In April 2021, Los Angeles County implemented its Care First, Jails Last initiative aimed at diverting offenders away from incarceration and into services that address their underlying needs, including homelessness, mental health issues and substance abuse. But for the men and women of the Los Angeles County Probation Department, rehabilitation and reintegration has always been, and will continue to be simply part of the job.
These unsung guardians serve the needs of some 35,000 adults on probation or parole in L.A. County, which houses the largest jail system in the country. Their responsibilities have always extended beyond the mere supervision of individuals who have been convicted of crimes. Probation officers provide risk assessments, develop personalized rehabilitation plans, and connect individuals with essential support services such as counseling, substance abuse programs, and vocational training. Deputy probation officers, or (DPOs) often become mentors, guiding individuals towards a path of redemption, personal growth, and self-sufficiency.
L.A. County recently retired DPO Martha Aguirre says she is constantly awed by the career paths of people formerly under her supervision. The former school-based probation officer was no stranger to the term “school to prison pipeline,” coined in the early 2000s to describe the policies that directly or indirectly pushed students out of school and into the juvenile legal system.
“The end of the pipeline for the students I worked with looked nothing like prison, but more like high school graduation celebrations and college acceptance letters,” noted Aguirre. “Watching students, I worked with get their first job, having former students come back to visit to inform me of their college graduations and other successes in life, students going from straight F’s one semester to above a 3.00 GPA the following year, countless thank you cards and letters from parents, and ultimately getting to watch one of my former students become a probation officer himself.”
DPO Rafael Paz said he goes out on fire calls with the minors assigned to a fire crew and takes them hiking, while DPO Shomari Samson shared his love of music with the young people he supervised at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.
One year after DPO Alan Brown joined the L.A. County Probation Department in 1999, he was inspired to create the College Summit, a program designed to increase college enrollment and decrease the dropout rate among the department’s former foster youth. The annual event has expanded over the years to include low cost or no cost vocational schools, and more than 50 colleges and vendors, including Tuskegee University and UC Berkeley.
“It serves to educate our youth in regard to all the services and financial support that are available for them, to show them that a college degree is a very real and obtainable goal for them,” Brown says of his College Summit, which has also featured the California Student Aid Commission to provide a Financial Aid Workshop.
Brown’s commendable work with young people has earned him a LA County Probation Department Recognition Award in 2014, and an Outstanding Accomplishment Award for developing the College Summit. He currently serves on the advisory board for Los Angeles City College CAFYES (Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support), The Westside Network, West Los Angeles College Advisory Board, and the Celebration I and Celebration II planning committees. Additionally, he works in conjunction with Covenant House and Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Youth Center in Hollywood.
DPO Stacy Ford received the AFSCME International Union’s Never Quit Service Award for his dedication to the probation department, his local union, and the 20 or so young people under his supervision all while battling cancer. The 15-year veteran of the L.A. County Probation Department says he prioritizes getting the teens the services they need, from drug treatment counseling to mental health counseling to education.
“I’m motivating them to live a productive life. While they’re with me, I’m trying to steer them on the right path,” said Ford, whose hobbies include watching extreme sports, food tasting and bull riding.
DPO Veronica Gomez is an important component of an LAPD team that work with the AB109 Parole and Compliance Unit. According to her LAPD partners she has a unique knowledge of the community and ability to communicate with probationers. DPO Gomez’s presence creates a safer environment, because she knows many of the probationers, their relatives, and friends in the area.
LA County probation officers understand that punishment alone rarely leads to lasting behavioral change. With the goal of reducing recidivism, these dedicated Deputy Probation Officers (DPO’S) are instrumental in helping offenders recognize their potential and make positive life choices as they reintegrate back into society.
