By MATTHEW MUSOLINO
Department of Probation Commissioner Sharun Goodwin reported increases in juvenile rearrests during the Committee of Criminal Justice NYC Council hearing. The commissioner also detailed organizational strategies, staffing issues, and cuts to rehab programs.
The Committee Report indicated that juvenile rearrests increased by 50%. “That’s very concerning,” Council Member Frank Morano said, “not just because it means young people are getting into more trouble, but because every additional crime potentially means another innocent New Yorker has been victimized.”
Staffing issues are among the main causes for this increase, officials said.
As of March of 2026, there were a reported 255 job vacancies, including 210 probation officers. Goodwin described how probation officer salaries are less than that of other law enforcement agencies. Starting salaries were set at $61,386 with a potential top pay with ten years of service of $81,000 compared to the NYPD pay scale topping out at $109,352 base entry level after five years.
The commissioner addressed the shortage by reinstating officer trainee positions that allow college graduates to work as a full time probation officer without casework. The probation training academy has been condensed from 5.1 months to 3.5 months. This decrease in training is still aligned with the New York State training mandates and regulatory requirements.
The Department of Probation has conducted two academies in 2026, graduating 57 officers. Another 50 candidates are expected to graduate in December.
City Council member Lincoln Restler brought up that there were over $5 million in cuts to evidence-based programs during the Adams administration. Programs such as: the Impact program, Next Steps, Advocate intervention mentor program, Intensive community monitor program have all stopped being used by the Department of Probation. The programs kept at-risk, court-involved, or high-risk probation youth out of juvenile detention and residential facilities. They were cut due to its lack of long term success. Restler questioned what the department would do to supplement these programs.
The committee was vague in its solutions to these issues but looked out for the interests of the individual. “We’re looking at a plethora of different programs to get back to probation,” Goodwin said. “The clients have an opportunity to work at their own pace.”
The commissioner described mental health, behavioral health, housing, and employment as main components for the well-being of the citizen on probation.
The department is working with CUNY’s Institute for State and Local Governance to develop a framework for evaluating community-based programs and measuring outcomes.The NeOn model, which is a network of community organizations, government agencies, local businesses, and community residents focused on connecting probation clients who live in the target neighborhood to opportunities, resources and services. NeON has successfully brought over $30 million in funding to support mentoring, arts programs, literacy assistance, civic engagement, and educational advocacy. “NeOn is one of those resources that we heavily rely on,” Robert Eusebio, first Deputy Commissioner, said.
Although progress has been made to increase staffing and restore community based programs, the Department of Probation acknowledged that its organizational strategy is a work in progress.