S.J. probation department receives grant for felony DUI offenders

The San Joaquin County Probation Department on Friday announced that it received at $140,206 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to monitor people on probation who were convicted of felony driving under the influence charges.

“We’ve had this grant since 2006,” Chief Probation Officer Stephanie James said. “We’ve had such success that they’ve continued to fund us.”

In 2009, San Joaquin County had 542 DUI collisions in which victims were killed or injured, James wrote in an email, and by 2015 that number was reduced to 523.

“While this may not seem significant, it is important to note that the county’s population had grown by almost 45,000 people during that same time period,” James said.

According to a Friday press release, the grant will be used to fund supervision methods such as unannounced home searches, random alcohol and drug testing and special monitoring to ensure compliance with court-ordered DUI education and treatment programs.

“Intensive supervision of DUI offenders helps ensure that these offenders are not a risk to themselves or others,” OTS Director Rhonda Craft said in the press release. “Our coordinated effort with the San Joaquin County Probation Department to keep a close eye on DUI offenders reduces their chance of re-offending, making roadways safer for everyone.”