TPA Magazine - SUMMER 2023

Texas Probation The official publication of the Texas Probation Association Summer 2023

On the Cover... The Bexar County Courthouse is a historic building in downtown San Antonio, Texas. The courthouse is the largest and oldest continuously operated historic courthouse in Texas. It was the fifth seat of government in Bexar County, the first four having been ruled by a suc- cession of governments and political entities including Spain, Mexico, The Republic of Tex- as, The Confederate States of America and the United States. The foundation was laid in 1891, and the structure was completed in 1896. Native Texas granite and red sandstone are basic materials. Towers roofed in green tile and red tile, handsome columns and arches, carvings, and many fine interior details gave the edifice great distinction The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Sources: www.texasescapes.com wwwwww..bweikxiapre.doirag.com 2

TEXAS PROBATION ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Adult Discipline Kirbie Humble Cobi Tittle East Texas CSCD Tarrant Co. CSCD 121 N. Austin, St.. 301 200 W. Belknap Jasper, TX 75951 Fort Worth, TX 76196 (409) 384-4618 (817) 884-1600 Vice President Bennie Medlin Adult Discipline Tarrant Co. JPD Mark Herrera 2701 Kimbo Road Bexar Co. CSCD Fort Worth, TX 76111 207 N. Comal (817) 838-4600 San Antonio, TX 78207 Treasurer (210) 335-7305 Jennifer Goerig Brazos Co. CSCD Adult Discipline P.O. Box 2015 Teresa May, PhD Bryan, TX 77806 Harris Co. CSCD (979) 361-4410 1310 Prairie, Ste. 310 Secretary Houston, TX 77002 Donna Damon (832) 927-1644 Bastrop Co. CSCD P.O. Box 751 At Large Bastrop, TX 78602 Greg Cummings (512) 581-4201 Victoria Co. CSCD Parliamentarian 108 East Forrest St. Chris Thomas Victoria, TX 77905 East Texas CSCD (512) 575-0210 121 N. Austin, St. 301 Jasper, TX 75951 At Large (409) 384-4618 Mike Stack Juvenile Discipline Parker Co. CSCD Latricia Coleman 1675 Ft. Worth Hwy Jefferson Co. JPD Weatherford, TX 76086 5326 Hwy.69 S. (817) 594-3872 Beaumont, TX 77705 (409) 722-7474 At Large Juvenile Discipline Greg Dillon, PhD Daryl Beatty Brazoria Co. CSCD Dallas Co. JPD 1524 E. Mulberry, Ste. 200 10056 Marsh Lane, St. 146 Angleton, TX 77515 Dallas, Texas 75229 979-864-1406 (214) 904-3100 Juvenile Discipline Alumni Board Member Cory J. Burgess A.C. Berry Travis Co. JPD Retired 2515 South Congress Ave. [email protected] Austin, Texas 78704 (512) 854-7069 Secretariat Angela Semar Correctional Management Institute of Texas George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX 77341 (936) 294-1640 3

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Texas Probation Association Committees Chair Members Adult Legislative Kerr, Bandera & Gillespie Publications Brazoria Co CSCD Andrea Bode Co CSCD Karla Kutch University of North Jarvis Anderson Michael Noyes Yoon Kim Bexar Co CSCD TX—Dallas Campus Collin Co CSCD Registration Wharton Co CSCD Brenna Bubela Johnson Co CSCD Advanced Education Sales Brazos Co CSCD Laurie Dupuis Jefferson Co JPD Brandi Nelson Hidalgo Co CSCD Jordan Clardy Matagorda/Wharton Co Rita Coker Taylor Co CSCD CSCD Silent Auction Jasper Co CSCD Leo Perez, Jr. Tarrant Co CSCD Awards and Resolutions Technology Latricia Coleman Jefferson Co CSCD Jeremy Tipton Taylor Mariam Denton Co CSCD Site Selection Kirbie Humble Exhibitors Kim Sanchez Rick Morales Nueces Co CSCD Megan Delfraisse Tarrant Co CSCD Finance Brazoria Co CSCD Cara Drenner Jefferson Co CSCD Jeremy Patin Juvenile Legislative Henry Gonzales Harris Co JPD Membership *Community Supervision and Corrections Department (CSCD) Melissa Trevino *Juvenile Probation Department (JPD) Sonya Sandoval Damita Phillips Brazoria Co CSCD Bexar Co CSCD Harris Co JPD Nominations East Texas CSCD Lisa Miller 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS 9 President’s Letter 10 Editor’s Message 12 Spotlight on New TPA Members 14 Hidalgo County JPDs Family Empowerment Program Helping Families 19 Understanding the Importance of Gender- Responsive Practices 25 Association Activities 34 Profile of Staff 36 News Flash from Adult and Juvenile Disciplines 6

TPA Services Directory Submission Guidelines Advertising [email protected] for Authors Darin Deutsch The Texas Probation Association produces a quar- General Magazine Inquiries terly periodical, the Texas Probation magazine, in Karla Kutch [email protected] Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. The magazine generally includes a combination of feature articles, General TPA Inquiries [email protected] special essays, departmental articles from both juve- Angela Semar nile and adult community corrections agencies, pro- file of community corrections staff from around the Sales TPA Membership state, and significant news from the field. Rick Trevino [email protected] Those submitting articles for consideration should Publication Information note the Editorial Board is looking for original, cur- rent and relevant articles about a variety of issues Texas Probation is published quarterly Winter pertaining directly to or relating to community su- (January), Spring (April), Summer (July), and Fall pervision. Original articles are accepted and can (October). Submissions are due on the 1st of the also have been previously published elsewhere, but month preceding publication. Any submissions re- permission to reprint from the author(s) and the oth- ceived after the deadline will be saved for the fol- er source should accompany the submission. lowing quarter’s publication. Texas Probation is published by the Texas Probation Association. Submissions must be in English and sent in a Word document following the American Psycho- After a long-standing collaboration with Sam Hou- logical Association Style Guide. Use Times New ston State University, they have indicated they will Roman font size 12, one-inch margins, number the no longer be able to collaborate with us to publish pages and type single-spaced. In general keep sub- Texas Probation. Therefore, the publication will missions between 500 and 4,000 words, or no more solely be published by the Texas Probation Associa- than 10 pages (not including title, author infor- tion and its Editorial Board. All emails and commu- mation, references, tables, figures, and so on); long- nications regarding the magazine should now be di- er manuscripts will be considered on a case-by-case rected towards the Editorial Board and its members. basis. Footnotes are acceptable, but are not to be used for references or citations, and are to be used Reprint permissions. For per mission to r epr int sparingly. Do not include an abstract. Use tables material published in Texas Probation, please con- and figures sparingly and not duplicate information tact Executive Editor Karla Kutch at kar- already covered in-depth in the text. Each author(s) [email protected], or Associate Editor, Dr. should send a one paragraph biography along with a Michael Noyes at [email protected] headshot photo and contact information, including position title, agency, contact phone number and mailing address. The Editor and Editorial Board reserves the right to reject submissions if submissions do not represent the kind of material and information the Texas Pro- bation Association wants published. On occasion, a peer review will be used for certain types of submis- sions or articles. Opinion pieces are not accepted. The manuscript should be proofread and free of spelling and grammatical errors. Citations not for- matted in APA style will be returned to the author(s) for reformatting. 7

