The Impact of Staff Shortages on Community Corrections Agencies

Ms. Crowding has over 33 years of experience working with specialized populations in the
community corrections and human services fields. She retired in December of 2020 after 20 years of merited service as a peace officer at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Ms. Crowding spent much of her career in the Division of Adult Parole Operations where she started as a Parole Agent and ended as the Assistant Deputy Director in 2018, when she was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom as the Deputy Director of the Office of Internal Affairs and the Office of Civil Rights.

Ms. Crowding received several awards throughout her career including Parole Agent of the Year in 2004, Distinguished Service Medal in 2019, and Executive of the Year in 2020, and was instrumental in the partnership with CDCR, the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, and the Capitol Collaborative on Race & Equity (CCORE). Ms. Crowding holds a master’s degree in Human Services from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. She has been a Master Trainer for the state of California and the Global Forensic Institute, an Academy Instructor, and has presented at numerous conferences throughout the United States and Canada. Ms. Crowding continues to consult and teach for law enforcement agencies across the country, specifically related to equity, principled policing, and LGBTQI+ allyship, and she loves volunteering for CCORE.

Sarah serves as the Chief Probation Officer for the Coconino County Adult Probation Department. Since 1999, Sarah has held a variety of positions in the criminal justice system in Arizona to include Adult Parole Officer, Adult Probation Officer and Program Specialist with the Arizona Supreme Court. Sarah is currently serving as the Western Regional Rep for NAPE and she has held numerous positions within APPA throughout her career. Sarah has been involved with policy development, training, and implementation of evidence-based practices in Coconino County and throughout Arizona probation, which has resulted in reduced incarceration and safer communities. Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in Education with an Emphasis in Counseling and Human Relations from Northern Arizona University.

Joe Winkler is the Assistant Secretary of Community Corrections at the Florida Department of Corrections. Mr. Winkler started with the department in 2001 as a probation officer. He has held every certified position within Community Corrections before being appointment to the Assistant Secretary position. As the Assistant Secretary, Mr. Winkler enforces the community corrections mission by making every reasonable effort to ensure that all offenders placed on community supervision receive the appropriate level of supervision and services needed in order to protect the public and increase the offender’s chance of succeeding while on supervision. Mr. Winkler is responsible for the statewide oversight of approximately 3,000 staff, operations in over 140 State Probation Offices, supervision of approximately 150,000 offenders and a $215 million budget.

He serves on the Board of Directors with the Florida Association of Community Corrections and is the Florida Commissioner of Interstate Compact.

Experienced in the area of design and implementation of problem-solving court programs, Trina Willis is an accomplished, innovative, and passionate professional with more than 29 years of experience in community corrections. Trina is currently the Assistant Director for the largest CSCD in Texas where she oversees staff of 600 employees and is responsible for the supervision of 40,000 offenders. Ms. Willis' professional service has established her as a voice for a smarter approach to community corrections. Trina’s innovative perspective has informed the development of several problem-solving courts in the state of Texas, including the DIVERT Program. Similarly, Trina collaborated with other stake holders to establish the Dallas 4-C Reentry Court, which was the first re-entry court program in Texas. Both programs have been instrumental in reducing recidivism for a high-risk population. Trina is a graduate of Grambling State University with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. She has mentored younger professionals and uses her dynamic leadership to support implementation of evidence-based community corrections programs around the state of Texas. Additionally, Trina regularly presents at state and national conferences. She is a member of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, Texas Association of Specialty Courts and a number of other professional associations.

Charles Robinson is the Deputy Chief of the Probation & Pretrial Services Office of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. Over the course of more than 20 years, he has worked in both county and federal probation, including supervising a caseload of community supervision clients, training officers and developing systems to support successful implementation of risk instruments, and serving as a chief probation officer. Charles has co-authored several widely used client and officer training programs for community and custodial correctional settings. Among these programs are Decision Points, an open-group cognitive-behavioral program that teaches clients to observe and interrupt thinking that leads to trouble; and Effective Practices in Correctional Settings (EPICS) II, a training program for criminal justice professionals based on behavioral change strategies found to be effective with criminal justice clients. He has extensive experience as a consultant training agency leaders and staff in juvenile and adult correctional settings. He has helped leaders and agencies in the U.S. and other countries better align their community supervision systems with practices proven to exert a positive effect on clients and their communities. Charles has also co-authored several articles that contribute to the research literature supporting effective practices in community supervision.

Carmen Z. Gomez, PhD is a Criminal Justice and Judicial professional and DEIA advocate with over 26 years of experience. She currently serves as a Regional Supervisor for the Massachusetts Probation Service. She holds a PhD in Philosophy with a concentration in Law, Policy, and Society, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice, and master’s level certificates in Mediation and Hostage Negotiation, Domestic Violence, CJ Management, and Behavioral Analysis. She has served as an adjunct professor at several colleges and universities, and as a consultant to local, state, and federal entities providing expertise in the areas of sex crimes, and serial killings.
She serves as an APPA Leadership Institute Coordinator. She also serves in the Board of Directors of the National Association of Probation Executive, Enroot, Cambridge Community Services, and the Governor’s Criminal Record Review Board. She is a current member of the American Probation and Parole Association and the Co-Founder and Member of the Foundation for Non-Violent Action.
She organized the Massachusetts Trial Court’s first annual Women’s History Month Celebration in 2021 and has worked with an impressive committee of women to plan subsequent celebrations. A continuation of her dedication to advancing women’s rights and securing recognition for their contributions.
She is the recipient of the 2020 Amplify Latinx Latina Leader for the category of Government, and Public Policy, 2019 Martin Luther King Spirit Award, 2018 Mutual of America Community Partnership – Rosie’s Place, 2017 Mutual of America – United States Mint Liberty Coin, 2017 Excellence Award Massachusetts Trial Court, 2017 Women of Distinction, 2015 One of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in Massachusetts, 2012 Excellence Award Massachusetts Trial Court, and Distinguished Alumna in Liberal Arts, Humanity, and Education.
She has devoted most of her life to public service, civil rights, wellness, leadership, and community engagement. She is committed to creating and supporting systems that embrace diversity, equality, inclusion, accessibility, and a fair and just legal system.

Jennifer Fish is the Human Resources Director for the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County, responsible for the overall management of human resources, payroll and court training functions provided to approximately 3,000 employees, including the oversight of the Branch’s HR team of 37 staff. Over the course of her 20+ years of human resources experience, all in the public sector, she has handled various HR functions including staffing & recruiting, payroll, compensation & classification, and employee relations.

Mrs. Fish holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix.