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Fourth Annual Conference on Public Safety Realignment
Innovations in Public Safety and Justice in California
TRANSITIONING FROM TRIAGE TO LONG-TERM
SUSTAINABILITY
Speaker Biographies
Javier Aguirre is the Director of Reentry Services for the County of Santa Clara, responsible for
the operations and day-to-day functions of the County’s Reentry Resource Center and
countywide coordination, evaluation and oversight of the Public Safety Realignment Program
and Adult Reentry Strategic Plan. A graduate of both Stanford University and Loyola Law
School, Javier was previously a Principal Budget and Public Policy Analyst serving as the Public
Safety Realignment and Reentry Program Administrator. Javier has over fourteen years of
experience working for the County of Santa Clara, including eight years as a Senior Policy Aide.
Javier also served as a former elected Board Trustee for the Gilroy Unified School District. He
can be reached at [email protected].
Elizabeth Alfaro earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from San
Diego State University in 1997. She began her career with the San Diego County Probation
Department in 1997 as a Correctional Deputy Probation Officer, and promoted to Deputy
Probation Officer in 2001. In 2007, she transferred laterally to the Riverside County Probation
Department. In August of 2012, she was assigned as a Senior Probation Officer to the newly
developed Pretrial Services Unit. In March 2013, Elizabeth assumed the position of Supervising
Probation Officer and was assigned to supervise a unit in Pretrial Services, where she remains
today. She has held various juvenile and adult assignments during her career including
institutions, intake, investigations, day treatment, and supervision. Elizabeth resides in
Riverside County with her husband and two daughters, ages eight and ten. She can be reached
Jennifer Armstrong coordinates 550Jobs! program, one of many wrap-around services provided to the reentry population aiming to assist formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into the community. It is part of a collaborative effort between San Mateo County’s Human Services Agency, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, and Probation. 550Jobs! focuses specifically on employment services including subsidized transitional
employment, vocational assessment and case management, job development and coaching, as
well as community employment placement. In my current role, Ms. Armstrong carries a
caseload of clients in reentry with serious vocational barriers. She performs a complete range of
services with formerly incarcerated clients utilizing vocational rehabilitation principles and
techniques including counseling, evaluating skills and job readiness, analyzing medical
information, developing a vocational rehabilitation plan to assist Vocational Rehabilitation
Services (VRS) clients into securing and maintaining employment. Ms. Armstrong has had
extraordinary success placing clients in stable community jobs. She is a strong and vocal
advocate for programming, resources and services to assist formerly incarcerated individuals
transition back into the community.
Captain Troy Beliveau has been with Santa Clara County for 27 years. He has been assigned to
the Elmwood Complex, Main Jail, Operations and his current assignment as the Support
Services Commander. As the Support Services Commander, Captain Beliveau is responsible for
Classification, Gang Intelligence, Programs, Custodial Alternative Supervision Unit, Records,
Administration Booking and all out of custody alternative sentencing alternatives. He was
assigned to the Sheriff’s Officer Reentry efforts (AB 109 or Realignment) in 2011 and has lead
the Department’s efforts in this area and collaborated with every affected department in the
County. Captain Beliveau has created several new units in the Sheriff’s Office which have
received state wide recognition. He can be reached at [email protected].
Arcel Blume graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a doctorate in Human
Development and Family Studies. She started a career in research and program evaluation in
the field of social services at both San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. In June 2012, Blume was
hired by the Santa Clara County Probation Department as Director of Research and
Evaluation. She works with the executive team and other departmental leaders to develop
strategic analytic plans for the AB109 population, general adult population, as well as specific
youth interventions. A main focus of her work alongside with input from probation leaders and
Santa Clara County’s Community Corrections Partnership has been the development of a
definition for recidivism that is the foundation for measuring client outcomes across the AB109
adult population, adult general population, and juvenile probation, as well as clients coming out
of the local jails. This definition also aligns well with that provided by the Board of State and
Community Corrections.
Roy Brasil, Deputy Chief of Realignment & Reentry Services, has been with the San Mateo
County Probation Department for 14 years. He is a former police sergeant with over thirty years
of law enforcement service. He currently has oversight of the Realignment & Reentry Services
Division, where he works collaboratively with the other Community Corrections Partners to
reduce recidivism in San Mateo County, through the implementation of evidence based
practices, with the State Realignment population. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Management
from Saint Mary's College of California and is a graduate of the FBI's Delinquency Control
Institute at USC. He can be reached at [email protected].
Shaun Brenneman is a Division Director with the Humboldt County Probation Department. Mr.
Brenneman joined the Department fresh out of Humboldt State University having obtained a
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. He has spent the last 18 years in the agency and has had a
multitude of assignments in both Juvenile and Adult Probation. Most recently, Mr. Brenneman
has been the Director of the Adult Services Division where he oversees Pre-Sentence
Investigations, Adult Probation Services, Realignment Services, Drug Court, and Pretrial
Supervision. In addition, Mr. Brenneman worked with University of Cincinnati to implement
Effective Practices in Community Supervision (EPICS) in the Humboldt County Probation
Department in 2012. He continues to participate in quality assurance for the practice today.
He can be reached at [email protected].
Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr., the son of former Governor Pat Brown (1959-1967), was born in
San Francisco on April 7, 1938. He graduated with degrees in Latin and Greek from the
University of California, Berkeley in 1961 and received a juris doctorate from Yale in 1964. His
education also included studies at the Jesuit Seminary in Los Gatos, California.
Following law school, Brown worked as a law clerk to California Supreme Court Justice Mathew
Tobriner, traveled and studied in Mexico and Latin America, then took up residence in Los
Angeles, working for a law firm. In 1968, he helped qualify a slate of presidential delegates to
oppose the re-nomination of President Lyndon Johnson. The following year, Brown was elected
to the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees.
In 1970, Brown was elected California's Secretary of State, a position he held until his
inauguration as Governor in 1975. As governor, he had strong ideas about state spending and
refused to live in the new governor's mansion, renting a modest apartment instead, and nixing
the governor's limousine in favor of a state-issued Plymouth. He focused on energy efficiency
and alternative power sources, sponsored and signed the first labor laws in the United States to
protect farm workers, and signed into law the California Conservation Corps (CCC) program. His
appointments emphasized minorities and women, echoing the social awareness of his era.
After his two terms as governor, Brown unsuccessfully ran for United States Senator in 1982. He
then travelled extensively, returned to his law practice in Los Angeles, and in 1989 became
chairman of the state Democratic Party. He resigned that position in 1991, and unsuccessfully
sought the 1992 Democratic Presidential nomination. In 1998, Brown was elected Mayor of
Oakland, California. Brown was re-elected in 2002 and held the post until 2007.
Brown was elected Attorney General of California in 2006 and announced his candidacy for
Governor in March, 2010. Since Brown's previous terms in office were not covered by term limit
laws enacted in 1990, he was not barred from running for Governor again. Jerry Brown is the
only governor to return to the office after serving years before.
Mary Butler is the Chief Probation Officer for Napa County. She has held this position for 12
years. Prior to this position, Ms. Butler worked for Napa County Health and Human Services
managing the Mental Health and Child Welfare Services. The Napa County Probation
Department was selected as a California Risk Assessment Pilot Program (CalRAPP) county and
worked with the project to help further implement evidence based programs in Napa County
Probation. Ms. Butler is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She can be reached at
Brent Cardall currently is the Chief Probation Officer of the Yolo County Probation department
and brings 27 years of experience in the criminal justice field. Prior to this he served as the
Chief Probation Officer in San Benito County, where he was a guiding force in bringing
evidence-based practices to the field of corrections there.