Texas Probation Editorial Board and Publications Committee Karla Kutch Carlos Velez Executive Editor Copy Editor Brazoria County CSCD, Deputy Director Brazoria County CSCD, Recovery Court CSO P.O. Box 1300 P.O. Box 1300 Angleton, TX 77516-1300 Angleton, TX 77516-1300 979-864-1471 979-864-2174 [email protected] [email protected] Michael Noyes, PhD Michael Hufschmid Associate Editor Copy Editor University of North Texas at Dallas Caldwell County CSCD 7300 University Hills Blvd. 1703 South Colorado St. Box 9 Dallas, TX 75241 Lockhart, TX 78644 972-338-1836 512-398-4431 [email protected] Veronica Soto Steven Henderson, MA Copy Editor Copy Editor Val Verde County CSCD, Community Retired Director of Lubbock & Crosby Coun- Supervision Officer ties CSCD PO Box 4249 5809 78th St. Del Rio, TX 78841-4249 Lubbock, TX 79424 830-774-7554 806-928-5891 [email protected] [email protected] Darin Deutsch Rodolfo Perez, MA Advertising Liaison / Copy Editor Copy Editor Brazos County CSCD, Supervisor Travis County CSCD, Director P.O. Box 2015 411 W. 13th St., Suite #400 Bryan, TX 77806-2015 Austin, TX 78701 979-361-4538 512-854-4600 [email protected] [email protected] 8

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Happy Summer to y’all! As I enter the beginning of my term as President, I have an overwhelming excitement for the Texas Proba- tion Association and the field of community corrections. The Texas Probation Association has a strong Board of Directors comprised of juvenile and adult leaders who are dedicated to the betterment of the association and the field. I encourage you to reach out to the board, get to know them and watch how they are working to build and ad- vocate for our profession. We are thankful to other associations and boards such as TAPS (Texas Association of Pretrial Services) and TJJD (Texas Juvenile Justice Department, Scott Matthew) for being present at TPA Conferences and the collaborations they bring. The summer is in full swing and we are on the countdown to our 2023 Legislative Conference in historical Fort Worth, Texas. Going into this conference , we want to “Exceed the Vision.” Exceed: to be better than or surpass! As professionals , we set goals, visualize and work hard to ensure a positive outcome. We network with peers, let go of fears and inspire motivation. When we all work in a joint effort, with peers , clients, counselors , sup- port systems, and advocates , we can “Exceed the Vision!” Through the Texas Probation Association we can strive to gain membership, support and actively engage in committees, develop professional relationships, excel in supervision, and stand together on important legisla- tive issues and topics. There has never been a more exciting time to be in our ever changing field! Get in- volved and be part of the endless opportunities to serve our field. Over the last few months, there have been a few “exceed the vision” moments that come to mind. The first is the new TPA website that is now live. It surpassed all expectations! It is user-friendly, updated, information- al, and modern! Don’t wait, check it out! I want to send a huge shout out of appreciation to Jeremy Tipton for making the new website happen! Another outstanding result, that was greater than expected was when Texas House Bill 1 was signed by the Governor and put into effect. The influx of 139.2 million dollars over the course of the biennium will greatly increase salaries of full time and part time staff in the adult field but will also increase the resources that CSCD’s will be able to offer to clients. This is life-changing for staff as well as the individuals we serve. The juvenile field will experience the same salary adjustments and receive additional funding to offset the rise in costs of placements and treatment. Our profession in supervision will now be able to more adequately com- pete with other professions due to the significant salary increase. We need to embrace the opportunities, set extraordinary goals and don’t stop until you achieve them! See all of you in Fort Worth! Success is about dedication. You may not be where you want to be or do what you want to do when you're on the journey. But you've got to be willing to have vision and foresight that leads you to an incredible end. - Usher- Kirbie Humble TPA President Jasper County CSCD, Deputy Director 9

EDITOR’S MESSAGE Hello TPA Members!! Hope everyone is staying cool in this Texas heat. Let me start off by giving a shout out and “Thank you!” to all the wonderful sponsors who helped our recent Annual Conference in San Marcos be a success. It was great to see many new faces as well as the familiar ones. Congratulations to all the award and resolution recipi- ents. If you weren’t able to make it, we hope to see you in Ft. Worth or perhaps Sugarland for one of our upcoming conferences. Hope you all enjoy the pictures in this issue from the annual conference in April 2023. Another thank you goes out to the TPA Adult Legislative Com- mittee and every director who was instrumental in making HB1 and SB1 a reality. From your testimony, letters, meetings with legislators, and stake holders, it was all worth it and greatly appreciated. Having this new base funding for Com- munity Supervision was long overdue and needed. This will help departments and the amazing individuals they staff to continue the good fight of helping those individu- als we serve change their lives and keep our communities safe. Lastly, thanks to Executive Director Collier and the Criminal Justice Assistance Division for their continued support in making this need a reality. Just recently I attended a specialty court graduation and was once again humbled to hear how many individu- als thanked their Community Supervision Officer. I was so proud of each one of our staff members who worked with those graduates and who continue to work with our population. It made me realize however, that not only are the intensive specialty court teams making this type of impact, all officers across the board are too. I know at times probation has gotten a, “bad rap,” by being thought of as the bad guy who is only after one thing, and you guessed it, they believe that to be money. However I know seeds are being planted everyday by those we staff in CSCDs and JPDs across the state. I bet, many of those we serve actually do see what we do. From the front line staff, to officers, to administration, what you do matters! You help peo- ple change their lives. Maybe not today for some, but there is always tomorrow. In our line of work we don’t always see or hear the best of people, and it can definitely at times drain you emotionally. But we rise above that! We have the desire to help others, despite at times struggling in our own lives. So my last, and biggest, THANK YOU, goes out to all the CSCD and JPD staffs for the work you do! I encourage you all to continue to strive to find that joy that comes from within that allows you to smile and continue to help others despite at times going through it yourself. Do what you can to find it, because I guarantee you, it’s there! During this month of July when many departments will be celebrating you, take it all in! Accept it and use that energy to help you continue to push forward. Many of us in community corrections share one thing in common, the desire to help others. Remember always to help yourself first! Be the best you so you can con- tinue to help those around you. Karla Kutch Brazoria County CSCD, Deputy Director Executive Editor 10

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! To all Pretrial, Probation, and Parole supervision staff for the hard work and dedication demonstrated to ensure our communities are safe and those we serve are made stronger through rehabilitation. 11

