and treatment of adult clients and youth; written probation reports and recommendations to the court, correctional programming, reentry services; services to victims; and legally mandated court-ordered services. These services are provided in accordance with appropriate sections as designated in the California Rules of Court, Penal Code, Health & Safety Code, Welfare and Institutions Code, Family Code, Civil Code, Code of Civil Procedure, Business & Professions Code, Education Code, Probate Code, and Government Code. 

Through evidence-based practices, the Probation Department promotes public safety, reduces recidivism, and works with victims to mitigate the impact of crime. In collaboration with county partners, probation provides community supervision, accountability, and opportunities for positive change. 

The Probation Department is an integral part of the criminal justice system, and the department is comprised of several service divisions: Adult, Court Investigations, Administrative Services, Juvenile, Reentry, and the Youth Services Center. 

Adult Division 

The probation department's Adult Division works in collaboration with the San Benito County Superior Court, service providers, and law enforcement agencies to encourage positive change among those we serve. The adult division serves adult offenders and provides supervision for those who are granted formal probation, Mandatory Supervision, and Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS). Additionally, adult probation serves on collaborative courts for individuals who suffer from mental illness or extensive substance abuse. Overall, probation officers work with individuals to provide community supervision, support services, and address identified needs with the goal of achieving rehabilitation. Probation officers complete validated risk and needs assessments and develop case plans with clients based on risk to re-offend and a client’s individual needs. Probation officers also complete home contacts, including probation searches, compliance checks, and address verifications.

Probation continues to collaborate with local law enforcement partners to promote community safety through regularly scheduled meetings, communication, and the organization of field operations. The Special Intelligence Unit (SIU) has been implemented by Probation, the San Benito County Sheriff's Office, District Attorney's Office, and the Hollister Police Department. This team focuses on intelligence gathering, crime suppression, the reduction and prevention of serious/violent crimes. SIU also works collaboratively to investigate criminal activities (to include criminal gang activities) within the county and facilitate asset forfeiture cases.

Court Investigations Division 

Probation continually revises departmental policy and procedures to maintain compliance with state mandates and legislation. The Pretrial Services Program provides an opportunity for supervision of clients who are pending the court process to remain free from custody. The Court Investigations Division completes pretrial service reports to the court and conducts the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) on referred clients. Supervision of the clients may vary from notification of court hearings to electronic monitoring through a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. Probation facilitates the Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP), allowing for more custody alternatives options to incarcerated individuals.

Probation maintains a collaborative partnership with the Court to provide a variety of reports that include pre-plea, pre-sentence investigation, post sentencing, sentencing memos, and probation eligibility reports. Probation plays an active and essential role in Court proceedings and provides relevant information to the Judge. Court probation officers are present during court proceedings multiple times a week and recommendations are provided on supervised cases. The investigations unit is responsible for ensuring reports are timely, concise, and provide accurate information to the Court. They also ensure that assessments are completed for each client during the court process to determine the level of risk to re-offend and identify criminogenic needs. The criminogenic needs identified by the Court Investigations Division will then assist in the development of the case plan.

Administrative Services Division

The Probation Department has an Administrative Services Division that oversees departmental budgets, grants, contracts, and Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs).  Clerical staff coordinate and administer the department's general business activities, human resources, employee relations, training, strategic planning, and general administrative functions, to include the implementation of a new case management system.

Juvenile Division 

The Juvenile Division encompasses mandated court services, community supervision of delinquent youth, mentoring, referrals to service programs, pro-social activities, educational programs, or counseling programs, and general case management. Juvenile probation officers work to enforce court orders, protect the community and any victim(s), and help to rehabilitate youth through a trauma-informed and culturally responsive lens. The juvenile division is also responsible for intake and investigations, placement of youth and non-minor dependents, and the completion of home contacts, including probation searches or compliance checks.

Probation officers collaborate with local county agencies, schools, and community-based organizations to re-direct delinquent behavior occurring at home or in the community. These partnerships foster healthy, safe, and strengthened families for youth in the community with the goal of reducing recidivism. 

The Juvenile Division handles all law enforcement referrals for youth under the age of 18. All referrals are filtered through the Juvenile Division to determine level of intervention and follow up. This can range from mandatory referrals to the District Attorney's Office, 654 W&I informal contracts, juvenile diversion program referrals, or counsel and close matters. All intakes are reviewed carefully and utilize a best interest of the youth and least restrictive means approach.  

For placement, the Juvenile Division is responsible for the custody, care, and control of youth removed from their homes. Probation officers are tasked with conducting monthly face-to-face visits, conducting child and family team meetings, meeting with the youth's parents, updating information into the Child Welfare Services Case Management System (CWS/CMS) website, and advocating for what is within the best interest of the youth and family. Placement matters have an overall goal of family reunification.  