His previous professional experience includes serving as an adjunct professor for Weber State
University in Ogden, Utah, teaching courses in the areas of ethics, criminal justice, probation
and parole. At the same time, he was the director of the inmate placement program in Draper,
Utah, overseeing 22 county jails. He has also served as a regional administrator for adult
probation and parole in both Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah.
Mr. Cardall holds an associate of science degree in criminal justice from Salt Lake Community
College, a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Columbia College and a Master’s
degree in Human Resource Management from Webster University.
Mr. Cardall received the 2009, 2010 and 2012 California State Association of Counties Challenge
Award which recognizes the creative spirit of California county governments as they find
innovative, effective and cost-savings ways to provide programs and services. Mr. Cardall also
received the “Administrator of the Year” award for 2011 on behalf of San Benito County. He
can be reached at [email protected].
Ann Carson has been a statistician in the Corrections Unit at the U.S. Department of Justice’s
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) since 2011. She is the program manager of the National
Prisoners Statistics program and the National Corrections Reporting Program, and is working on
expanding BJS’ use of administrative data through a collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureau’s
Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications. Prior to coming to BJS, Ann
worked as the contract program manager for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OEF/OIF
Epidemiological and Health Surveillance System. She obtained her Ph.D. in biological
anthropology from the University of New Mexico in 2006, and was a postdoctoral research
associate in a quantitative genetics laboratory in the Department of Anatomy and
Neurobiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. She was awarded a
Fulbright Fellowship in 2003 to collect her dissertation data on human skulls in Hallstatt,
Austria, and served as a forensic anthropology consultant to the Office of the Medical
Investigator for the State of New Mexico.
Vito Chiesa is a lifelong resident of Hughson. He graduated from Hughson High School,
attended Modesto Junior College then went onto graduate from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with
a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. Vito works in a family farming operation with his
parents, Mary and Aroldo and brother, Andrew. In addition to growing walnuts, almonds and
peaches, the family operates a commercial walnut hulling and drying business.
Prior to being elected to the Board of Supervisors, Vito served the community as the President
of the Stanislaus County Fair Board as well as the President of the Stanislaus County Farm
Bureau. He also served as a Director for the Modesto Chamber of Commerce and State Director
for California Farm Bureau. He is currently in his second term as Stanislaus County Supervisor
for District 2. Some of his other many responsibilities include serving as the President of CSAC,
Commissioner of the Children and Families Commission, Member of the Stanislaus Council of
Government (StanCOG), Executive Committee and Policy Board, Member of the California
Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, Member of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority,
Alternate Member of the Emergency Medical Services Board of Directors, Member of the City
of Hughson Oversight Board and Member of the City of Turlock Oversight Board.
2015 Board Assignments
Health Executive Committee- Alternate
CSAC Board of Directors
CSAC Executive Committee
Agricultural Advisory Board-Alternate
Emergency Medical Services Board of Directors- Alternate
Children and Families Commission (Prop 10)
City of Turlock - County Liaison Committee
Fish and Wildlife Committee
San Joaquin Valley Rail Joint Power Authority
StanCOG Policy Board and Executive Committee - Chairman
Micheal Collins is a corrections professional with over 32 years in local California probation. As
a practitioner, he served in various operational leadership roles, including institutional and field
community corrections working with juveniles and adults. In his last projects, he managed the
training and research functions while coordinating implementation of evidence-based practices
at Orange County Probation. After Mike left Orange County in 2011, he moved to the California
Board of State and Community Corrections coordinating jail construction and programming.
Mike has taught at the University and Community College levels and has worked with a variety
of probation training providers, including Chief Probation Officers of California.
For the last 3 years, Mike has worked with the Crime and Justice Institute, coordinating and
providing training, technical assistance and consulting with various county and state probation
and parole agencies across the country. Mike’s many certifications and qualifications include
EPICS instructor and coach, Supervisor’s Leadership Academy facilitator and coordinator, RNR
tool technical assistance provider, SOARING2 trainer and coach, and is also certified as a CPAI
2000 program assessor. Mike has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s
Degree in Public Administration from Cal State Long Beach. He can be reached at
Linda Connelly has over 40 years of experience in the criminal justice field. She is the founder
and President/CEO of Leaders in Community Alternatives (LCA), a leading community-based
criminal justice service provider in the State of California. Under Ms. Connelly's leadership over
the past 24 years, LCA has pioneered new models for residential and day treatment programs,
and was an early leader in electronic monitoring. LCA currently works with numerous California
counties in the implementation of evidence-based strategies related to AB109. Ms. Connelly
routinely speaks at national conferences, testifies at legislative hearings, assists counties with
policy, and participates on government committees. Ms. Connelly holds a B.A. in Psychology
from Goucher College and lives in San Francisco.
Judge Richard Couzens is a retired superior court judge, having served on the Placer County
bench for more than 36 years. He remains on full-time active assignment in the Assigned Judges
Program. Judge Couzens was editor-in-chief of the University of California, Davis Law Review,
and was a law clerk to California Supreme Court Chief Justices Roger Traynor and Donald
Wright. He has served on the California Judicial Council and the California State-Federal Judicial
Council.
Judge Couzens has been actively involved in many Judicial Council advisory committees,
including being chair of the Criminal Law Standing Advisory Committee. He has written and
taught on a wide variety of topics in juvenile and criminal law. Judge Couzens is a coauthor
of California Three Strikes Sentencing and Sex Crimes: California Law and Procedure, published
by The Rutter Group. He has been a regular member of the faculty of the B.E. Witkin Judicial
College since 1995, primarily teaching criminal law. In 2007-2008 he was designated the on-site
supervisor of the chief justice’s special criminal trial reduction program in Riverside County. In
2008 Judge Couzens was named Jurist of the Year by the California Judicial Council.
Helene Creager is a Supervising US Probation Officer in the Central District of California. In
addition to being the District’s Mental Health Coordinator, she is leading the District’s
implementation of STARR Training Aimed at Reducing Recidivism (STARR). STARR is a set of
supervising skills for officers to use in their daily interactions with offenders. The skills are based
on existing behavioral change strategies found to be effective with offending populations.
These skills include active listening, giving effective feedback, role clarification, reinforcement,
disapproval, effective use of authority, punishment, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and
problem-solving. Helene is one of the founders of the District’s Evidence-Based Practices (EBP)
Working Group and has been active in assisting with the implementation of EBPS and EBP
training throughout the District. Prior to her becoming a Federal Probation Office in 1995, she
worked for the Los Angeles County Probation Department for almost ten years. She was a
Probation Officer, therapist, and Treatment Team Leader at Dorothy Kirby Center, a locked
juvenile facility. She spent the majority of her career with LA County Probation as a supervisor
in Program Services. Her unit was responsible for grant writing and program implementation.
She earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology and her Masters in Social Work, both at the University
of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She can be reached
Michael Daly is the Chief Probation Officer for the County of Marin. Mike was raised in Marin
and graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1990 with a B.S. in Social Sciences with a
concentration in criminal justice. He started working for the Marin County Probation
Department 1990. In 1999, Mike obtained his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from
Golden Gate University. In 2009, Mike was appointed Chief Probation Officer by the Marin
County Board of Supervisors and was the 2014 President of the Chief Probation Officers of
California.