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Professional Members: Perla Khan Harris County CSCD Kimber Altum Lubbock County CSCD Amanda Kubala Johnson/Somervell Counties CSCD Aaron Alvarado Concho Valley CSCD Veronica Lopez Hockley County CSCD Sabrina Barr Wyatt Orange County CSCD Wilmeretta Lowe Jasper County JPD Shawna Bues 24th Judicial District CSCD Tonya Malone East Texas CSCD Jeremy Burrell Johnson County JPD Adela Martinez Harris County CSCD Chloe Campos Bexar County CSCD Holly Massey Tarrant County CSCD Peggy Campos Tarrant County JPD Julia Neeley Hidalgo County JPD Bertha Chavez Harris County CSCD Chakkrin Ngamsomjan Bexar County CSCD Jamie Clark First Judicial District JPD Anahi Oceguera Johnson County CSCD Michael Clayton Harris County CSCD Jennifer Pacheco Tarrant County CSCD Fernando Comayagua Harris County CSCD Tamisha Parks Tarrant County JPD Roxanne Cornish Hockley County CSCD Jane Portis Bowie County CSCD Wesley Daniels Coryell County CSCD Steven Powell Tarrant County CSCD Kevin Dumas 33rd/424th Judicial District CSCD Jeff Pozzi 24th Judicial District CSCD Megan Escalante Bexar County CSCD Ethel Puebla Hutchinson County CSCD Stephanie Escamilla Harris County CSCD Joe Ranson TDCJ - CJAD Jessica Fernandez Johnson County CSCD Jesus Reyes Tarrant County JPD Elaina Fields TLDD-TDCJ Kevin Reynoso Tarrant County CSCD Regina Frazier Orange County CSCD Peggy Rodriguez Montanez Tarrant County JPD Amanda Garcia 24th Judicial District CSCD Amber Ryder Tarrant County CSCD Veronica Glueck TDCJ - CJAD Huaren Salinas Gonzalez Bexar County CSCD Lawrence Granger Harris County CSCD Sawaki Samuels Tarrant County CSCD Amelia Gregory Tarrant County JPD Marlyn Santillan Harris County CSCD Jamie Grogan Jefferson County JPD Samuel Singleton Midland County JPD Juan Guereque Tarrant County CSCD Jennifer Solis Tarrant County JPD Jennifer Guevera Bexar County CSCD Curtresha Spears Brazoria County CSCD Heather Guthrie Lubbock-Crosby County CSCD Blake Thompson Victoria County CSCD Kristen Guthrie Brazoria County CSCD Jamil Tirhi Tarrant County CSCD Quintus Hampton Harris County JPD Christi Valdez 24th Judicial District CSCD Arleatheia Hawkins Orange County JPD DeAmbra Williams Harris County CSCD Griselda Hernandez Tarrant County CSCD Trina Willis Harris County CSCD Laurie Hesseltine Williamson Co CSCD Cheyenne Wilson Brazoria County CSCD Kelli Houghton Orange County CSCD Associate Members: Dinah Bostic Above and Beyond Counseling Center Terri Howell Tarrant County JPD Torrus Brooks Above and Beyond Counseling Center Dianna Miller Laredo College Simorea Jefferson Orange County CSCD www.txprobation.com 12 (new TPA members listed, not renewals)

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Hidalgo County Family encouraged to come to sessions as a full family so the Empowerment Program Helps siblings still at home will benefit too, effectively add- ing a diversion facet. Certain components are key, Parents Improve Relationships & Com- such as the parent peers and the trained facilitators, munication With Their Child in Place- said Hidalgo Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Maryann Denner. It’s also critical that neither parents nor facili- ment and the Siblings at Home tators are there to deride anyone. “We’re not telling them, you’re doing this wrong and ‘you! you! you!,” By Barbara Kessler, TJJD Communications she said. “We’re here to work together to give you some guidance, to help your child. We’re not here to EDINBURG, Texas - If you’re a parent you know that tell you you’re a bad parent, or to judge anybody and discussing parenting techniques and quandaries with they realize that after they’ve been here.” The first others can be a minefield. For every issue confronting meetings can be tricky, though. “At first they do feel a parent, there are dozens of possible paths, a raft of accused,” said Lina Briones, a Probation Officer Su- people with opinions, and hundreds of pieces of ad- pervisor, who along with several others trained as a vice, much of it conflicting and some of it confusing. facilitator. But by the second meeting nearly every- You might not feel comfortable opening up about one relaxes and realizes the program aims to help, your family’s issues, especially if you had a child in not chastise, she said. juvenile placement. But the folks at Hidalgo County Denner and her team knew when they sat down Juvenile Probation Department have seemingly found years ago to brainstorm a plan to bolster reentry ser- a formula to put parents at ease and enable a free- vices that they wanted something structured and flowing and productive dialogue about parenting. highly educational but relatable. Denner told her col- They’ve discovered that parents do want to talk leagues, “We need to better work with our families about their family issues, and even yearn to talk and educate them. We aren’t dealing with what hap- about them, when they are provided with a welcom- pens when the youth comes home.” They found what ing, caring environment, a peer group, and trained – they needed in the evidence-based Strengthening but neutral – staff to lead the discussion. Families Curriculum, a life skills and parenting pro- The Hidalgo Family Empowerment Program, now in gram that’s been well-reviewed by groups from Ox- its second year, has even more moving parts than ford University, the White House and OJJDP. SFC ex- that, but those are the basics. Families come together perts, including founder Dr. Karol L. Kumpher, trained once a week to discuss how they parent and com- the Hidalgo team leaders, who now operate the ses- municate with their kids and how they might improve sions at the Hidalgo JPD offices in Edinburg. The team their approach. The siblings come too and everyone consists of a full-time coordinator, two full-time case moves toward an adjusted family dynamic that aims managers and a supervisor, all of whom have back- to increase the odds their child will succeed when they return home – and everyone else will be better off as well. The state grant-funded program, which receives $366,980 yearly over six years, has served 50 families since its start in January 2022. Most of the parents are court-ordered to attend the family skills sessions, meeting alongside other families one even- ing each week for 14 weeks. Some families volunteer to participate and a few have signed up for repeat classes. All the adult participants, parents or guardi- ans, have a child who’s been adjudicated and is in res- idential placement for six to nine months. They are 14

