Leadership Corner

Chief Marlon Washington, Probation

Leadership Corner: Chief Marlon Washington

When I joined the Probation Department a year ago, I learned of the Marin 9 to 25 project almost immediately. Marin 9 to 25 was still the passion project of the planning committee at the time, but I knew it was imperative that I provide my full support to the initiative. Marin 9 to 25 recognizes that if it takes a community/village to raise a child, then someone needs to nurture and develop that community/village.

The Marin 9 to 25 Coalition seeks to create that nurturing environment for the Marin Community. The strength of Marin 9 to 25 will be in its ability to provide increased transparency and communication on important countywide issues.  Through quarterly meetings and workgroups, Marin 9 to 25 will provide a space for input, collaboration, and shared learning to help bolster the connections within our community. I want to thank everyone participated in our inaugural meeting, and encourage you to bring your partners, stakeholders and most importantly the youth you serve to the table for Marin 9 to 25 and be an active participant in seeing it realize its potential.

I am aware that there is some concern about the strong presence of Probation and Law Enforcement in the Marin 9 to 25 Coalition. I understand the feelings that individuals have with law enforcement which could subsequently stifle conversations and create dissonance.  However, I strongly believe that as members of the community Law Enforcement must be an included voice in these discussions.  Law enforcement and the justice system are often viewed as part of the problem and we/they must be an integral part of the solution. 

I hope that through Marin 9 to 25 events we can increase the discussion around local programs and partnerships and that a new view of local law enforcement can be reached.  While we hear loudly about the worst of law enforcement from across the nation, we don’t hear enough about our local progress in changing systemic issues in the system. I have been pleased by the collegiality and openness of the local criminal justice stakeholders. Change is incremental and never enough, but it is happening.  Please bring your voices to the table to guide the next waves of evolution. It starts with us!