Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a member of the conference committee charged with forging a compromise on probation reform, released the following statement today after the House and Senate adopted the conference committee’s recommendations:
“This bill contains timely and meaningful reforms that will have the effect of responding to the very concerning allegations about the probation system that have been raised in the Ware report and elsewhere, and also responds to the pressing need to better manage court resources based on the recent pronouncement of the courts’ dire fiscal condition. I am particularly pleased with the reforms that are being implemented to ensure the integrity of the probation department’s hiring and promotion process, as well as the creation of a new civilian administrator to help the courts manage their resources more effectively. Although we’ve taken important and necessary steps today, significant challenges still lie ahead.”