extra treat. A Pokeman-themed birthday cake tanta- lizes beneath a Happy Birthday banner on a table ar- rayed with goody bags. Later, between discussion sessions, the facilitators sing happy birthday to a bright-eyed girl, who’s come with her mother and sib- lings. Her dark hair held back with a perfect red rib- bon, she’s clearly happy to be recognized for turning 9. During the sessions for adults and older siblings, she, her sister and a third small child skip off with one of the facilitators to a room where they color and play Pictured: Sebastian Ardila Gomez facilitates with the games. parents In the first sessions, the families break into adults in one room and siblings in another. The youths’ first gounds as JPOs or JSOs. Additionally, several Hidalgo topic is a Q&A on listening. A facilitator asks how they JPD staff, including many JPOs, stepped forward to feel when someone doesn’t listen to them. The an- train and serve as facilitators for the Family Empow- swers come easily: “Disrespected.” “Sad.” erment Program. “Frustrated.” “Annoyed.” And suddenly, as if a vol- The Hidalgo facilitators arrive at each evening session ume switch has been flipped, the room noise ratchets arms laden with stacks of worksheets and lesson up a notch. The facilitator continues, and the talk plans. These materials will assure the dialogue is moves into another facet of effective communication, meaningful and the discussions are directed. At the how to use “I” language to frame how you are feeling same time, facilitators meet the arriving families not without blaming anyone for that (“You make me mad in the manner of a school principal, but more like say when you take my CDs.”) or having them deny your ministers in a church narthex, shaking hands, asking emotions. “When you use the word ‘I’ you are ex- after family members and bending down to greet the pressing your feelings and you have a right to have littles. The warm opening is not strictly strategic, the those feelings,” says the facilitator. team grows fond of the participants. But keeping a Earlier Angelica Garcia, the Probation Supervisor who positive vibe is important. The curriculum raises oversees the grant program, had explained that the thorny issues, like how parents sometimes don’t lis- families really open up once they see the probation ten and talk over their teenagers or let their teenag- staff is there in a supportive role and not to “check ers run over them. It also covers how young people boxes” or record the behavior of their youth. “It’s a evade scrutiny and accountability. The facilitators will deeper relationship,” she says. “It’s not a Parole talk about barriers to communication in families, such Officer hat. We get to know the families on an inti- as not making eye contact or only engaging when you mate level.” Sebastian Ardila Gomez, a JSO who is need something from the child (or parent). among 25 staff who have trained to work as a facilita- tor, says he loves working with the families in this Getting to Know the Families program. “You can tell at the end, they haven’t just On the April evening we visited, the meeting room learned, they’re using the tools we give them.” The purred with the sound of families conversing. The parents and the kids report back that the other is lis- eight families in this cohort had been meeting for four tening to them, he said. “The families are actually weeks and they quickly tucked into the complimen- talking. There was no communication in the begin- tary chicken and biscuit dinners from Raising Cane’s. ning but afterward, the families are talking and tuning The program wisely kicks off each 2 ½-hour evening into each other in myriad ways.” “Sometimes they’re session with a quick meal or box lunch. Many of the just playing video games together or finding other parents are fresh from work and most have hungry ways to spend quality time, even if it’s just making children and teens in tow. On this night, there’s an PB&J sandwiches together,” Ardila Gomez said. 15

new skills. “Families need to be held accountable too,” she said. “Some of them have let their kids run over them.” Talking and Listening Soon the parents, teens and children reunite in the main meeting room. They are told to mix it up, so that everyone will talk to someone they don’t know and practice some of the listening and conversation openers they’ve been studying. They’re also instruct- ed to stay away from family issues and talk about fun matters. Again, the room is abuzz. People are smiling and leaning in to listen to their temporary conversa- Pictured: Supervisor Angelica Garcia with the birthday tion partners. At the end of this exercise, the adults girl and other siblings and siblings report that it was easy to talk to some- one outside their family by asking about their hobbies Across the hall, the 10 parents or grandparents at this or favorite music and how they spend free time. The evening’s session are deep into an exploration of the implicit messages here are fairly up top – show inter- challenges of talking with teenagers. “My daughter est in what people care about and you’ll find them to would change the subject when I was trying to get to be a fountain of information, or at least amenable to the bottom of an issue,” says a woman who’s here conversation. And psst, this might work with your with her husband and two children. Ardila Gomez, own family members! Briones says she saw that the the facilitator, nods, ticking off the “roadblocks to youth and adults were engaged and talking “equally.” communication” that teens or adults may use with Ardila notes that adults may have to work harder. each other – “Blaming. Changing the Subject. Sound- “Sometimes with a kid we have to fish for the an- ing Hopeless. Defensiveness.” The worksheet offers a swers. ‘How was your day?’ ‘How was it at school?’ It few more: “Mind-reading,” “put downs,” “sarcasm” – takes a bit more time, but it’s doable.” and the king of roadblocks, known to parents every- Julia Neeley, coordinator of the Families Empower- where if they’re honest about it, “Long-winded state- ment Program, says the families who’ve been through ments that come across as nagging or beating a dead the program have told her it opened up lines of com- horse.” Ardila is alternating in Spanish and English, munication. The sessions frequently stress the need sharing what the parents are saying and summarizing for making “family time,” she says, and how im- some of the discussion. “We don’t want to block con- portant it can be to just “sit down at the end of the versation,” he notes, “and for that to happen, you day and talk about your day and having at least one have to change how you talk to your kids.” A mom meal together and spending that time.” Families are chimes in. “Well, we get input (from the kids), but it’s not doing that on their own, she said. They’re not still a dictatorship, not a democracy. Otherwise, there “just sitting down at the table and talking about would be chaos!” Ardila Gomez smiles but doesn’t something that needs to be addressed.” But after go- argue. The back and forth continues. Dads and moms ing through the program, they see this gap and be- are clearly engaged and while some family members come more deliberate about talking through family are quieter, nearly everyone has something to say, issues and showing they care through regular com- especially when they break into small groups. munication with their kids, Neeley said. And this small “I go in there and sometimes it gets emotional be- shift in family habits makes a big difference. It helps cause this is the first time some of them have actually too that the program continues beyond the classes. had someone listen to them,” says Denner. They’re The two full-time caseworkers, Ariana Abitua and Ve- grateful and it helps them open up, learn and practice ronica Lezama, follow up with the families for nine 16

-old daughter. When she came to the sessions, Vickie, a bookkeep- er, discovered that she’d fallen into an unproductive pattern with her child in trouble and now in place- ment with Hidalgo JPD. When she heard about the blaming and dodging techniques that teens can em- ploy, she had an ‘aha’ moment. “I was in a position before this program, I would fall for all of it,” she re- called. “The blaming? I felt guilty. The changing the subject? I would focus on the thing she was going on (about).” After realizing that her troubled child had been playing her, she changed her approach. She began to focus on her other two children, whom she Facilitator Joshua DeLuna with young family members realized had endured some neglect as the family spun around the difficulties of their child entwined in months. They check in to help with special needs, the system. All the children responded well to this touching base with the children’s schools and nudging new paradigm. “There’s a lot of things that I’ve ap- the families to practice the skills they’ve learned, plied on a daily basis with the children,” Cruz ex- Neeley said. As a result of participating in the pro- plained. “For example, incentives. Good behavior gram, families have been put in touch with critical deserves positive rewards. Negative behavior does resources, such as food pantries and donated cloth- not deserve acknowledgement or any sort of, how ing, Denner said. The grant written for the Family Em- do I say it? My daughter who’s in placement, she powerment Program noted that children in the Rio was getting attention for negative behavior... and I Grande Valley are on average more likely to experi- caught myself leaving these two on the back burn- ence higher levels of poverty and food insecurity than er,” she nods to her son and daughter at the table, Texas youth overall. Resources relative to need can “and focusing on her. I was enabling her behavior.” be hard for individuals to find. The family program After the class, and these realizations, the family is connects participants with whatever they may need, on a healthier trajectory, she says. Raul smiles and helping to stabilize them, she said. The program has nods in agreement. The kids smile too. even arranged Uber rides for some families without transportation to get to sessions. For the Cruz family, though, with two parents and a solid income, it was the classes that made the differ- ence. As the evening session in April winds down, Vickie Cruz stays back to reflect. She and husband, Raul, a road construction worker, have already been through one session and had returned to reconnect and refresh. Vickie Cruz says that many participants are skeptical of sharing their concerns with strangers at the outset of the program. But she was eager and ready to take notes. “I came with an open mind,” she said. “It has helped us build better communication and avoid communication issues with the ones that have not yet been exposed to that (juvenile justice) Pictured: Vickie and Raul Cruz speaking with another environment, as the one who’s in placement,” Cruz parent said, nodding toward her 10-year-old son and 16-year 17