Kristy Pierce Danford is a Senior Associate for the Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) at CRJ. Ms.
Danford leads CJI’s training portfolio and has extensively provided capacity-building technical
assistance and training to reduce recidivism and improve public safety. She been providing
training and technical assistance in California since 2008 to support the implementation of
evidence-based practices in county justice systems. Ms. Danford is a skilled trainer and process
facilitator with in-depth implementation experience. Her experience and knowledge combined
with her ability to support people and organizations through the process of change allows her
to successfully guide jurisdictions to achieve public safety goals. Ms. Danford has also
published several documents, and developed a variety of tools and techniques to build the
capacity of individuals, agencies and systems to reduce the risk of reoffending.
Prior to joining CJI, Ms. Danford worked for the CT Judicial Branch, Court Support Services
Division (CSSD) where she implemented initiatives focused on evidence-based policy and
practice and continuous quality improvement. Specifically, she led an innovative statewide
effort to enhance the Division’s ability to use empirical evidence and support data-driven
decision making across pretrial, probation, family services and the network of contract
treatment providers. This included the design and implementation of the Contractor Data
Collection System (CDCS), a web-based system that electronically links assessment, supervision,
treatment and arrest data to assess effectiveness. Ms. Danford also served as a probation and
parole agent for the State of South Carolina. Ms. Danford holds a master’s degree in Public
Administration with a concentration in Urban Affairs from the College of Charleston, and a
graduate certificate in Public and Nonprofit administration from the University of Connecticut.
She can be reached at [email protected].
Andrew Davis serves as Senior Departmental Administrative Analyst for the Santa Cruz County
Probation Department. His responsibilities include planning and implementation of the
County’s AB109 Realignment efforts, as well as support for multiple criminal justice reform
initiatives including the County’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative, Justice and Health Partnership,
and Results First. Mr. Davis holds a Master’s degree in clinical counseling and has over twenty-
five years of experience leading organizational development, program evaluation, and
interagency partnerships in the areas of drug and alcohol services, public safety, mental health,
and education.
Dr. B J Davis is the Co-executive Director of Strategies for Change Substance Abuse and Co-
occurring Mental Health Treatment Agency the author of the 2009 DVD “What is Recovery?: A
Quality of Life Perspective,”. In addition to his doctorate and drug and alcohol certification, Dr.
Davis also has a dual BA in philosophy and religion, a masters of arts in psychology, and a
masters of science in community counseling. In addition to work at Strategies, Dr. Davis is an
Adjunct Professor in the Forensic and Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at Alliant
International University, is a consultant to the Sacramento Aids Housing Alliance, and is the past
vice chair of the CAADAC Counselor Certification Board. He is considered an excellent
motivational speaker and is an often sought out lecturer, presenter, and keynote speaker
regarding addictions treatment. Dr. Davis presented at the Substance Abuse Research
Consortium 42st Semi-Annual Research-to-Policy meeting in Los Angeles, CA on obstacles
related to the implementation of evidenced based practices and in September 2014 Dr. Davis
was invited to give a prestigious “TED Talk” regarding his own ex-offender redemption story. Dr.
Davis has significant experience testifying as an expert witness on substance abuse in criminal
cases. He is a strong advocate for challenging some of the long held myths about what works in
substance abuse and offender reentry programs and is active in conducting research that
focuses on treatment effectiveness and outcomes. His areas of expertise include Reality
Therapy/Choice theory, co-occurring disorders, offender reentry, Quality of Life outcome
research, and multicultural issues.
Jody Di Mauro graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from San Jose State University
in 1991. She has been a probation officer for over 23 years, working at both the county and
federal levels. Jody has been with San Mateo County Probation since January of 2004. She has
been a Probation Services Manager since October 2011. Jody supervises the realignment unit,
which includes nine probation officers and one re-entry officer. She is a trainer for the
department’s evidenced based assessment tool. She has experience supervising both juveniles
and adults on intensive supervision caseloads. Currently, Jody works in partnership with many
agencies (behavioral health and recovery services, human services, and law enforcement) to
oversee the daily operations of realignment in San Mateo County.
Timothy Ewell serves as Senior Deputy County Administrator in Contra Costa County covering
budget and policy issues with public protection departments, including law and justice, fire
protection and agriculture. Since September 2012, he has served as staff to the Community
Corrections Partnership (CCP), participating in both the development of a $20 million program
for AB 109 implementation and long term planning to ensure its sustainability. He is also staff
to the Board of Supervisors’ Public Protection Committee, which annually reviews AB 109
budgets adopted by the CCP prior to submission to the full Board of Supervisors.
Mr. Ewell has Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Science degrees in
Finance from California State University, Hayward and holds a the Certified Government
Financial Manager (CGFM) designation from the Association of Government Accountants. He is
also a member of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). He can be reached at
Karen Fletcher has been a Deputy Chief Probation Officer for over nine years and is currently
assigned to the Adult Division at the Santa Clara County Probation Department. She began her
career with the Department in 1989 as a Deputy Probation Officer, and has worked in all
Divisions of the Department. Her overall experience includes having had oversight of the
Department's Juvenile Services Division, the Institutions Division, the Adult Services Division
and Internal Affairs.
Karen is a graduate of San Jose State University, having earned a Master's Degree in
Communication Studies, and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She
has been an active contributor and leader in the development and implementation of Santa
Clara County's State Realignment Plan and has expertise in the laws and practices governing
Public Safety Realignment. She can be reached at [email protected].
Gaylla A. Finnell is a doctoral candidate in the San Diego State University Doctor of Education in
Educational Leadership program, concentrating on community college education with a
research emphasis in correctional education. A former Imperial County Probation Officer,
Gaylla now serves as the Distance Education and Correctional Education Coordinator at
Imperial Valley College in Imperial, California. She is the college’s AB109 liaison with the
Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, assisting in the development of correctional education
programming for AB109 adults. Gaylla is a coordinator of the Imperial County’s Inside/Out
College Program, a postsecondary correctional education program provided through the
cooperative efforts of the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, the Imperial County Probation
Department, and Imperial Valley College. She is a certified instructor of the Inside-Out Prison
Exchange Program. She can be reached at [email protected].
Jose A. Flores is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). He has worked for the County of
Santa Clara, Department of Alcohol and Drugs (DADS) for 26 years. He is currently the Health
Care Program Manger II for the Behavioral Health Unit at the RRC (formally MAP). He is an
adjunct professor at San Jose City College in the Drug and Alcohol Studies Program. He has
worked in a variety of settings and populations within the criminal justice system for over 30
years. This includes adolescents in juvenile hall, mental health drug court, dependency drug
court, veterans’ drug court, and has been a group facilitator and counselor for DUI programs,
Drug Diversion Programs, and provided individual and group therapy. He has worked with Child
Protective Services, worked in the FQHC clinics with the Mental Health Department, and the
Medical Homes/Primary Care Programs in Santa Clara County. He has a BA in Psychology from
Cal State East Bay and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work (MSW) from San Jose State
University.
Valerie Frazier is the Founder of Helping Out People Everyday (H.O.P.E.) Ministries, a non-profit
faith based organization, serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Pastor. She was ordained in
December 2010. The organization is committed to nurturing the human heart through one act
of kindness as a time.
In 2010-2011, other privileges of service include, Executive Director for Careering Responsible
Opportunities Programs (CROP), responsible for 24 employees; 2 directors, supervisors,
counselors, support staff, clerical and janitorial to oversee of residential drug treatment
facilities for men, women, and women with children from San Joaquin County.