The passage of Senate Bill 823 closed the California Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), the state system that previously housed and treated youth who committed the most serious crimes. Youth are retained and treated locally in the Youth Services Center, whenever feasible. SB823 has allowed for youth to remain closer to their families and communities and provides them an opportunity to participate in a secure track program operated by the Probation Department. The Probation Department collaborates with necessary rehabilitation programs focused on individual needs and extends the age of local juvenile court’s jurisdiction up to age 25. The Probation Department has also used SB823 funds to support a wraparound service program, Partners Achieving Change Together (PACT) which includes a team comprised of a family advocate, probation officer, and clinician.

Reentry Division 

The “Next Steps” Reentry Program prepares and assists probationers and incarcerated persons in their transition back into the community. This program provides information, education and linkage to resources including, but not limited to, goal setting, behavioral health, housing, employment, and education. This program also helps individuals obtain important documents and set up email accounts for post-release use. Furthermore, our department works to complete an assessment and individualized care plans for everyone that participates in the reentry program. Incarcerated persons that have a scheduled release also receive a transition plan and 30 days post release follow up assistance.

The Reentry Division encompasses a Reentry Program Manager and Reentry Case Manager. The Reentry Case Manager provides in-custody and community-based programs that target life skills development, transition planning, and interactive journaling to address criminogenic risk factors. The Reentry Program Manager develops and oversees programming for incarcerated persons at the San Benito County Jail in collaboration with the San Benito County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division.

Youth Services Center

This information has been included in the Youth Services Center budget narrative.    

• Filling six vacancies for the main probation department and nine vacancies at the Youth Services Center
• Developed a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Jail Inmate Medical/Dental/Mental Health Services in Adult and Juvenile Facilities (Youth Services Center)
• Secured the Workforce Development Navigator grant through the Office of Youth and Community Restoration for a three-year term for the total amount of $210,000.00
• Added two school resource deputy probation officers – one at Hollister High School campus and one at San Andreas/Pinnacles Community School campus
• The Probation Department piloted the new contracts procurement program through OpenGov on behalf of the County
• Provided Motivational Interviewing (M.I.) training for staff to enhance client interviews/interactions
• Implemented Vector Check It for inventory management (vehicles, computers, etc.)
• Certified a new provider for domestic violence batterers intervention program – Streets2Schools
• Completed two iterations of data conversion for the eProbation case management system
• Completed the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) AB109 Realignment Annual Plan
• Completed the following MOUs
1. Special Intelligence Unit (SIU)
2. San Benito County Office of Education – School resource deputy probation officer
3. San Benito County Superior Court – SB129 services
4. Hollister High School - School resource deputy probation officer
• Ongoing Lexipol Policy Review/Updates
1. Developed Lexipol procedures
• Conducted field operations to include a 290 Sweep Operation, Juvenile Compliance Operation, and Warrant Reduction in collaboration with fellow Law Enforcement Agencies
• Continued the “Recycling Project” for youths
• Submitted and updated the Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan to the Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR)
• Submitted and updated the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA)/Youthful Offender Block Grant (YOBG) to the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) to receive JJCPA/YOBG grant funding
• Continued community outreach/engagement through social media accounts
• Submitted the Child Welfare Services (CWS)/Probation Disaster Plan to the California Department of Social Services in collaboration with Child Welfare for youth court-ordered into placement

• Submitted the first progress report for the new System Improvement Plan (SIP) to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) – SIP cycle August 14, 2024-August 14, 2029
• Continued to configure a new case management system through JTI.
• Completed our progress report for CalAIM implementation.

• Requests to reduce the department’s overall Budget which will compromise services, programs, and public safety
• Impact on mandated services (court, Youth Services Center, reports, placement, etc.)
• Reduction of programming
• Potential impact on staffing
• Physical office building/space which is safe for first responder/peace officer staff activities.
• Insufficient space to accommodate existing staff in the department
• Enhance building security
• Loss of revenue from the passage of Assembly Bills 177/143/1186 by not being able to collect fees.
• Reduction of grant funds provided through Senate Bill 678 and the loss of planning funds for the Community Corrections Partnership (AB109).
• New case law and legislation impacting the bandwidth of probation staffing and programs through the imposition of unfunded mandates, to include the passage of Proposition 36 and CalAIM.
• Recruitment and retention of staff, due to non-competitive salaries with surrounding counties/jurisdictions.
• SB 823 funding and resources not being sufficient to meet the demands of the Juvenile Justice Realignment for secure track treatment youth in the San Benito County community.

• Implementation of a new risk/needs assessment tool.
• Full Implementation of the new case management system – eProbation.
• Identifying alternative solutions to the current limitations for existing staff in the two current buildings.
• Further development of departmental procedures that coincide with departmental policies.
• Further development and expansion of evidence-based programs, validated assessment tools, and services provided to supervised clients.
• Increase the use of technology to maximize efficiency.
• Revaluate local mental health and substance use disorder services for both incarcerated probation clients and probation clients in the community.
• Formalize coordinated accountability efforts for clients and staff.
• Increased quality assurance measures to identify gaps in services, review the effectiveness of current services, and implement new innovative programs/services to benefit the community.
• Implement a Power BI dashboard (extracting data from the probation case management system) to enhance transparency with probation operations.
• Explore the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the efficiency of report writing for probation.

• New Roof at the main probation office