We are excited to share an update on the Probation Evolution project, which is the Seattle Municipal Court’s effort to step away from traditional incarcerative, reactionary approaches to misdemeanant supervision toward approaches that are hopeful, equitable, and supportive of client success and growth. How We Got Here Earlier this year… [ Keep reading ]
On September 7, 2022, Seattle Municipal Court Judge Andrea Chin and court staff shared a deep-dive on the new reporting guidelines, case plan, and quarterly progress reports that will be going live with Probation Services clients in October. The presentation was followed by audience Q&A. If you missed it, you… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle Municipal Court began the Probation Evolution project in June 2020 to redesign our approach to probation. This project wouldn’t be possible without the support of our bench. In July, Judge Willie Gregory stepped down as SMC’s Presiding Judge and stepped down from his role as a Probation Evolution Judicial… [ Keep reading ]
SMC Probation Services’ goals are to improve peoples’ lives, eliminate disproportionate impacts on those we serve, and promote public safety. We began the Probation Evolution project in June 2020 to redesign our approach to probation. This year, we’re working diligently to execute our project plan. Here is an overview of… [ Keep reading ]
On Friday June 24, Seattle Municipal Court hosted a webinar that explains how probation works and some of the work we are doing to transform our system in the Probation Evolution project. Judge Faye Chess and Programs & Services Manager Carol Bell presented and answered questions from audience members. If… [ Keep reading ]
In 2020, Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) started redesigning our approach to probation. This effort is a result of stakeholder and community feedback and our desire to eliminate disproportionate impacts. We used findings and recommendations in the 2020 Vera Institute of Justice Probation Services report and the 2021 City Auditor’s assessment… [ Keep reading ]
The Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) thanks the Office of the City Auditor (OCA) for its thorough and thoughtful review of SMC Probation, a post-adjudication jail alternative in which counselors are paired with clients to support them as they meet court-ordered obligations. SMC participated in OCA’s assessment, released earlier today, with… [ Keep reading ]
Last summer, Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) published an evaluation of our Probation Services department commissioned from the Vera Institute of Justice. With it, we made a commitment to our clients, stakeholders, and community to evolve our approach to probation and address racial and gender disparities. We have embraced the principles outlined in… [ Keep reading ]
This week, we’re celebrating the dedicated, caring people in our Programs and Services division. This team is a critical resource for clients at all stages of the court process. Our personal recognizance screeners are a key point of contact for people accused of a crime as they first enter the… [ Keep reading ]
We are excited to publish two new data dashboards for our Probation Services department: Active Probation Caseload and Probation Closed Cases. Seattle Municipal Court is committed to improving our services and furthering our court-wide goals of lessening barriers and increasing equity in the criminal legal system. We began evolving Probation Services… [ Keep reading ]
