SFAPD Racial Equity Action Plan

Prioritizing Racial Equity

The San Francisco Adult Probation Department (SFAPD) is committed to recognizing, addressing, and eradicating all forms of racism and discrimination. Leadership and staff are committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive organization that strives to increase awareness of our interconnectedness to bridge ourselves together and end the disparities and injustices impacting our community, clients and workforce.

Some efforts underway in SF to address racial and ethnic disparities and achieve racial equity:

• Acknowledgement of Racial & Ethic Disparities in the System
  • Racial and ethnic disparities exist in the criminal justice system at the national, state, and local level. The department is committed to the continued advancement of policy change that promotes fairness and justice in community supervision.​​​​​

• Acknowledgement of Concerns Surrounding the Use of Risk and Needs Assessment (RNA) Tools
  • The use of these tools continues as a topic of discussion across the county. Supporters say the tools are better than judgements alone. Critics raise questions about whether the tools may be biased. The department shares these and other concerns and is engaged in the process to select tools to better serve the needs of clients, the department, and the Court.

• Acknowledgement of the Burden of Criminal Justice Fines and Fees on Vulnerable Populations and People of Color
  • Criminal justice fines and fees place a heavy burden on people with low incomes and people of color. In July 2018, SFAPD became the first probation department in the state to eliminate community supervision fees.

• Shared Responsibility

• Racial Equity Action Plan 
  • Phase I of SFAPD’s plan lays the foundation for some of our racial equity work, focusing on internal programs and policies. Click here for our Year 1 Progress report. Phase II of the plan will focus on external equity indicators and support for historically marginalized communities.