Marin County
Probation Department
Adult Services Division

Teresa Torrence-Tillman, Director

Investigations

The Probation Department is mandated to conduct investigations and prepare written reports for the Superior Court on cases in which a defendant has been convicted of any felony or certain misdemeanor offenses. These reports include information on the offense for which the defendant was convicted, a social study and recommendations for sentencing.

Proposition 36

The Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act, also known as Proposition 36, was passed in 2000. This vote permanently changed state law to allow persons convicted of certain crimes the opportunity to receive substance abuse treatment instead of incarceration. The Probation Department provides monitoring and supervision of defendants participating in Proposition 36, providing progress reports to the Court and referrals for treatment to defendants.

Adult Drug Court

The Probation Department provides staffing to Marin County's Adult Drug Court. The Adult Drug Court is a collaborative effort between the Probation Department, Health and Human Services, the Superior Court, the District Attorney and the Public Defender that provides intensive supervision and treatment services to defendants whose criminality is directly related to their substance abuse.

For more information on these programs, please contact Joanne Buckwalter at jbuckwalter@marincounty.org.

Intensive Supervision

Probationers who have been determined to be at high risk for re-offense may be placed in the Intensive Services Unit (ISU). ISU staff provides intensive supervision to their cases, by working closely with both law enforcement and treatment providers, and seeing their probationers frequently both in the office and in the community.

Coordination of Probation Enforcement (COPE)

The main focus of the Unit is to monitor high risk narcotic violators who have been placed on probation rather than serving time in custody. The goal of the COPE. unit is to ensure that those individuals who have been granted the privilege of probation are leading law abiding lives.

Family Violence Court

The Marin County Family Violence Court program is a court-ordered program for individuals convicted of a qualifying family violence offense. The Family Violence Court seeks to compel defendants' compliance with their criminal sentences and improve the conduct of families that desire to stay together by supporting that outcome with court-monitored structure and program assistance for all members of the family.

Community Service Work

This program allows offenders to provide useful work to non-profit community agencies as a means of making amends for their offenses, or as an alternative to paying fines or fees ordered by the Court.

A list of non-profit agencies may be found on the forms page.

For more information on these programs, please contact Matt Perry at mperry@marincounty.org.

Supervision

Probationers who have been determined to be at medium risk for re-offense are served by the officers in the Supervision Unit. Supervision staff work in association with treatment providers, mental health, law enforcement, social services, and related agencies to intervene, guide, influence, and bring accountability to the conduct of probationers in our community. Officers meet regularly with probationers both in the office and the field to keep informed about their progress and intervene with strategies designed to manage risk factors and provide probationers the tools and social services required to improve their conduct and condition.

For more information on these programs, please contact Alisha Krupinsky at akrupinsky@marincounty.org.

Adult Offender Work Program (AOWP)

The Adult Offender Work program includes screening and placement of clients in community services in lieu of incarceration in the Marin County Jail. Probation staff supervise and monitor these placements and provide periodic reports to the Courts. Click on the link above to access application information as well as frequently asked questions (FAQ).

Own Recognizance Program

The Probation Department conducts investigations of defendants who have been incarcerated in County Jail for consideration of release on their own recognizance. These reports are submitted to Superior Court Judges, who determine if a defendant can be released or must pay bail.

Supervised Treatment After Release (STAR)

Marin's Support and Treatment After Release (STAR) program is a full service partnership providing culturally competent intensive, integrated services to 50 mentally ill offenders. Operating in conjunction with the recently implemented Mental Health Court, the STAR Court is a multidisciplinary, multi-agency team that provides comprehensive assessment, individualized client-centered service planning and linkages to services. Probation staff provide progress reports to the Mental Health Court and assist in the coordination of services to clients in the program.

Supervision Of Low-Risk Offenders (SOLO) Program

Many probationers make such significant progress on closely supervised probation that they now present a very low risk to the community regarding future offenses. Others enter the probation systems as very low risk individuals.

Probationers who represent a low risk for re-offense, and a low risk to public safety, are managed on this program, which involves a minimal face to face supervision. The participants report their progress through a telephone tracking system, and, while probation staff is available for referrals, monitoring, and communications with the court, the participants are expected — for the most part — to complete their court conditions independently,

Diversion

Diversion provides first time offenders the opportunity to avoid a criminal conviction on their record, as long as they comply with completion of appropriate treatment programs and payment of any ordered fines and fees.

For more information on these programs, please contact Cynthia Fix at cfix@marincounty.org.

County Parole

County Parole is a program of intensive supervision and treatment for clients in lieu of incarceration in jail. The Marin County Parole Board is the authorizing body that allows carefully screened inmates to be released from being incarcerated in the Marin County Jail and allowed to remain in the community. The program includes intensive supervision and treatment by Probation staff, commitment to residential treatment facilities for some inmates, and electronic monitoring and tracking. Additionally, the Probation Department has a contract with Bay Area Community Resources, a non-profit program, to provide assessment and treatment to selected clients placed on County Parole.

Restitution

The Probation Department maintains a specialized caseload for defendants obligated to pay large amounts of restitution.

AB109

Assembly Bill 109 is a major corrections reform legislation that “realigns” responsibility for offenders who have historically been supervised by State of California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to county probation departments. The Marin County Probation Department manages this significant task through intensive community-based supervision of offenders released from prison, in conjunction with local treatment and service providers.

For more information on these programs, please contact Isreal Jones at ijones@marincounty.org.