The Family Empowerment Program will be evaluated through staff and parent reports and looking at out- comes for the child in placement. So far, Neeley re- ports, only six of the youth in placement whose fami- lies participated have reoffended. Other measure- ments also will be considered. The program antici- pates seeing improved social skills, family involve- ment and efficacy among parents and children as well as reduced depression and aggression among the chil- dren. In June, the families in this current cohort will join the other families who’ve graduated from the program, attending a graduation ceremony, and re- ceiving a certificate verifying their completion. Den- ner has observed that this completion celebration is surprisingly important to the participants, perhaps because they know it took some work to get there. “They are so excited at the end of 14 weeks when they get their certificates,” Denner said. “That little piece of paper means so much to them.” Pictured to the right: The Family Empowerment staff Top row, left to right: Estevan Saucedo, facilitator; Gloria Miranda, facilitator; Johnny Tijerina; Angelica Garcia, supervisor; Chief Maryann Denner; Veronica Lezama, case manager; Ariana Abitua, case manager; Claudia Aguilar, facilitator Bottom Row, left to right: Joshua De Luna, facilitator; Aquilina Briones, facilitator; Sebastian Ardila Gomez, facilitator; Julia Neeley, program coordinator 18

Understanding the Importance traits, criminal peers, criminal thinking, substance of Gender Responsive Practices abuse or dependence, family/marital strain, educa- tional attainment/employment, and lack of prosocial leisure activities. Some of these criminogenic needs By: Megan Foster, MSW are more relevant to men than women (e.g., antiso- Emily J. Salisbury, Ph.D. cial attitudes, lack of prosocial leisure activities), Utah Criminal Justice Center, while others are more prevalent among women (e.g., economic strain and substance abuse). While the de- University of Utah velopment of these risk factors was evidence-based, research in this area has primarily been conducted Why Gender-Responsive? with samples of men/boys, with few, if any, women/ girls, yet generalized to all (Gobeil et al., 2016). This Women are the fastest growing group within type of research strategy is known as the “add wom- the criminal justice system (Zeng, 2020). While men en and stir method” of criminology. Women’s unique remain the majority of persons involved in the crimi- experiences are lost in this type of research (Chesney nal justice system, the number of justice-involved -Lind, 2006). women has grown nearly 500% since 1980, to more Since the 1980s, researchers have investigat- than one million in 2021 (The Sentencing Project, ed the unique routes women take to justice involve- 2022). While there are fewer women involved in the ment. They have found that women and girls have justice system than men, women are perceived as distinct pathways to justice involvement compared to being more challenging to supervise by justice offi- men and boys. At their core, women’s pathways cen- cials (Dodge, 1999). Women are largely perceived as ter on issues such as childhood victimization, dysfunc- “manipulative” and “needy” and often are treated tional and traumatic relationships, and family strain more harshly than justice-involved men (Alder, 1998; (Auslander et al., 2018; Brennan & Jackson, 2022; Baines & Alder, 2016; Belknap et al., 1997; Bond- DeHart et al., 2013; DeHart, 2018; Salisbury & Van Maupin et al., 2008; Kempf-Leonard & Sample, 2000; Voorhis, 2009). Their pathways are largely relational Olson et al., 2003). Such perceptions of women’s be- and lead to behaviors such as substance abuse, eco- havior signal insufficient training and understanding nomic crime, and struggles with mental health. Jus- of justice-involved women’s unique life experiences tice-involved women often experience “triple jeop- and pathways into the justice system. The fact that ardy,” meaning they have unique challenges related women are naturally more verbal, with a multitude of to class, race, and gender to promote their involve- psychosocial needs, causes frustration for staff who ment in the justice system (Bloom, 1996). These are untrained to work with them specifically. This is women largely come from backgrounds with high lev- why it is crucial for agencies to provide gender- els of economic instability, trauma, mental illness, specific custody and supervision training to learn how and abuse of drugs and alcohol. Women are also to appropriately respond and motivate their positive more likely than men to be primary caretakers of chil- behavior. Women are held accountable for their be- dren with little or no familial support and unreliable haviors, but done so in a gender-responsive and trau- or abusive partners. Upon release, they often return ma-informed manner. to these environments without support to address Women’s Pathways these original strains. These differing pathways, if not Men and women share certain risks and addressed, contribute to future recidivism. Address- ing women’s needs requires interventions built needs for justice involvement. Both groups have risks around their experiences (Bloom et al., 2003; Gobeil and needs related to the Central Eight, identified by et al., 2016; Messina & Esparza, 2022; Salisbury & Bonta and Andrews (2017). These risk factors are: Van Voorhis, 2009; Van Voorhis et al., 2008, 2010). history of antisocial behavior, antisocial personality 19

