In November, Coconino County was one of the hot spots on the national map. This week, Coconino County Adult Probation Service Chief Probation Officer Sarah Dusit revisited the topic in the Arizona Daily Sun. She said that if the situation was critical at the time, it would only get worse.

Her adult probation department now has 13 fewer staff than it did in 2020. Four of her 13 posts vacant have been completely vacated.

In essence, probation is an alternative or supplement to imprisonment. This is a way for community members to atone for their crimes without going to jail.

“We are active advocates for behavior change that results in safer communities. There are many details behind it. There are many laws behind it, but we work with people to There is an idea to improve their lives, so that they become supporters of their families, they are tax paying citizens, they are employed, they are raising their own children. You can grow it,” Dusit said. “That’s why we are here. And that’s what we’ve been doing for 25 years.”

A probation officer’s job isn’t necessarily glamorous, Dusit added.

First, work is based on relationships. While probation officers may be cheerleaders, goal-setters, or aides in the probation officer’s journey through the criminal justice system, they may not correct wrongdoing or hold the probation officer accountable in accordance with state law. It is also in a position to let

Dusit said it can be a daunting task to hold someone accountable. The key to success, she said, is training and hiring the right people. Someone who is compassionate and understands that true behavioral change is difficult. People who see probationers as part of the community.

“In my experience, it was almost my first day on the job. [probationers] our family. they are our neighbors. These are our colleagues we met. These are the people we shop with at Safeway,” she said. “They are not them, they are us. We are them. If you can understand that, you will understand that change is hard for everyone.”

Dorsit said hiring the right people is becoming increasingly difficult.

To attract the right candidates, agencies should offer competitive salaries.

She said balancing a fair wage, a fair amount of work and the cost of living in Flagstaff may feel impossible on her budget.

“I’m asking people with college degrees to come and work in our department, but if they’re thinking about how they’re going to make a living, they’ll come to me every week. Some people say, ‘Sara, I don’t know how long I can work here.’ Wait here.I really love working here, but I can’t afford to stay here,” she said.

Dusit said there is little motivation for employees already paid by the county to continue their careers. Incumbents have to contend with relatively low wages and limited compensation while doing work that is mentally taxing and ostensibly thankless.

“We are serious about promoting [a positive culture], takes self-care seriously and focuses on how best to protect staff from the effects of inflation, COVID-19, and the criminal justice oversight we sometimes encounter. In general, working in the field of criminal justice today is not as popular as it used to be. It’s not necessarily considered a prestigious profession by everyone involved,” she said. “Add the pay, the workload and the stress, and fewer and fewer people decide to make this a career.”

As more people burn out and leave, the workload of existing employees increases. Dusit worries that his department will collapse under the weight.

“Frankly, I have never seen our profession so vulnerable. It’s scary knowing how we work behind the scenes to help our communities. ‘ she said. We are silent about it. We don’t make a fuss or kick down doors. The work we do is important and meaningful, but it is at stake. ”

She argues that the funding structure for adult probation needs to be rethought to address the issue of salaries and, ultimately, staffing.

Currently, the ministry mainly relies on trial fees. These costs are paid by the probation officer. When probationers feel inflationary pressures and economic instability, they are less likely to fail to pay what they owe.

“In terms of earning a decent income, this race is one of the hardest. We’re already talking about people who are incredibly thinly spread just to survive. They’re in Arizona. It’s responsible for funding a significant portion of the state’s probation system,” she said.

In May, the Coconino County Adult Probation Service received more than $342,000 from the American Rescue Plans Act (ARPA) Fund. The county also allocated $250,000 from the General Fund to support Dorsit’s department.

“On paper, it looks like a huge injection of money. ‘Sarah, what are you going to do with that much money?’ Well, we’re going to pay people salaries for the next three years,” she said. I was.

This funding should continue until 2026.

To make ends meet, Doutit has already had to downsize significantly. The pre-trial service was part of the initial service.

“I don’t have a state mandate to provide that service. He added that there are more than 40 years of research to back up the value. trial service. “We know that keeping people in prison too long before trial actually makes them more likely to commit crimes in the future. is knowingly contributing something that is fundamentally contrary to its core.”

She describes the experience as traumatic.

“Moral injury is the idea that you know in your head that you should do the right thing. You want to do the right thing, but external events outside your control are holding you back,” she says.

When it comes time to implement budget cuts, Ms. Dusit knows she will have to let go of some of the more trauma-based system reform aspects of her job. She finds it unacceptable.

“There will be massive public outcry calling for reform of various circumstances so that the system can be given back its true humanity. is trying to embed humanity into the criminal justice system, and I’m not saying this to deny what we’ve done in the past, but we know better now,” Dusit said. said Mr.

She hopes county probation agencies like hers can overhaul the way they work and find the tactics and missions that are routinely used. By filtering out work that isn’t evidence-based, she argues, the department can be more efficient.

Ultimately, Douthit believes the biggest change that needs to be made is the funding structure. Departments can no longer rely heavily on fees. His current job is to find another way to pay for his service to the police. This is ultimately aimed at keeping people out of jail and combating recidivism (or the likelihood that someone convicted of a crime will commit a crime again).

In the meantime, Dusit said people in his department are doing their best.

She said the county is the first thing that needs to happen for the probation system to be rectified.

“If you just looked at our stats on paper, you would say, ‘Sarah, I don’t see the problem. It’s hard work, it takes a lot of empathy, but it also takes boundaries, coaching, guidance, cheerleading.Sometimes, Sometimes we have to make a few adjustments,” Dusit said. “The truth is, the majority of people we work with are very responsive to our services and relationships. It is therefore endangered.”