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 ]
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 ]
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 ]
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 ]