In 2007, Valerie Frazier joined a Beyond Incarceration Program collaborate partners of San
Joaquin County Superior Court judges, Office of the District Attorney, Education Advocates,
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Chowchilla and Folsom State
Prisons - Youth Diversion, and other elected officials to address public safety strategies for
offenders transitioning from correctional settings, educating youth and adult to make better
choices. This program continues to expand as Choices and Consequences presentations are
facilitated every other Wednesday, addressing drugs and alcohol substances and related
behaviors to Elementary and High School students in San Joaquin County.
Valerie Frazier retired from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as a
Parole Agent III – Administrator. Her 22 years of service gave many opportunities of training
and developing staff; Captain – Basic Peace Officer Academy, Treatment Team Supervisor for
Specialized Counseling and Mental Health Units, Parole Agent for Drug and Informal Sex
Offender Programs.
Valerie Frazier graduated from Parkville University in Kansas City, Missouri, with a Bachelor’s
degree in Communication of Arts, and 6 credits short of a Bachelor of Science degree in
Criminal Justice. She is a Certified Adjunct Instructor for San Joaquin Delta Community College;
Certified Facilitator with CDCR Leadership Challenge, Coaching from the Heart; and Master’s
Consultant Trainer. Valerie Frazier’s true inspiration for the work she’s committed to are her
husband of 34 years, 3 adult children, and 2 beautiful granddaughters.
Cassaundra Friedberg is a Departmental Analyst with the Kern County Probation Department.
Her responsibilities include tracking and reporting criminal justice data, particularly data as it
relates to AB 109/prison realignment. Currently, she serves as the Project Manager of the Kern
County Results First Project, a cost-benefit analysis initiative. She is Kern County’s Coordinator
of various ongoing data projects such as the PPIC’s (Public Policy Institute of California) state
and county level data collection effort, Measuring Performance and Outcomes of California’s
Public Safety Realignment, done in collaboration with the Board of State and Community
Corrections (BSCC). In addition, Cassaundra does research and program evaluation. Recently,
she completed an evaluation of Kern’s Day Reporting Center which showed favorable results.
In her spare time, Cassaundra is a Professional Expert for the Kern Community College District,
PRIDE Pre-adopt Training program. She holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Criminal Justice and a
Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Bakersfield. Her
professional background includes working as a Group Counselor at the A. Miriam Jamison
Children’s Center, an emergency shelter for children in protective custody. She has extensive
knowledge of the foster care system working in group homes. She can be reached at
Stephanie Gibbs, is a Correctional Sergeant with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and is
currently assigned as the Sergeant overseeing the Transition from Jail to Community Unit. She
has been with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office for 19 years and has worked in various areas of
the detention facilities throughout her career. Stephanie obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in
Business Administration and then went on to acquire a Master’s Degree in Organizational
Leadership while raising her family and working full time as a Correctional Officer. She can be
reached at [email protected].
Fernando Giraldo is the Chief Probation Officer for Santa Cruz County, California and has been
with the Department since 1995. Mr. Giraldo has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from San
Jose State University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Latin American Studies from The
University of California, Santa Cruz. As the Chief of Probation he oversees three divisions:
Adult, Juvenile and the Juvenile Institution.
Santa Cruz County Probation is a nationally recognized model site for Juvenile Detention
Reform through the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Mr. Giraldo has specialized in developing,
implementing, and managing day treatment programs, evening reporting centers, and
innovative collaborative programs involving multiple agencies. Mr. Giraldo was also a
consultant for the National Institute of Corrections; developing distance learning programs and
was a national trainer on cognitive behavioral programs. Throughout his career he has been
successful in writing grants and has worked with community partners to leverage funding that
has helped advance and sustain system reforms in Santa Cruz. Mr. Giraldo has participated in
radio and television programs, and been part of numerous panels and presentations at the
national level speaking about juvenile and adult system reforms, disproportionate minority
contact in the justice system, cultural competency, development of detention alternatives,
evidence based practices, collaboration with community partners, and leadership.
Thomas Granucci received his B.A. in Political Science in 1984 and his M.S.W. in 1986, both
from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been a licensed clinical social worker since
1989. Tom worked in the mental health field for 13 years including with severely mentally ill
adults, adolescent offenders, and in managed mental health and substance abuse care. Tom
joined the U.S. Probation Office, Central District of California (CD-CA) in 1999. As a U.S.
Probation Officer/Mental Health Treatment Specialist, Tom managed a specialized caseload of
mentally ill offenders and sex offenders for 8.5 years. In his current position as a Supervisory
U.S. Probation Officer, he leads a team of six officers. He is an original member of the Evidence
Based Practices (EBP) Working Group and has been the lead trainer in EBP (non-STARR)
implementation in the CD-CA.
Tom was an original member of the California State University, Los Angeles Forensic Social
Work Advisory Board and has been a part-time faculty member in the School of Social Work
since 2003 teaching psychiatric diagnosis with a forensic emphasis, and recovery in mental
health. Tom is an experienced trainer and presenter at seminars and conferences on forensic
mental health, co-occurring disorders, and evidence based practices. He can be reached at
Meghan Guevara has been working with Community Resources for Justice since 2001. She
focuses her technical assistance efforts on data-driven system reform initiatives, with the goal
of using criminal justice resources effectively and efficiently. Ms. Guevara has been providing
training and technical assistance in California since 2006 to support the implementation of
evidence-based practices in county justice systems. She has also authored several CJI
publications, including handbooks on evidence-based pretrial and community corrections
practice.
Ms. Guevara has worked extensively in program development, training, and education. Ms.
Guevara managed community-based wellness initiatives and specialized in developing and
implementing health education and violence prevention curricula with juvenile offenders and
other high-risk youth. Ms. Guevara received her Master of Public Health Degree in social and
behavioral sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health. She can be reached at
Melissa Haynes began her career with the Crime and Justice Institute at CRJ in 2012, and has
provided assistance with numerous projects. She has coordinated the 3rd and 4th annual Public
Safety Realignment Conferences in Sacramento, assessed the potential for pretrial services in
three counties in South Dakota, and conducted a system assessment of the Georgia juvenile
justice systems.
Prior to joining CJI, Ms. Haynes was a graduate assistant at Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, where she worked closely with professors on national studies of policing. She has
taught courses in criminal justice administration, and has written several reports and articles,
including peer-reviewed publications. Ms. Haynes holds a master’s degree and is pursuing a
doctoral degree in Criminology & Criminal Justice at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
She can be reached at [email protected].
Tanja Heitman currently serves as Deputy Chief Probation Officer of the Santa Barbara County
Probation Department’s Adult Division. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity
University in San Antonio, Texas in 1988 and began her career with Santa Barbara County
Probation in 1990 as a Juvenile Institutions Officer at the Santa Barbara Juvenile Hall.
During her 24-year tenure with the Department, Tanja has served within the Juvenile,
Institutions, Adult and Administrative Divisions in a variety of capacities, which has enhanced
her overall expertise in all areas of probation operations. She has served on numerous state
committees related to funding and data within the probation field. She has been instrumental
in the planning and implementation of Realignment in Santa Barbara County, working
collaboratively with representatives from the Sheriff’s Office, the Court, the Offices of the
District Attorney and Public Defender, and local community-based groups. She can be reached
Ashleigh Holand, Manager for State Policy, leads the Results First Initiative’s most complex
jurisdictions, including California counties, and provides strategic support to all participating
states and counties. Before joining the Results First team, Ms. Holand conducted research and
policy analysis at the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center, the Florida Legislature’s Office of
Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, and the Florida Legislature’s
Commission on Capital Cases. Ms. Holand holds a master’s degree in criminology from Florida
State University. She can be reached at [email protected].
