Chair asks about organizational changes since January 2026; Goodwin details staffing, caseloads, and data
Brooks-Powers asks what organizational changes DOP has implemented since January 2026 and what remains in development. Goodwin cites staffing and recruitment, risk-based caseload reassignment, rebuilt stakeholder relationships, NEON stakeholder groups, DOP Anchors data work, and evidence-based practices.
So regarding department leadership and organizational strategy, what organizational changes have been implemented since January 2026 and which remain in development?
First is staffing and recruitment.
We have really focused more on getting the agency staffed up with probation officers, and by adding the probation officer training title
back to probation, we were able to really work with the different universities and their graduates to get them on board at probation.
We also looked at, reassessed all our cases, and
establish them in terms of their risk levels.
So now probation officers can focus on the lows, mediums, and highs, and it's not a mixed bag of cases.
They also, it gives us an opportunity to lower the caseloads for the cases that require it, which is the highs and the mediums.
We also went out and started rebuilding our relationships with our stakeholders.
I've met with the judges.
I've met with the borough presidents, judges, borough presidents, staff, clients.
We've been out there doing the work, and I'm proud of that.
We also reestablished our NEON stakeholders group, which now brings the community back into our NEONs, back into probation, and start informing the work that we do around NEON in terms of NEON sports, NEON arts, NEON Inspired.
We've been working real hard in that area.
And one of the things that probation put together is our
Department of Probation Anchors, which is our data and technology, using information and technology to improve decision-making and identifying needs and opportunities and make our work more effective.
We look at strengthening client and community engagement, strengthening the relationships with the clients, families, and communities, including the strategic use of credible messengers and continued
evolution of the NEONs as community assets.
We are focusing on staff.
And team development and retention, investing in our people through strong relationships, professional development, support, accountability, and opportunities for growth.
And also, of course, number one, evidence-based and evidence-informed best practices, using research and evidence to guide what we do while continuously evaluating, learning, and adapting when the evidence is still developing.