Additionally, the types of crimes committed case management practices on more fully addressing by men and women differ. Women are incarcerated women’s needs. Notably, the WRNA is a recommend- more often for property and drug crimes and are less ed instrument by the United Nations (UN) Office on likely than men to be incarcerated for violent crimes Drugs and Crime to adhere to the UN’s Bangkok (Carson, 2022). Women’s crimes are generally cate- Rules, which afford human rights protections to jus- gorized as ‘survival based’ such as theft, prostitution, tice-involved women (UNODC, 2020). self-medicating with drugs or alcohol, and retaliatory Assessments and interventions for women acts of violence. Victimization, whether physical or that respond to the unique experiences of their gen- sexual, and trauma is at the heart of many women’s der are critical for reducing recidivism (Bloom et al., criminal activity (Barlow & Weare, 2019; DeHart, 2003; The Sentencing Project, 2022). More specifical- 2018; James & Glaze, 2006; Jones et al., 2018; Messi- ly, the WRNA itself is not intended to change client na & Grella, 2006; Reichert et al., 2010; Steiner et al., behavior, but to identify psychosocial needs that are 1997). Research demonstrates that most justice- associated with behaviors that get women into trou- involved women experience mental illness (75%), ble and to case plan to those needs and strengths. It substance abuse (85%), or a co-occurrence of the two makes little sense to implement the WRNA in places (DeHart et al., 2014). Treating justice-involved wom- where rehabilitation and desistance strategies are en from a ‘gender-neutral’ standpoint runs the risk of not woven into the organization’s mission, or with returning women to their communities and family agencies that are not fully committed to delivering with the very same issues that led to their involve- gender- and trauma-responsive strategies. ment in the first place as well as the added strain of There are many gender-responsive programs being justice-involved. and curricula that have been developed in recent years. While there are too many to adequately cover Gender-Responsive Approaches here, there are two resources that can help agencies Over the last 30 years, researchers have fo- evaluate and implement best practices. First, cused on identifying not only women’s differing path- “Gender-Responsive Strategies: Research, Practice, ways to the justice system but also ways of assessing and Guiding Principles for Women Offenders” is a and treating their risk factors and needs. Several evi- hallmark report on research regarding justice- dence-based tools exist to support agencies in apply- involved women and how gender-neutral approaches ing gender-responsive strategies. The Women’s Risk may impact them (Bloom et al., 2003). More recently, Need Assessment (WRNA) was one of the first gender in late 2021, the National Resource Center on Justice- -responsive tools available for justice agencies (Van Involved Women published a comprehensive re- Voorhis et al., 2010). Originally funded by the U.S. source guide for agencies called “Adopting a Gender- National Institute of Corrections, the WRNA is an evi- Responsive Approach for Women in the Justice Sys- dence-based, gender-responsive risk and need as- tem,” which provides a comprehensive overview of sessment that has been validated for women while in current best practices, research, and programs for institutions, at pre-release, and on probation. In addi- gender-responsive care (Fleming et al., 2021). This tion to gender-neutral risk factors, the WRNA ad- report provides a clear overview of prominent gender dresses seven gender-responsive needs and -responsive programs and practices, their effective- strengths: ness, and methods of implementation.  Abuse and Trauma Importantly, the use of assessments and interven-  Relationship Dysfunction tions alone are not enough if there are policies and  Depression/Anxiety/PTSD procedures within an agency that undermine gender-  Self-Efficacy responsive strategies. Resources are available to help  Housing Safety agencies identify harmful practices and modify their  Parental Stress and Involvement policies and procedures to create spaces that are safe  Gambling/Gaming and supportive of justice-involved women, and to Tools like the WRNA allow justice staff to identify bolster the skills of staff working alongside them. gender-specific risk factors and strengths, and focus Again, the U.S. National Institute of Corrections (NIC) 20

has been on the forefront of this work. For instance, the system. the Gender-Responsive Policy and Practice Assess- References ment (GRPPA) is one such agency-level tool that can Alder, C. M. (1998). “Passionate and willful” girls: be used at all levels of the justice system (NIC, Confronting practices. Women & Criminal Justice, 9 2023a). The Women’s Correctional Safety Scales (4), 81–101. https://doi.org/10.1300/J012V09N04_04 Toolkit is another agency level tool that focuses on creating safe environments for incarcerated women Auslander, W., Tlapek, S. M., Threlfall, J., Edmond, T., (NIC, 2022). NIC also offers a training for institutional & Dunn, J. (2018). Mental health pathways linking staff called Safety Matters which trains staff to effec- childhood maltreatment to interpersonal revictimiza- tively communicate and safely manage situations tion during adolescence for girls in the child welfare with justice-involved women (NIC, 2023b). Such system. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 33(7), 1169 agency-wide changes require buy-in from both inter- –1191. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260515614561 nal and external stakeholders and, like most policy changes, could take years to see positive effects. Baines, M., & Alder, C. (2016). Are girls more difficult to work with? Youth workers’ perspectives in juvenile Next Steps for Gender-Responsive Research and justice and related areas. Crime & Delinquency, 42(3), Programs 467–485. https:// While significant work has been done around doi.org/10.1177/0011128796042003008 gender-responsive practices, there remain several areas in which research and practice remains incom- Barlow, C., & Weare, S. (2019). Women as co- plete and insufficient. Perhaps most pressing is the offenders: pathways into crime and offending motiva- need for gender-responsive interventions to address tions. Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, 58(1), 86– members of the LGBTQ community (Jenness & Fen- 103. https://doi.org/10.1111/HOJO.12292 stermaker, 2016; Kahle & Rosenbaum, 2021). LGBTQ women and girls are disproportionately represented Belknap, J., Holsinger, K., & Dunn, M. (1997). Under- within the criminal justice system and have different, standing incarcerated girls: the results of a focus but overlapping, experiences with heterosexual and/ group study. Prison Journal, 77(4), 381–405. or cisgender women. Many aspects of gender- responsive programming, such as trauma-informed Bloom, B. E. (1996). Triple jeopardy: Race, class, and practices, pertain to LGBTQ women and girls, but gender as factors in women’s imprisonment. Univer- agencies and staff require additional training on sity of California. LGBTQ-specific issues of cultural competence and re- sponding to homophobia and sexism (Kahle & Rosen- Bloom, B., Owen, B. A., Covington, S., & Raeder, M. baum, 2021). (2003). Gender-responsive strategies: Research, prac- Non-binary persons represent an additional tice, and guiding principles for women offenders. unexplored area for future research around gender. Washington, DC: National Institute of Corrections, Current tools are not validated on this population and USDOJ. https://www.worldcat.org/title/gender- little work has been done to identify unique needs of responsive-strategies-research-practice-and-guiding- this community beyond being lumped in with the principles-for-women-offenders/oclc/52632840 LGBTQ community in general. Current gender- responsive models remain focused on a gender bina- Bond-Maupin, L., Maupin, J. R., & Leisenring, A. ry. After all, this is how the justice system is set up (2008). Girls’ delinquency and the justice implications with males and females in separate institutions and of intake workers’ perspectives. Women & Criminal inconsistent practices related to transpersons Justice, 13(2–3), 51–77. https://doi.org/10.1300/ (Sumner & Jenness, 2014). The future of gender- J012V13N02_04 responsive research will need to focus on a spectrum rather than a binary to provide assessment and treat- Bonta, J., & Andrews, D. A. (2017). The psychology of ment that is truly catered to the individuals within criminal conduct (6th ed.). Routledge. 21

