In November, Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) introduced a new blog series—essentially a “Who’s Who at SMC”—that lets you get to know the people behind the scenes who make the day-to-day interactions at the court function. Our third person for you to meet is Makayla Garrett, a probation counselor at the court. So far, we’ve also had you meet a magistrate and the court’s chief clerk.
What does a probation counselor do at a court?
At SMC, probation counselors support individuals with meeting their court-ordered obligations as well as service linkages to address underlying challenges, such as drug addiction, mental illness and homelessness, that may interfere with positive behavioral change. There are also probation counselors who work in the court’s Community Resource Center and in Pre-Trial Services. There are 14 of us in this role across the court.
I am part of the Probation Services team that works with individuals post-trial. I support clients with their court-ordered obligations. Usually, this consists of ensuring compliance with drug treatment or other therapeutic interventions. Working with a probation counselor such as myself keeps a client from going to jail.
I currently manage a caseload of 74 clients in various phases of a three-phase probation program. Phase 1 requires in-person reporting, which I like for building rapport with people and getting to know them. It includes a 60-minute session to thoroughly review with the client everything that needs to be accomplished and achieved to be successful and move on to Phase 2. Once clients are in Phase 2, visits switch to virtual appointments; and if clients are compliant in Phase 2, they then move into Phase 3. I like to think of SMC Probation as a holistic program—probation counselors don’t require clients to report their activities to meet their court-ordered obligations. We maintain an open-door policy, and we serve as a source of support should people need assistance with substance use or mental health issues.
Probation counselors put their clients in touch with the resources available at the Community Resource Center. I’d say each client is unique with their needs that both Pre-Trial and Probation Services counselors and the Community Resource Center can assist with—no two people are the same.
How long have you been at the court and what made you attracted to this kind of work?
My one-year anniversary is coming up soon— in January 2025! I have been attracted to this kind of work for a while. I grew up in Mississippi but got to know Seattle as a kid on visits to see my aunt who lives in the area. I started interning with the City of Seattle in high school due to my aunt’s ties in the area and knew that living here and working for the City was something that I was interested in. I did my undergraduate work in psychology and criminal justice at home in Mississippi, and in my free time in Seattle, I am working on a master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology. I enjoy the work and my team at SMC—we all support one another, lean on each other for advice, and emphasize the importance of self-care. It is also uplifting and inspiring to see clients improve their lives, knowing I have a team alongside me at work who has my back.
What do you do for self-care and to unwind from some of the emotional challenges that may come from such a role at the court?
I go on walks with my dog, Kasper, participate in poetry open mic nights, read a lot, work on my podcast, Soulfully Uplifted, and travel! In fact, I just got back from a long weekend cruise to the Bahamas. I like to get on red-eye flights and escape from time to time to see different parts of the world.