Jesse Jannetta is a Senior Research Associate at the Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center. Mr.
Jannetta’s work focuses on reentry from jail and prison, parole and probation practice, and
comprehensive community anti-violence initiatives. He is the project director for the Transition
from Jail to Community (TJC) Initiative, a multi-site technical assistance and process evaluation
effort to implement comprehensive, collaborative systems change approaches to reentry from
local jails. In addition to his work on TJC, he currently serves as a Principal Investigator of an
evaluation of the Chicago Violence Reduction Strategy, the Los Angeles Gang Reduction and
Youth Development strategy, and the evaluation of pre-release Medicaid enrollment as a reentry
strategy.
Prior to coming to UI, Mr. Jannetta was a Research Specialist at the Center for Evidence-Based
Corrections at the University of California, Irvine, where his work included projects on GPS
monitoring of sex offender parolees, parole discharge and violation response policies, adapting
the COMPSTAT management system to a correctional agency, the role of the Division of Juvenile
Justice in the California juvenile justice system, the scope of correctional control in California, and
assessment of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation programs in terms of
evidence-based program design principles. Mr. Jannetta holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the
John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a B.A. in Political Science from
the University of Michigan. He can be reached at [email protected].
Chaplain Gerald Johnson is currently the President of the North San Diego County Branch of
the NAACP, a member of the Executive Committee of the California State Conference of the
NAACP, serving as State Religious Affairs Chair, and as a key point person on gang violence. He
is a chaplain with the International Crisis Intervention Foundation and the senior chaplain for
the Oceanside Police Department. He also serves as chaplain in charge of volunteer services at
the Marine Corps Base Brig at Camp Pendleton and chaplain at the Rainbow Conservation
Camp.
In addition to serving as senior chaplain for the Oceanside Police Department, Pastor Johnson
also serves as chairman of the Interfaith Advisory Council of the San Diego County District
Attorney's Office. He is presently a member of the Cal State University of San Marcos Police
Advisory Board and was for five years previously a member of the Police & Fire Commission for
the city of Oceanside. He is an executive board member of the Southern California First
Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, Church of God in Christ; executive secretary/treasurer for the United
African American Ministerial Action Council; vice-president for para-chapel ministry at Camp
Pendleton (1998–2004); and a trained facilitator for Prison Fellowship.
He received his AA degree in Theology from the International Bible College & Seminary and was
ordained a Minister in the Baptist Church in 1989, then an Elder by the Elders’ Council of the
Southern California First Jurisdiction, Church of God in Christ in 1997. In preparation for his
ministry, he also completed a course in community economic development at San Diego State
University. Pastor Johnson earned his Master’s Degree from Next Dimension Bible College in
Christian Counseling and a Doctorate of Ministry, and now he is pursuing a Ph.D. He can be
reached at [email protected].
Philip Kader has worked in the probation field for over 30 years. He began as a group counselor
at the Fresno County Juvenile Hall and has worked virtually all facets of adult and juvenile
probation from supervision to Court services. He has been the Chief Probation Officer in Contra
Costa County for almost five years and is the Chair of the local Community Corrections
Partnership.
Chief Kader is the Legislative Chair of the Chief Probation Officers of California and a member of
the Contra Costa County Police Chiefs Association. He has been active in building agency
collaboration and embracing community engagement. He continues to advocate for increased
use of evidence based and restorative justice practices. He can be reached at
Susun Kim is an experienced family law attorney with 15 years of legal aid experience. She
enjoys creating new projects and participating in collaborative initiatives. She has helped put
together county wide housing service collaboratives, developed court-based housing law clinics,
and convened a reentry initiative to assist the formerly incarcerated. She has been actively
involved in the United Way’s SparkPoint initiative focused on self-sufficiency.
Ms. Kim serves on the steering committee for the Contra Costa County’s Zero Tolerance for
Domestic Violence Initiative and as Chair of the Community Advisory Board of the Contra Costa
County Community Corrections Partnership. Susun has extensive training and facilitation
experience and previously served as faculty for national training institutes hosted by the
American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence. She is a 1991 graduate of New
York University School of Law. She can be reached at [email protected].
David Koch, Deputy Chief Probation Officer, Sonoma County Probation Department since
January 2012. Prior to this he served briefly as the Chief Deputy Probation Officer for San
Francisco Adult Probation, and as Assistant Director, Multnomah County (OR) Department of
Community Justice for 10 years.
David’s current position as Deputy Chief Probation Officer places him in charge of adult and
juvenile probation services, with responsibility for fiscal, policy and operational activities of
these divisions, providing the full range of juvenile and adult investigation, intake and
supervision functions. In addition to providing investigative services to the courts, probation
operates a day reporting center, work release and pretrial services programs, and is responsible
for delivery of supervision and intervention services, and programming for 3,000 youth and
adult offenders on probation. The department is committed to evidence-based supervision and
intervention activities, addressing risk, need and responsivity factors with a strength-based and
family-focused approach.
In his 30+ year career David has managed a number of adult community corrections agencies in
Oregon, previously served as president of the Oregon Juvenile Department Directors
Association as well as Oregon Association of Community Corrections Directors. All the above
have involved extensive organizational development work. He has lectured extensively on
juvenile justice reforms to national and international delegations and made presentations as
part of a delegation to Russia. As well, he served as an adjunct professor in Criminology at
Portland State University. He holds a graduate degree in Justice Management from the
University of Nevada, Reno, and bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Southern Oregon
University. He can be reached at [email protected].
Cybele Kotonias is a Research Associate at the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center. She
serves as the Project and Evaluation Manager for Urban's technical assistance work
with California counties implementing the Transition from Jail to Community reentry model.
Her current research also focuses on measuring and evaluating local, state, and federal criminal
justice policy reform efforts. Prior to joining the Urban Institute in 2012, Ms. Kotonias worked
as an investigator with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Ms. Kotonias
completed her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies at Macalester
College.
Edward J. Latessa received his Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in 1979 and is Director and
Professor of the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Latessa has
published over 150 works in the area of criminal justice, corrections, and juvenile justice. He is
co-author of eight books including What Works (and Doesn’t) in Reducing Recidivism,
Corrections in the Community, and Corrections in America. Professor Latessa has directed over
150 funded research projects including studies of day reporting centers, juvenile justice
programs, drug courts, prison programs, intensive supervision programs, halfway houses, and
drug programs. He and his staff have also assessed over 600 correctional programs throughout
the United States, and he has provided assistance and workshops in over forty-five states. He
has also received numerous awards and in 2013 he was identified as one of the most innovative
people in criminal justice by a national survey conducted by the Center for Court Innovation in
partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the U.S. Department of Justice. Dr.
Latessa can be reached at [email protected].
Michelle LeFors has worked for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office for twenty four years.
Currently she serves as the Offender Programs Manager in the Jail Programs and Services
Bureau. Michelle is part of the team who has developed the Fresno County Transition from Jail
to Community effort, leading the effort to design and implement the Transition from Jail to
Community Housing Unit for AB109 MSR male inmates who are assessed as moderate to high
risk to reoffend. Michelle has a Bachelor’s Degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Fresno State,
and went on to attain a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from National University
where she graduated with Honors. She can be reached at [email protected].