Brennan, T., & Jackson, E. (2022). Women’s path- women offenders: Gender-neutral versus gender- ways: Replication and generalizability across state informed approaches. Criminal Justice and Behavior, prison systems. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 49(9), 43(3), 301–322. https:// 1323-1341. doi.org/10.1177/0093854815621100 Carson, E. A. (2022). Prisoners in 2021 – Statistical James, D., & Glaze, L. E. (2006). Mental health prob- Tables. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, lems of prison and jail inmates. Washington, DC: Bu- USDOJ. Retrieved from https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/ reau of Justice Statistics, USDOJ. Retrieved from publications/prisoners-2021-statistical-tables https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/mhppji.pdf Chesney-Lind, M. (2006). Patriarchy, crime, and jus- Jenness, V., & Fenstermaker, S. (2016). Forty years tice: Feminist criminology in an era of backlash. Femi- after Brownmiller: Prisons for men, transgender in- nist Criminology, 1(1), 6–26. https:// mates, and the rape of the feminine. Gender and So- doi.org/10.1177/1557085105282893 ciety, 30(1), 14-29. DeHart, D. D. (2018). Women’s pathways to crime: A Jones, M. S., Worthen, M. G. F., Sharp, S. F., & heuristic typology of offenders. Criminal Justice and McLeod, D. A. (2018). Life as she knows it: The effects Behavior, 45(10), 1461–1482. of adverse childhood experiences on intimate partner violence among women prisoners. Child Abuse & Ne- DeHart, D., Lynch, S., Belknap, J., Dass-Brailsford, P., glect, 85, 68–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/ & Green, B. (2013). Life history models of female j.chiabu.2018.08.005 offending. Https://Doi- Org.Ezproxy.Lib.Utah.Edu/10.1177/03616843134943 Kahle, L. L., & Rosenbaum, J. (2021). What staff need 57, 38(1), 138–151. https:// to know: Using elements of gender-responsive pro- doi.org/10.1177/0361684313494357 gramming to create safer environments for system- involved LGBTQ girls and women. Criminal Justice DeHart, D., Lynch, S., Belknap, J., Dass-Brailsford, P., Studies, 34(1), 1–15. https:// & Green, B. (2014). Life History Models of Female doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2020.1786281 Offending. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 38(1), 138–151. https:// Kempf-Leonard, K., & Sample, L. L. (2000). Disparity doi.org/10.1177/0361684313494357 based on sex: Is gender-specific treatment warrant- ed? Justice Quarterly, 17(1), 89–128. https:// Dodge, L. M. (1999). “One female prisoner is of more doi.org/10.1080/07418820000094491 trouble than twenty males”: Women convicts in Illi- nois prisons, 1835-1896. Journal of Social History, 32 Messina, N., & Esparza, P. (2022). Poking the bear: (4), 906–930. https://doi.org/10.1353/JSH/32.4.907 The inapplicability of the RNR principles for justice- involved women. Journal of Substance Abuse Treat- Fleming, E., Upton, A., Lopez Wright, F., Wurzburg, S., ment, 140, 108798. & Ney, B. (2021). Adopting a gender-responsive ap- proach for women in the justice system: A resource Messina, N., & Grella, C. (2006). Childhood trauma guide. Council of State Governments Justice Center: and women’s health outcomes in a California prison New York. Retrieved from https:// population. American Journal of Public Health, 96 csgjusticecenter.org/publications/adopting-a-gender- (10), 1842–1848. https://doi.org/10.2105/ responsive-approach-for-women-in-the-justice- AJPH.2005.082016 system-a-resource-guide/ Gobeil, R., Blanchette, K., & Stewart, L. (2016). A me- ta-analytic review of correctional interventions for 22

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ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES UPCOMING CONFERENCES The 2023 Legislative Conference will be held August 13-16, 2023, in Fort Worth, TX at the Hilton Ft. Worth. The 2024 Annual Spring Conference will be held March 3-6, 2024, in Sugarland, TX at the Marriott Sugar- land Town Square. JOIN TPA TODAY!! Visit w!!.txprobation.com to sign up now or renew your annual dues and enjoy a host of benefits. 25

During TPAs 2023 Annual Conference, many awards Award Re were handed out to many deserving individuals. All were nominated by their peers, which makes the Aris Johnson Award award that much more special. Congratulations to Presented to Cory Burgess the winners. Charles W. Hawkes Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Leighton Iles Roxanne Marek Award Donna Damon Judge Terry L. Jacks Award Presented to Shannon Feagin 26

ecipients Brian J. Kelly Award Lewis Monette Award Presented to Karla Kutch John Harrigton Jr. Clara Pope-Willoughby Award Sam Houston State University Award Leah Wade Leo Perez Jr. 27

Resolution Resolutions for their hard work and contribu- community corrections, as well as their con- tions to the association and field, were also tributions to furthering the mission of the presented at the 2023 Annual Conference. Texas Probation Association The Association thanks you for the dedication to the field of community corrections as well Ron Leach as to your respective counties/communities. Recipients included: Montgomery County CSCD Leighton Iles Mr. Ron Leach began his career in community Tarrant County CSCD corrections as a certified Police Officer. He also served as a Correctional Officer before Mr. Leighton Iles worked for various agencies becoming an Adult Probation Officer in 1984 throughout his 33 year career including Travis in Montgomery County CSCD. After nearly County CSCD, CJAD, and Ft. Bend County four decades of service in the field of criminal CSCD, before retiring from Tarrant County justice, he retired in January 2023. CSCD in October 2022. He continues to serve the community corrections field by serving on the Judicial Advisory Council. (Pictured on pg. 22) East Texas CSCD The East Texas CSCD was acknowledged for the fifty (50) years of service to the field of 28

Recipients Mike Hartman Michael “Mike” Wolf Caldwell County CSCD Taylor County CSCD Mr. Michael Hartman started his career as an Mr. Michael Wolfe began working as an Adult Probation Officer and continued as adult probation officer in 1978 for the 88th such for over 33 years. He served in various Judicial District. He then became a Parole capacities for Caldwell, Comal, and Hays Officer where he served for some years pri- County ending his career as Director of such. or to leaving community corrections. In He retired in September 2022. 1982 he returned to Parole where he worked various positions until being named Deputy Director in 1994, until 1996. In 1997 Mr. Wolfe worked for the South Carolina Department of Corrections. In 1998 he was at the Florida Department of Corrections. In 2002 he returned to Texas working for Sentinel Offender Services and was then appointed Director of Taylor County CSCD in 2004, until his retirement in 2022. 29

TPA Annual Conference The 2023 TPA Annual Conference went off without a Great prizes were won by lucky participants! hitch in San Marcos! The conference planning com- mittee worked hard to ensure a wonderful confer- ence was put on and fun was had by all. We thank all the vendors who sponsored prizes, events, so- cials, gifts, etc., along with a plethora of great infor- mation for participants to take back to their CSCD and JPDs. The vendor room was ready! 30

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THANK YOU SPONSORS A very special “THANK YOU!” goes out to all our Platinum Sponsors: awesome sponsors of the Annual Conference. We thank you for the continued dedication to the associ- ation. Diamond Sponsors: 32

Gold Sponsors: Court Solutions Online eHawk Thank you to all sponsors who support the association at various sponsorship levels. Mel Brown & Associates Micro Distributing Silver: Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring Noble Software Group LLC PDS Drager Fidelity Express Precision Kiosk Technologies Johnny’s Interlock Reconnect Journal Technologies Sentinel Offender Services Lifesafer Securus SCRAM SmartTox SoberSence LLC Bronze: Track Group American Screening Corporation Non-Profit Advent eLearning Catalyst Collective Averhealth Bi Corp Coastal Bend Regional ISF Nueces County CSCD-SATF 33

