Adult Services

Supervised Adult Crews

In the early 1980's, the Probation Camp worked directly with the County Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator's Office to reduce dependence on the jail by creating an alternative work program, the Supervised Adult Crew (SAC). The program consists of adult offenders who are assigned to work crews and transported to work sites throughout Sonoma and neighboring counties where they complete meaningful work projects that enhance parks and the community. Seventy-five percent of the program is funded by the government agencies who contract for specific projects and services. The remaining cost is paid by the County. The SAC program is a cost-effective program in that it provides a valuable and effective jail alternative based on a restorative justice model where offenders give back to the community. The program provides approximately $725,000.00 annually in jail bed savings. In addition, by utilizing the SAC crews, the County saves up to $400,000 annually on projects that would otherwise be completed by private contracts.

Potential crew members are referred to Probation Jail Alternatives for screening and assignment to one of the current crews. The offenders are allowed to participate in the program rather than occupy a jail bed and they are allowed to live at home and maintain employment while completing their assigned obligation to the Court. In addition, crews comprised of low-risk inmates from the North County Detention Facility also participate in this cooperative program with the Sheriff's Office. While assigned to a crew, all offenders are supervised by a trained Probation Officer.

Supervised Adult Crew projects include landscaping, major maintenance, and construction for governmental agencies on contractual agreements. In 1999, the program received the California State Association of Counties "Challenge Award" for the innovations and effectiveness of this program.