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…. [ Keep reading ]
On Friday, October 20th, Seattle Municipal Court Probation was honored with one of four Innovating Justice Awards by the Washington State Court’s Board For Judicial Administration. The award is given to individuals or groups who have provided exceptional leadership in helping courts deliver innovative and responsive justice by promoting race equity… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) has developed three explainer videos as additional tools for guiding court-involved individuals through court processes and procedures. At SMC, we understand that receiving a ticket or being summoned to court can be a stressful time, and that court processes may be difficult to navigate. We are… [ Keep reading ]
On August 25, 2023, Presiding Judge Faye R. Chess and Probation Manager Jason Grant discussed successes and insights from the Court’s three-year Probation Evolution Project, which focused on improving client outcomes and addressing disproportionate impacts on women and people of color. Judge Chess and staff then answered questions from the… [ Keep reading ]
Please join Seattle Municipal Court on Friday, August 25, 2023, at 12 p.m. for a Probation Evolution webinar. Presiding Judge Faye R. Chess and Probation Manager Jason Grant will discuss successes and insights from the Court’s three-year Probation Evolution Project, which focused on improving client outcomes and addressing disproportionate impacts… [ Keep reading ]
By Victoria Moreland, SMC Community Engagement Advisor The Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) recently completed its Probation Evolution Project, implementing a new probation approach that is more empathetic and supportive to probation clients. This new approach departs from the traditional, punitive-based model and focuses on helping clients succeed in rehabilitation and… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) is pleased to announce the completion of the Probation Evolution Project, an effort focused on improving client outcomes and minimizing disproportionate impacts probation has on women and people of color. SMC thanks everyone who participated in focus groups, webinars, and surveys to share their concerns and… [ Keep reading ]
On November 18, 2022, Seattle Municipal Court Judge Andrea Chin and court staff shared a preview of the probation department’s updated non-compliance policy. The new policy will be implemented in January 2023. Judge Chin and staff then answered questions from the audience. If you missed it, you can check out… [ Keep reading ]
Probation Evolution is the Seattle Municipal Court’s effort to transform our approach to misdemeanor supervision to be hopeful, equitable, and supportive of client success and growth. The next step in our Probation Evolution project is to revise our policy for responding to non-compliance, meaning how counselors respond when clients are not fulfilling their… [ Keep reading ]
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 ]