PROFILE Christopher Lazo graduations among other things. Christopher has been instrumental in more than one occasion in as- Juvenile Probation Officer sisting with delivering furniture to youth and fami- lies, who were in need. During Christmas, he has do- Hidalgo County JPD nated gift items for the children and families he works with. Last year a female assigned to his case- Christopher Lazo has worked for Hidalgo County JPD load was pregnant and he donated much-needed for five years. He started as a Juvenile Supervision items for her and the baby to help facilitate things Officer in 2018 and shortly after became a Juvenile for when the baby was born. In April of this year, Probation Officer. Christopher was initially assigned after learning one of the local hospice homes to work in the Specialized Unit with the Transitional suffered a fire and was in need of things such as Program, which entailed working with youth transi- blenders, toasters and gas burners, he did not hesi- tioning from placement to the home environment. tate to donate those items. Christopher does not like He was recently assigned to the Sex Offender Pro- to be acknowledged or recognized for everything he gram within the Specialized Unit. Christopher re- does, which is instrumental in helping and encourag- ceived a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from ing the children and families he works with. He has the University of Texas Pan American in 2013 as well positively impacted many children and families, in as a Master’s in Criminal Justice, graduating Phi Kap- the five years he has been working with Hidalgo pa Phi, from the same university in 2015. Christo- County Juvenile Probation. Approximately two years pher is one of four probation officers selected to ago, a child he previously supervised was tragically work as a liaison with victims in the departments re- killed. The child’s parent reached out to Christopher, cently established, “Victim’s Response Team.” He knowing he was the only person she felt was a posi- has an array of work experience, starting from his tive influence for her child. This parent has main- high school years. As a high school senior, he started tained contact with him, to thank him for doing all working at a Lacks Furniture store and worked for he did for her son before his passing. Christopher has nine years. He then worked at South Texas Tactical a beautiful daughter, who will be turning eight years for ten years. Christopher also worked for two years old in September. When asked who has been the helping one of his best friends at Rustic Valley Furni- most influential person in his life, his response was ture. Christopher has a special kind of charisma and “my mother,” adding, “she was always taking care of compassion for the children and families he works everyone else.” In 2013, Christopher’s mother unfor- with. When describing him in a few words, the main tunately ones that come to mind are genuine, giving, humble, lost her reliable, problem solver, team oriented, good com- battle municator…etc. Christopher is a genuinely compas- with can- sionate and charismatic individual, who “silently” cer. He does many things for the children and families he carries on works with and even for some not assigned to his her lega- caseload. He has been instrumental in having a posi- cy by, tive influence in the children he works with because “always he takes the time to go beyond his job responsibili- taking ties. Some of the things he does to show the children care of his support and encouragement is attending their everyone school and extracurricular events. He has attended else.” theater arts presentations, sporting games, and 34

OF STAFF Teri Nelson-Johnson working for her family business; however, her pas- Community Supervision sion for probation never waned, and despite taking a Officer substantial cut in pay she made the decision to re- Tarrant County CSCD turn to the CSCD in 2009. After a brief time in the Tarrant County is delighted to introduce Teri Nelson- field, she began working at the IDT program. Teri Johnson, a dedicated and passionate member of the CSCD. Teri's journey with the department began in worked in IDT for nearly 13 years during this time as the mid-90s and since then, she has made a signifi- cant impact through her various roles and dedication she enjoyed working with probationers and helping to improving probation services. Teri's path to probation services has been a diverse them overcome with substance use. one. She embarked on her academic journey at Tar- leton State, where she spent a year, she later trans- Teri was selected to serve as an evening hours GPS ferred to UTA and obtained a degree in social work. During her academic pursuits, Teri's interest in proba- officer in August of 2022. Since then, she has been tion piqued when she interned at Tarrant County CSCD and Catholic Charities. Although she initially instrumental in researching and resolving GPS prob- didn't have much knowledge about probation, her experience working with the department and inter- lems that occur outside of business hours, ensuring acting with probationers intrigued her. In 1995, Teri joined the CSCD full-time serving in the the seamless functioning of our electronic monitor- Drug Education Assessment and Referral Service (DEARS). Her passion for helping others with sub- ing program. stance dependence, and her exposure to probation, further deepened as she interacted with probationers Teri's dedication to the human side of probation and learned about their experiences. Motivated to make a broader impact, she attended training ses- work sets her apart. She describes herself as a social sions and felt drawn to becoming an officer, recogniz- ing the need for her skills in the field. person, always driven by the desire to connect with Teri's transition from counselor to officer was a pivot- al moment in her career. Working for CSCD, she people and make a positive impact on their lives. Her gained invaluable experience and adapted to the de- mands of probation work. She began in the Intensive experience during her internship solidified her pas- Day Treatment (IDT) program and received ROPE cer- tification. Collaborating with counselors, Teri em- sion for IDT, recognizing the significance of address- ployed experiential therapy techniques to help proba- tioners address their substance use needs. Teri also ing substance use needs. Even in her current role spent time in the sex offender unit where she contin- ued to further her skills. with GPS, Teri finds fulfillment in talking people off After working for CSCD for several years, Teri ex- plored other opportunities and spent seven years the edge, and embracing the unpredictability of each night's challenges. She often feels like a detective, navigating complex situations and ensuring the safe- ty and compliance of probationers. When asked about her advice for others in the field, Teri empha- sized being pa- tient and meeting proba- tioners and de- fendants where they are in life. Teri stated she became a member of TPA when she real- ized the im- portant work the organiza- tion does rep- resenting offic- ers across the state. 35

NEWS FRO Tenure Award Given efit from more resources and obtain the help from In Brazos County a “team” to get them through their term of super- vision. This is the 5th specialty court in Brazoria Congratulations to Senior Officer Charlie Russ for County. his 25 years of service with Brazos County CSCD. Director Jennifer Goerig presented him with a plaque. Charlie manages the sex offender caseload and is passionate about protecting the community and rehabilitating the individuals on his caseload. We appreciate your dedication, knowledge and ser- vice to the field. Pictured from left to right: (back row) Tracy Gaia, Clinical Supervisor; Samantha Klein, prosecutor; Hunter Pirtle, MH Court Coordinator; Chelsea Onyeije, MH Senior Officer; Michael Vandergrifft, MH Deputy; Sonya Butler, Clinical Liaison; Craig Fritz, Specialty Court Program Supervisor. Seated, Judge, Greg Donnell. San Patricio County Now Coastal Bend CSCD Mental Health Court The San Patricio County CSCD, which serves Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, and McMullen Counties, will be rebranding to Coastal Bend CSCD. Be on the look out for this subtle change that will start in their correspondence. Revs-up in Brazoria County Brazoria County CSCD was awarded the OOG grant in 2022 to start a Mental Health Court. Those who have a MH diagnosis and become involved in the legal system will now have the opportunity to ben- 36

OM THE FIELD TPA REACHING YOU VIRTUALLY The Texas Probation Association is expanding their horizons and trying to reach you any way we can. Check us out on our new social media platforms. Be sure to follow TPA on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 37

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