John Leopold was elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in November 2008.
He represents the First District, which includes Live Oak, Soquel, the Summit Area, Santa Cruz
Gardens and Carbonera. John previously served on the Cabrillo College Governing Board for
eight years, leading the effort to pass a bond for the college in 2004.
As a member of the Board of Supervisors, John has worked with the community to develop an
effective Vacation Rental Ordinance, sensible gun shop regulations, and a set of budget policies
that prioritize services to the community. John engaged hundreds of community members in
developing community projects as part of the Redevelopment Agency and sustainable
community planning workshops. He is a founder of Smart on Crime Santa Cruz County which
conducted events including hundreds of community members in the early stages of the state’s
prison realignment efforts. John spoke at the state’s first realignment conference in September
2011 on Impacting Pretrial Jail Populations. He led the board in banning hydraulic fracking in
Santa Cruz County and securing Sunny Cove Beach for permanent public use. John played a
leadership role in the acquisition of the branch rail line through Santa Cruz County and the
development of a master plan for the Monterey Bay Scenic Trail (sometimes known as the Rail
Trail).
John has worked collaboratively with our schools in the creation of a Youth Center with the Live
Oak School District and the Santa Cruz Boys and Girls Club, and new recreational facilities with
the Loma Prieta and Happy Valley School Districts. He can be reached at
Grace Liu is the Community Programs Analyst at the San Diego County District Attorney's Office
and works on designing and implementing various programs related to crime prevention and
intervention, in partnership with the community. She has worked on prisoner reentry
programs, local reentry resource programs, the DA’s Youth Advisory Board, the DA’s Inter-Faith
Advisory Board, Girls Only Program, and the San Diego Youth Community Court. Grace Liu
meets regularly with representatives from law enforcement and the community to maintain
relationships and create a network of resources. She represents the District Attorney at various
town council and community meetings and participates in community collaborations
countywide.
Grace Liu also supervises AmeriCorps* VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members who
are working on developing a case management system for veterans. She participates on
several boards; such as, the DA’s Inter-Faith Advisory Board, DA’s Youth Advisory Board, San
Diego Reentry Roundtable, and other committees aimed towards providing solutions for
community issues. She initially joined the District Attorney’s Office as an AmeriCorps* VISTA
member in 2006 after receiving a B.A. degree in Journalism and International Relations from
the University of Southern California. She can be reached at [email protected].
The Honorable Paul M. Marigonda is the current Presiding Judge for the Superior Court of
Santa Cruz County in California. Judge Marigonda was appointed by former governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger in December 2006 and was re-elected in 2014. Judge Marigonda received a
bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. from Golden Gate
University School of Law. From 1989-2006 he was an Assistant District Attorney for the Santa
Cruz County District Attorney's Office and has also worked in private practice.
Marilyn Martin is a Deputy Chief Probation and has worked for the San Joaquin County
Probation Department for over 25 years. During her career she has worked in Juvenile
Detention, Juvenile Probation, Adult Probation and Probation Administration. She graduated
from University of the Pacific with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Black Studies/Sociology and has
attended Command College for Probation Administrators.
Iran Martinez is a Division Manager for the Imperial County Probation Department. He started
his career as a Juvenile Detention Officer in 1997 and moved up the ranks from Deputy
Probation Officer to Supervising Probation Officer to his current position as Division
Manager. Iran has managed the Adult Field Division for over two years, where he oversees the
day-to-day operation of Adult Field Supervision, AB109-PRCS, MS, DEJ, PROP 36, Day Reporting
Center (DRC) and Task Force Officers. Prior to becoming a manager, Iran served two years as a
Special Agent for the Imperial Valley Street Interdiction Team (IVSIT) under the California
Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (BNE) and five years as Task Force Officer with the Drug
Enforcement Administration. Iran holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from San Diego
State University. He can be reached at [email protected].
Carlos Morales is a licensed Clinical Social Worker who works for San Mateo County Behavioral
Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) as a Clinical Services Manager II. Mr. Morales’s current
responsibilities are overseeing BHRS forensic programs that include: AB 109 and unified
reentry, Pathways Mental Health Court, Veterans Court and the East Palo Alto Community
Counseling Center.
Bill Penny is the Assistant Chief Probation Officer of the Santa Cruz County Probation
Department and has oversight of the three divisions - Adult, Juvenile and the Juvenile
Institution. He also directs the Adult Probation Division and is the project manager over several
county initiatives including CalRAPP, Results First and PSA-Court (piloting of new generation
pretrial risk assessment).
His professional experience includes work at the county, state and national levels. Prior to his
move to Santa Cruz County in 2012, Bill was a District Manager in Multnomah County
Department of Community Justice, Portland, OR. He was responsible for the overall
administration and operations of the Court Services and Intake District and was the Local
Supervisory Authority Designee. He also served as the point person for the County’s Jail Bed
and Effective Sanctioning Practices initiatives, which reduced jail bed usage without
compromising public safety [over 40,000 fewer jail bed days used each fiscal year at a cost
avoidance of $5 million annually]. At the state level, Bill worked for the Oregon Department of
Corrections at their administrative office as a Coordinator chairing legislative workgroups and
implementing reform through collaboration with statewide partners and leaders. At the
national level Bill is a member of the National Pretrial Executives Network.
Bill is certified in project management, attended the prestigious Pacific Program/The Luke
Center (Catalytic Leadership Certification) and held Parole and Probation Officer Advanced
Certification in Oregon. He can be reached at [email protected].
Micheal Scott Peyton, behavioral health supervisor for the Service Connect and Pathways
programs, is working his 14th year for the County of San Mateo. A marriage and family
therapist, Scott has served adolescents detained in juvenile hall and their families involved with
the juvenile justice system for 11 years. He currently supervises and coordinates services to
adults reentering their communities from incarceration. Scott holds a B.A. from The Evergreen
State College in Olympia, Washington, and a Master of Arts in psychology from the California
Institute of integral studies in San Francisco. He can be reached at [email protected].
Sean Rooney currently serves as a probation manager for the Santa Clara County Probation
Department’s Adult Division. His current assignment is oversight of the AB109 Realignment
Services section. He began his career with the Santa Clara County Probation Department in
1990 as a Probation Counselor at the department’s Juvenile Rehabilitation Facility.
During his years with the department, Sean has served as a deputy probation officer in both the
juvenile and adult services divisions. His experiences have been with the supervision of at risk-
gang involved youth and high risk adult offenders. After supervising the department’s adult
gang unit, he transitioned on to work with the SB678 population and later the first AB109
clients. Sean was involved in the creation of many early programs for this high risk/high need
population during the realignment infancy. After his promotion to manager in December of
2013, Sean was tasked to work with the various departmental and community partners on the
data collection and analysis of the probation department’s efforts to change lives and lower
recidivism.
Michael Roosevelt Michael Roosevelt is a Senior Court Analyst with the Judicial Council
Criminal Justice Services offices with primary program development responsibility for pretrial
services, California Risk Assessment Pilot Project (CalRAPP), adult reentry and other adult
collaborative courts. He has served as lead staff to three statewide reentry court conferences.
Prior to joining CJS, Mr. Roosevelt was responsible for collaborative court education
programming covering veterans and reentry populations at the Judicial Council Center for
Families, Children & the Courts. From 1998-2006, he was a judicial educator for the Judicial
Council Center for Judicial Education and Research(now the Center or Judiciary Education and
Research), who taught and developed education programs for judges and court staff.
