Local 685 Executive Board to Meet with Senator Bob Archuleta; Members Encouraged to Review SB 1157

The Local 685 Executive Board will soon meet with California State Senator Bob Archuleta, author of Senate Bill 1157, to discuss issues affecting probation professionals and the future of juvenile rehabilitation in California.

As part of those discussions, Local 685 encourages members to review SB 1157 and provide feedback, concerns, and recommendations based on their firsthand experience working with youth and young adults. Your input will help ensure that Local 685 brings the practical experience and professional judgment of frontline probation officers into the legislative process. As always, the strongest voice for probation is the voice of those who do the work. Click here to read the bill.

SB 1157 addresses the process by which youth committed to Secure Youth Treatment Facilities (SYTFs) may be transferred to less restrictive programs. Under current law, a court may order the transfer of a youth from an SYTF to programs such as camps, ranches, halfway houses, or community-based residential and nonresidential programs when the court determines that the youth has made substantial progress toward the goals outlined in their rehabilitation plan. Existing law also requires the court to consider recommendations from the probation department when evaluating those placement changes.

Under SB 1157, the Judicial Council would be required, by July 1, 2028, to develop guidelines to assist courts in determining whether a particular less restrictive program is appropriate for a youth. The guidelines would direct courts to consider a variety of factors, including the type of training received by program staff.

Because probation professionals are responsible for supervising youth, implementing rehabilitation plans, and ensuring public safety, Local 685 believes it is important that the voices of frontline employees be part of the conversation. Members have unique knowledge and experience regarding what works, what challenges exist, and what factors should be considered when determining whether a less restrictive placement is appropriate.

The upcoming meeting with Senator Archuleta provides an opportunity to bring those perspectives directly to the Legislature. Local 685 is committed to ensuring that policies affecting probation are informed by the expertise and experience of the professionals who perform this work every day.