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QUESTION

How does the New York City Department of Probation gather feedback from young people ?

1:07:33

·

4 min

The New York City Department of Probation uses surveys to gather feedback from young people and is introducing a new technology platform called Mobile DOP to enhance communication and program effectiveness.

  • Feedback is collected through surveys designed for both young people and adults, aiming to tailor programs more effectively.
  • The Department is developing Mobile DOP, a technology platform to facilitate communication with participants, remind them of important dates, and conduct surveys.
  • This initiative seeks to reduce recidivism by ensuring programs are responsive to participants’ needs and interests.
  • The effort extends to engaging with young people not just under probation but also those living in communities and stakeholders.
  • Accurate data on the number of surveys completed and detailed feedback insights are still being gathered.
Althea Stevens
1:07:33
How are you getting young people's input and feedback on the program that you're providing?
1:07:38
Because I know you were very excited about the virtual program.
1:07:40
But How we know kids are gonna like it.
Juanita Holmes
1:07:42
Because that's what we do.
1:07:44
We get surveys.
1:07:45
Right.
1:07:46
And we So
Althea Stevens
1:07:46
you have surveys
Juanita Holmes
1:07:47
that we created.
1:07:48
And we've had these conversations even for adults, not just young people.
1:07:52
It's their decision.
1:07:53
Like, we we we do good at saying, even when I looked at the programs we had in place, who made the decision to have these programs in place.
1:08:00
Some of those programs were not offsetting recidivism.
1:08:03
No.
1:08:03
So you are absolutely right.
1:08:05
So that's what we do.
1:08:06
Not just with the young, but even adults.
1:08:08
What type of employment are you interested in?
1:08:10
What do you think would help you?
1:08:12
So, yes, so
Althea Stevens
1:08:13
that's and I hear you.
1:08:15
We're on the same page.
1:08:16
I'm a program person, and, honestly, I'm only asking about young people.
1:08:19
I'm the chef.
Sandy Nurse
1:08:19
Oh, okay.
1:08:20
You're okay.
1:08:20
Yes.
Althea Stevens
1:08:21
Okay.
1:08:21
So that's where I'm gonna stay.
Juanita Holmes
1:08:22
I'm staying
Althea Stevens
1:08:22
in my pocket.
Juanita Holmes
1:08:23
Okay.
Althea Stevens
1:08:23
So other than the survey, what does that look like?
1:08:26
Because what what young people are filling out these surveys, how does it look and how they're being implemented, where you get a niche young people from, I would love to hear what that looks like.
Juanita Holmes
1:08:34
So they're part of the juveniles that we have.
1:08:37
Right?
1:08:38
And then we also have young people that are stakeholders and now Neons that just live in a community.
1:08:44
Mhmm.
1:08:44
So even for them.
Althea Stevens
1:08:46
How many surveys did you get filled out?
Juanita Holmes
1:08:48
I don't know how many service she has.
1:08:51
We'll get I'll get the numbers.
Althea Stevens
1:08:52
Yes.
1:08:53
Please let me
Sandy Nurse
1:08:53
add a moment to
Juanita Holmes
1:08:54
get it.
1:08:54
Because but also what we're doing now is we have what's being built out.
1:08:58
That's why I have a new chief information officer.
1:09:01
Right?
1:09:01
We know technology is the way to communicate with people.
1:09:04
So he's building out something called mobile DOP.
1:09:07
Where not only just where they can conduct surveys, like, how are we doing?
1:09:12
I want something to say, how are we doing?
1:09:15
Because you're absolutely right.
1:09:16
We think we're doing the right thing for them.
1:09:18
So for adults and for children.
1:09:20
But in addition to that, reminding them, this is your court date.
1:09:24
Reminding them you're, you know, you're due to come in and see, you know, your your counselor, you know, your probation officer, or either we're coming to conduct a home visit today.
1:09:35
Don't forget, curfew is this time.
1:09:37
We're trying to offset a lot of these nonsense violations, but more so, arrest.
1:09:44
Right?
1:09:45
Because we're seeing the recidivism and it's it's I'm not gonna say it's an increase.
1:09:48
It's just always been here.
1:09:50
It's just been not really looked at.
1:09:53
Through that particular lens and you wanna reduce recidivism, you want them to have a productive life.
1:09:58
So how do we keep them occupied.
1:10:02
Right?
1:10:02
But we also need their buy in as to what they particularly like.
1:10:06
They're you know, they're No.
Althea Stevens
1:10:08
I agree.
1:10:08
I like I said, I been in program.
1:10:09
I've been in program for 12 years, and I often coming in this role, there's always a room full of adults making decisions.
1:10:15
And I'm just I am the person who's always like, well, we're the young people.
Juanita Holmes
1:10:19
That's right.
Althea Stevens
1:10:19
And so I would love to get the information on, like, who surveyed?
1:10:22
What that data looks like?
1:10:23
Because I think those things are important.
1:10:24
And making sure that that is happening not just here, but across the board.
1:10:28
I'm always asking these questions.
Melissa Cintrón Hernández
1:10:29
Yeah.
Althea Stevens
1:10:29
So I'm very
Juanita Holmes
1:10:30
And and we also you know, like I said, we partnered with NYPD 2 ship programs that I treated from way back when and girl talk, and we just had a big event at police headquarters with young ladies from all over.
1:10:43
DOPE was, you know, Department of Education was a part of it.
1:10:46
Probations was a part of it.
1:10:48
But what I like about that is that They say kids don't like law enforcement.
1:10:54
That program there, they feel so empowered just being in the room.
1:10:59
They've gotten awards.
Althea Stevens
1:11:01
I wanna say that.
1:11:02
Yeah.
Daniele Gerard
1:11:02
Because I
Althea Stevens
1:11:02
think you're saying you said that kids don't include law enforcement, and I think that's a misconception because it's not that they don't like them.
1:11:07
It's often that they have been terrorized up, and we have not done the work to improve those relationships in those communities.
1:11:13
And so I think, you know, we shouldn't say that they don't like them.
1:11:16
If I've only seen abuse in my communities, and I have not seen you come in and actually try to help me, then I'm going to have oh, I'm going to be standoffish about it.
1:11:25
And so I do think that we need to fix to work, and often we're not doing that.
1:11:28
We rather play basketball and take pictures and
Alex Stein
1:11:30
it
Althea Stevens
1:11:30
looks nice.
1:11:31
But that's but that's, you know, that's the whole another thing.
1:11:33
And I had another question.
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