Mr. Roosevelt has undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology and has taught
extensively on racial disparities in the justice system. He also teaches for the National Judicial
College (Reno, NV) on bias, fairness and access to justice. Currently, he is the Chair of the
statewide Working Group to Eliminate Disparities and Disproportionality (WGEDD). He can be
reached at [email protected].
Sergeant Brad Rose is the Reentry Coordinator for the Reentry Services Bureau in the
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. He can be reached at [email protected].
Sheriff Martin A. Ryan has been a California peace officer for 40 years (1975-2015) having
served at both the local and state levels. He began his career in 1975 as the Chief Investigator
for the Amador County District Attorney’s Office. He was also the Deputy Public
Administrator/Conservator and Welfare Fraud Investigator for the Office. Over the years he has
held a variety of law enforcement positions, including:
1981 - Sheriff Ryan was hired as a Special Agent for the California Department of Justice
and was assigned to the Los Angeles Office of the California Bureau of Investigation
(CBI).
1984 - Sheriff Ryan transferred to the Sacramento Office of CBI.
1987 - Sheriff Ryan promoted to Special Agent Supervisor and directed a team of CBI
agents assigned to the 26 counties that comprised the Sacramento Regional Office of
CBI.
1990 - Sheriff Ryan promoted to Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the CBI Sacramento
Regional Office where he was responsible for budgets, quality control, case
acceptance/management and investigative direction for the teams of agents assigned to
that office and also supervised CBI’s state wide Polygraph and Criminal Profiling Units.
1997 - Sheriff Ryan was promoted to the position of Assistant Chief of CBI, responsible
for the statewide daily operations of CBI’s six regional offices.
1999 - Sheriff Ryan was appointed by the Attorney General as the Chief of CBI and
served in that capacity until December of 2005.
2003-2004 Sheriff Ryan served as the National Chairman of the 41 member Association
of State Criminal Investigative Agencies
In June 2006 Sheriff Ryan was elected as the 25th Sheriff of Amador County and took office in
January of 2007. In this capacity he is responsible for the 100 employees and $14 million budget
of this office, including the Corrections/Court Security Division, Operations Division (Patrol,
Investigations and Dispatch Bureaus), and the Administrative Division. He also serves as The
Director of Emergency Services for Amador County.
Sheriff Ryan is very active in the California State Sheriffs' Association (CSSA) which represents
the interests of California's 58 elected Sheriffs. He serves as Chair of the Tribal Issues
Committee and Vice-Chair of the Political Action Committee and currently sits as the First Vice-
President of the Association (2014). In 2015, Sheriff Ryan will become the first Sheriff of
Amador County to become the President of CSSA.
Lee Seale was appointed as the Chief Probation Officer of Sacramento County on May 28, 2013.
Prior to his appointment, he served as the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation’s Director of Internal Oversight and Research and Acting Secretary of Legislative
Affairs, developing and implementing legal, legislative and administrative policies related to
prison overcrowding, realignment, parole reform, recidivism research and community
corrections initiatives. Chief Seale was instrumental in adult realignment legislation and crafted
and implemented evidence based practices and treatment programs for some of California’s
most serious adult and juvenile offenders. He has worked with public and private leaders on
the most critical issues of public safety in the wake of realignment. He has extensive experience
partnering with public and private agencies and is an innovative leader for Probation with the
vision and ability to strengthen offender supervision, treatment, services and accountability in
Sacramento County.
Before working with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Chief Seale
was a special assistant inspector general with the Office of the Inspector General monitoring
internal affairs investigators and legal staff for the prison system. Chief Seale also previously
served for a number of years as a deputy attorney general in the criminal division of the Office
of the Attorney General, handling trial matters throughout the state and arguing before the
Courts of Appeal and California Supreme Court.
Chief Seale is a graduate of the UC Davis School of Law. He also earned his Master of Arts from
Arizona State University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Chief Seale’s diverse experience, collaborative style, demonstrated experience in developing
and implementing evidence based programs, his skill and training as a lawyer, and his
knowledge of the intricacies of overseeing serious offenders make him an ideal leader for the
Probation Department during this post-realignment era.
As head of the Sacramento County Probation Department, Chief Seale works with the
Sacramento County Executive to request and secure funding for local treatment and
supervision programs and services targeting high and at-risk offenders in the community. In
addition to finding and supporting innovative methods to address and reduce recidivism, Chief
Seale continues to champion evidence-based practices which have contributed to improved
conditions in the juvenile justice system relative to juvenile detention, crime prevention,
community protection, and victim restitution. He can be reached at [email protected].
Kimberly Shean currently serves as a Manager with the Santa Barbara County Probation
Department’s Adult Division. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from California Lutheran
University in 1987, Juris Doctorate degree in 1999 and was admitted to the California State Bar
in 2000. She began her career with Santa Barbara County Probation in 2012 and had previously
been employed by Ventura County Probation since 1987. She has served as a staff attorney for
Santa Clara Valley Legal Aid for over 10 years, and in 2008 she was a recipient of the prestigious
California State Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award.
Throughout her 28-year career in community corrections, Kim has served within the Juvenile,
Institutions, and Adult Divisions in a variety of capacities. She has participated on numerous
county wide committees related to grant funding, program development and project
management. She currently is the site coordinator for Santa Barbara County’s Transition from
Jail to Community, a systems change initiative in partnership with the Santa Barbara County
Sheriff’s Department, National Institute of Corrections, and the Urban Institute. She works
collaboratively with representatives from the Offices of the District Attorney and Public
Defender, Sheriff’s Office, the Court and local community-based groups while maintaining
managerial oversight for the departmental administration of Realignment in Santa Barbara
County.
Jennifer Skeem is a clinical psychologist and professor in the School of Social Welfare and
Goldman School of Public Policy. Her specializations include mental health, criminal behavior
and intervention/policy.
Her research is designed to inform clinical and legal decision-making about people with
emotional and behavioral problems. Specific topics include identifying factors that improve
outcomes for offenders with serious mental illness, understanding psychopathic personality
disorder and promoting prosocial behavior among juveniles at high risk for violence.
Wendy Still is the Chief Adult Probation Officer of the City & County of San Francisco and
winner of Governing's 2014 Public Official of the Year. Chief Still has worked in State
Government for over 37 years and specialized for 29 years in Adult and Community Corrections
in the State of California. Chief Still's experiences include developing gender responsive, trauma
informed offender prison and community rehabilitation programs and strategic master plans
designed to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism for California's offenders and parolees.
Chief Still has served as Director, Activation Management and Rehabilitation Programs with the
California Federal Prison Health Care Services, and Governor appointed Associate Director-
Female Offender Programs & Services, and Southern Regional Prison Administrator for 10
prisons. She earned her Masters of Advanced Studies, Criminal, Law & Society from the
University of California, Irvine. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational
Behavior from the University of San Francisco.
Chief Still is a member of the American Probation and Parole Association, the American
Correctional Association and the American Society of Criminology and has held numerous civic
positions within the State of California. She can be reached at [email protected].
Christine J. Brown-Taylor is the San Diego County Sheriff Department's first Reentry Services
Manager. She oversees the Reentry Services Division which was created in response to
California's Criminal Justice Realignment. The Division is responsible for all the programming in
the seven detention facilities in San Diego. Christine supervises over 30 correctional counseling
staff that provides case management, group counseling, and reentry planning.
Prior to joining the Sheriff's Department, Christine was employed by University of California,
San Diego as the SB618 Program Manager for the community case management component of
the San Diego Prisoner Reentry Program. She provided consultation and staff development to
two CDCR prisons during her six years with the program.
