Good morning.

Welcome to the committee on criminal justice.

Please place your phone on vibrate assignment mode.

Anytime this hearing, do not approach the days.

Chair Brooke Powells, we are ready to begin.

Good morning.

I am Councilmember Sylvina Brooks Powers, Chair of the Committee on Criminal Justice.

I want to welcome everyone to today's hearing on the organizational strategy of the Department of Probation.

The Department of Probation plays an important role in New York City's criminal legal system.

Its responsibilities extends beyond supervising individuals in the community to include court-related investigations, juvenile intake and adjustment, and connecting people under supervision with services that support their stability and successful completion of probation.

The department's organizational approach affects how these responsibilities are carried out, how officers interact with the people they supervise, what the outcomes are for people under department supervision, and how effectively young people and families navigate the court system.

In recent years, the department has faced significant challenges related to staff and shortages, employee retention, caseload management, and the direction of its supervision policies.

As of March, the department reported a vacancy rate of approximately 23%, 255 vacancies, 210 of which were probation officers.

The elimination of court liaison officer positions under the previous administration raised concerns about coordination with family court and the ability to identify opportunities for adjustment before young people enter formal court proceedings.

The return of court liaison functions, along with changes to caseload assignments and staff requirement efforts, makes it important to examine how the department is organized today and how these decisions affect the agency's work.

The department has been under new leadership since Commissioner Goodwin's appointment in January.

Today's hearing is an opportunity to hear directly from the department about the change that leadership has brought, what remains in development, and how those changes are impacting probation officers and those under their supervision.

As we examine the department's organizational strategy, we must consider both the conditions facing probation officers and the experiences of the people under their supervision.

Effective probation requires trained and supported staff, manageable and appropriately structured caseloads, coordination with the courts, and access to services that address the needs contributing to justice system involvement.

Today, the committee will examine the department's current staff and management practices, its approaches to assigning and supervising cases, and the role of the community-based programs in supporting successful outcomes.

We will also consider how the department evaluates program effectiveness and uses available data to guide decisions about services and resources.

In addition to today's topic, the committee will be hearing introduction number 1104, sponsored by myself in relation to providing youth accused of crimes with information about the criminal legal process.

This bill would require the Department of Probation to provide young people accused of crimes with notices explaining the criminal legal process.

These notices would provide information on adjusting cases, filing petitions, pre-sentencing reports, and potential dispositions.

The notices would also provide information regarding different criminal defense providers in New York City that the young person may contact.

The bill would also require that before beginning an intake interview with a probation officer, a young person be read the protections afforded them during the interview.

Young people and families should understand how this process works before they begin it.

A notice delivered at first contact would give them the information they need to make informed decisions, and I look forward to working with the department and our stakeholders to get it right.

I am joined by council member Morano.

And I would also like to take a moment to thank my staff and committee staff for their hard work.

Jahari Frazier, Counsel to the Committee, Chad Benjamin, policy analyst, Casey Lasky Financial Analyst, Owen Brady, my policy and budget director, and Renee Taylor, my chief of staff.

I look forward to a productive discussion with the department and our other stakeholders about the direction of probation in New York City, the progress being made to strengthen its operations and the steps needed to ensure that the department carries out its responsibilities effectively while supporting rehabilitation, accountability, and successful outcomes for the people it serves.

Now I would like to ask the committee counsel to administer those.

Good morning.

We will now hear testimony from the administration.

Before we begin, I will administer the affirmation.

Panelists, please raise your right

hand.

Do

you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth before this committee and to honestly answer council member questions?

All

right, you may begin when ready.

Good morning, Chair Brooks Powers and members of the Criminal Justice Committee.

I am Sharon Goodwin, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation.

Seated with me today is First Deputy Commissioner, Robert Eusebio, and Deputy Commissioners Wayne McKenzie, Tina Ruggery, and Stacey Decimore who oversee legal and external affairs, adult operations, and juvenile operations, respectively.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify about the important work of the Department of Probation and its organizational strategy.

The Department of Probation's organizational strategy can be summed up in just two words.

What works?

Referred to in the field as evidence-based practice.

It is a return to our core values, a return to working with people and the larger community to help the clients get out and stay out of the justice system.

My entire career has been with New York City probation.

Forty years ago, I started as an intern, fresh out of Utica College, now Utica University.

My alma mater.

I have held nearly every position in the probation officer title series, including probation officer trainee, probation officer, court liaison officer, supervising probation officer, branch chief, assistant commissioner, deputy commissioner, and now commissioner.

Restoring the agency to its fundamentals to what works has been my core focus.

Today I will provide an update on some of the best practices implemented thus far.

Staffing and recruitment, right sizing caseloads, and rebuilding relationships.

Without question, probation's most important asset is its people.

We cannot do this work without quality experienced staff.

For the past three years, probation had the highest vacancy rate of any city agency, 23%.