BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — While graduation season is coming to a close, the Kern County Probation Department is celebrating a different kind of milestone: honoring participants who have completed a program designed to help them stay accountable and build a more stable future.
For many graduates, the day represented much more than receiving a certificate. It was the culmination of months of hard work, personal growth, and a commitment to changing the course of their lives.
Jose Gomez Jr., a graduate of the Adult Program Center, says, “I made several bad choices growing up that eventually led to me going to prison, and I went to prison at an older age. Just knowing that I have grandkids, and I don't want my grandkids knowing the father I was, I had to get out of my comfort zone and do something different, and that's what this program has done.”
On Wednesday, the Kern County Probation Department celebrated 24 participants who completed its Adult Program Center, or APC.
Officials say the program helps people on probation build stable futures by connecting them with services, resources, and support while holding them accountable throughout the process. “Change is never easy, but if you have the right mindset, you have the internal motivation, and you are resilient and ask for help, people here in the Kern County Probation Department will help you and show you what success will look like,” said Michael Ortiz, a probation supervisor.
Participants work through individualized plans that can include treatment programs, education, counseling, employment support and regular check-ins.
Officials say the goal is to address the root causes of criminal behavior and help participants break cycles that may have led them into the justice system. “We basically are working with them to find their triggers, to find those risky thoughts and behaviors that have usually led them through a cycle of consistent trouble with the law, going in and out of prison. We're hoping that if we can address those triggers and those thoughts and behaviors, we can help them break those cycles,” said Stephanie Jett, an Adult Program Specialist with APC.
For graduates, the ceremony was also a chance to reflect on how far they've come and the future they're working toward. Many say the program gave them the tools and support needed to move forward with confidence.
“This program, day in and day out, has been out of my comfort zone, but it has helped me to be accountable for myself and my actions. I'm no longer blaming everyone else for my failures or shortcomings. I was to blame because I chose to go down the path I went down. So now I can say I messed my life up, and now it's my responsibility to correct my wrongs and show everyone I'm not what I was,” Gomez said.
Both staff and graduates say the program gave participants the tools, support, and accountability they needed to succeed beyond probation.
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