Christine has provided training and conducted workshops throughout the State of California on
evidence based practices and case management of the offender population. Christine holds a
Master of Social Work degree from San Diego State University. She can be reached at
Michael Terrell is an Assistant Deputy Chief US Probation Officer in the Central District of
California, overseeing Supervision Services since 2004. Central District of California supervises
over 5500 offenders, the most federal supervisees in the nation. Prior to that time, he was a
supervisor in presentence investigations and supervision for 13 years. He is the Chair of the
District’s Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) Working Group and has coordinated the
implementation of EBPS and EBP training throughout the District and has presented nationally
as to the District’s implementation of Staff Training Aimed at Reducing Recidivism (STARR).
He is a certified facilitator for the Federal Judicial Center (FJC) He earned his Bachelor’s Degree
in Psychology and Criminal Justice at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB). He
can be reached at [email protected].
Cara Thompson is a Research Associate and the EPICS Project Director for the University of
Cincinnati Corrections Institute (UCCI) and a doctoral candidate in the School of Criminal Justice
at University of Cincinnati. Miss Thompson holds a Masters of Criminal Justice from the
University of Cincinnati. Her work at the School of Criminal Justice has included evaluations of
prison programming and community corrections agencies, training agencies in the Effective
Practices in Community Supervision (EPICS) model, and managing and coaching multiple EPICS
sites across the country. Her academic interest areas include applying the principles of effective
intervention to community settings and institutional programming. She can be reached at
Matt Thompson earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Science from California Baptist
University. He began his career with the Riverside County Probation Department in 2002 as a
Group Counselor at the Van Horn Youth Center and has worked as a Probation Officer in both
juvenile and adult assignments. In April of 2012, he was assigned to the newly created Pretrial
Unit and assisted in the development of the Pretrial program. He lives in Southern California
with his wife and four children. He can be reached at [email protected].
Captain Ron Vega started his career with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office in 1989 as a
Correctional Assistant. He worked his way up through the ranks, and was promoted to Sheriff’s
Captain overseeing the Jail Operation Bureau in 2013. In his current assignment as the Jail
Operations Bureau Captain, Ron is responsible for the day to day operations and oversight of
the Jail Division. He oversees the daily functions of over 389 officers responsible for the care
and custody of the Jails 3100 inmates. Ron completed the Peace Officer’s Academy in 2007. He
also has a Bachelor’s Degree from Fresno State in Criminology and a Master’s Degree in Public
Administration from National University. He can be reached at [email protected].
In 2013, Melissa Wagner, Ph.D. joined the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office as the Program
Services Manager. As the Program Services Manager, she works collaboratively with key
stakeholders in the County as well as community-based partners to implement the goals of the
Sheriff’s commitment to the Access to Services and Programs to Inspire Reentry and
Empowerment (ASPIRE) Model. This endeavor consists of assessing inmates’ risk and needs,
and providing programs and services throughout all of the Sheriff’s correctional facilities. In
addition, she and her team work on countywide collaborative programs such as Service
Connect, the county’s Unified Reentry program. Prior to joining the Sheriff’s Office, Dr. Wagner
was the Management Analyst for the Realignment/Reentry Division and the Adult Division of
the San Mateo Probation Department from 2007 to 2013. Dr. Wagner earned a Ph.D. in Justice
Studies (Criminal Justice Policy) from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ, and an M.S. in
Justice, Law and Society from The American University in Washington, D.C. Prior to entering
public service, Dr. Wagner was an Adjunct Professor in the Criminal Justice Program at San
Francisco State University.
Assistant Sheriff Randall Walker is a 23-year veteran of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.
Since his hire in 1991, he has worked a multitude of assignments and has gained invaluable
experience and knowledge of all levels of supervision and management. As a Correctional
Officer, Randall was assigned to several specialty positions. He then promoted to Sergeant in
1996 and supervised several programs and units including the Mental Health and Facility
Training Programs. After his promotion to Lieutenant in 2001, he oversaw numerous teams and
played an integral role in developing the Detention Division's Crisis Negotiations Team; the first
of its kind in California. Randall promoted again to the rank of Captain in 2007 and was
responsible for operations in both detention facilities.
As Assistant Sheriff, Randall oversees the Detention Division and all Detention related services.
The Detention Division of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office is comprised of over 300
employees including both sworn and civilian staff as well as numerous community volunteers.
Included in the Division are the Main Adult Detention Facility, North County Detention Facility,
Inmate Programs, Electronic Monitoring Program, and Court Movement. He can be reached at
Robert C. Wilson is a Correctional Sergeant for the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, serving as
the Watch Commander and Supervisor of Inmate Programs. He began his career as a
correctional officer in 1999 and promoted through the ranks to Sergeant in 2010. He is a STC
Certified instructor in Physical Fitness, Defensive Tactics and Emergency Planning, and is an
instructor for the Brawley Union High School Correctional Academy and the Imperial Valley
College Correctional Academy. Robert is a coordinator of the Imperial County Inside/Out
College Program, a postsecondary correctional education program provided through the
cooperative efforts of the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office, the Imperial County Probation
Department, and Imperial Valley College. He is a certified instructor of the Inside-Out Prison
Exchange Program. He can be reached at [email protected].
Marlon Yarber is the Assistant Chief Probation Officer in charge of Adult Operations for
Sacramento County Probation Department. In this position he is responsible for community
supervision, programs, and services for approximately 22,000 offenders.
Yarber began his career in 1991 as a volunteer youth mentor in the Del Paso Heights
neighborhood of Sacramento, CA while a student at nearby U.C. Davis. In 1994 he was hired as
Youth Services Project Director at a community-based organization in Madera County,
overseeing mentoring and after school programs. From 1994 to 1998, he worked for Stanislaus
County Probation Department with assignments as County Gang Specialist, and as an armed
officer working with high-risk adult offenders. Upon leaving Stanislaus, Yarber began working
for California’s Criminal Justice Planning office, overseeing the first rollout of the landmark
Juvenile Accountability Block Grant for California. He managed statewide funding for the
CalGANG database and provided support to its Executive Committee. Yarber left Criminal
Justice Planning in 2000 as Chief of Gang Violence Suppression.
Marlon was then hired as a Criminal Justice Consultant (Field Representative) for the Board of
Corrections, staffing various research and demonstration grant projects, including the Juvenile
Justice Crime Prevention Act and Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction Grant programs. From
2005 to 2006, he was assigned as the state’s Juvenile Justice Specialist, serving as a nationwide
resource regarding juvenile justice issues in California.
He served as Deputy Director for the Corrections Standards Authority from 2006 to 2011,
providing broad fiscal and programmatic oversight to several state and federal initiatives
including Juvenile Justice Realignment (Senate Bill 81). Yarber and his staff were also
responsible for statewide implementation of California’s Disproportionate Minority Contact
initiative. In 2011 he was awarded the Kirkpatrick Professional Development Award for his
significant contribution to the field of corrections as a result of this important work.
Yarber left employment with the State of California in returning to community corrections. He
was hired as Assistant Chief for Yolo County Probation in June 2011 and aided many innovative
responses to Public Safety Realignment. In July 2012 he was appointed Interim Chief Probation
Officer, ultimately leaving that post a year later to work for the county in which he resides.
Yarber holds certifications in leadership and facilitation and has a bachelor’s degree in
Psychology from the University of California, Davis. He can be reached at
