Pictured, from left to right, are ISP Officer Kori Hickman, Deputy Director Jaime Lutson, Chief Probation Officer Tracie Sellars, and ISP Officer Amanda Beiler. Photo courtesy Tracie Sellars, Chief Probation Officer, Clermont County Municipal Court, Adult Probation Department.
The Clermont County Municipal Court Adult Probation Department received notification that it was selected as the recipient of the 2022 Clifford Skeen Award. The State of Ohio presents the prestigious Skeen Award annually to community corrections programs that utilize evidence-based practices in community corrections to positively impact clients and the communities they serve.
Administrative Judge Jason Nagel and Chief Probation Officer Tracie Sellars will accept the award at the annual Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections Conference in Columbus, Ohio on October 13, 2022. The award recognizes the department for operating an outstanding non-residential intensive supervision community corrections program in the State of Ohio. The nomination highlighted the department’s integrity, research based program design, ability to adapt to performance based standards, and the positive contributions it provides to the criminal justice system and the local community.
The Municipal Court Probation Department has worked diligently to raise the standards for community control supervision. Along with a commitment to evidence based practices, the staff is highly invested in training and incorporating new behavior modification elements into efforts to rehabilitate offenders. Their efforts have resulted in the enhancement of services, which has served to provide long-term protection to the public by targeting a multitude of risk factors and invoking meaningful behavioral change in offenders.
The Municipal Court Judges frequently rely upon Intensive Supervision Probation to help manage the jail population, while maintaining public safety. The judges commonly combine this high level of supervision with orders that offenders spend time in the Community Alternative Sentencing Center (CASC), which is the only treatment facility of its kind in Ohio.
Judge Kramig, speaking on behalf of himself and Judges Nagel and Bechmann said, “We are proud of the Probation Department for earning the Skeen award. It is confirmation of what we already knew, the officers in the department exercise diligence and professionalism daily to help keep Clermont County a safe place to work and raise a family.”