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Riverside County Probation Department

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Definitions

Diversity

Physical, social, and psychological differences between people and groups, including things such as race, ethnicity, gender, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, tribe, socio-economic status, thinking, and communication styles.

Equity

The policy or practice of accounting for the differences in each individual's starting point when pursuing a goal or achievement, and working to remove barriers to equal opportunity, as by providing support based on the unique needs of individuals.

Inclusion

The practice or policy of including and intregrating all people and groups in activities, organizations, and processes; inclusion puts diversity into meaningful action and builds a culture of belonging, respect, and connection by actively inviting the contribution and participation of all people.

Training

The DEI project has placed significant emphasis on training programs aimed at raising awareness, fostering a fundamental understanding, enhancing cultural competence, providing equitable services, and cultivating an inclusive workplace culture. As of FY 22-23, all sworn staff are required to complete a minimum of four (4) hours of DEI training annually. This requirement prompted the development of a 5-year training plan by RCP, covering 3-phases of Awareness, Practice, and Sustainability. The goal is to equip staff with the necessary tools to apply these principles not only in their professional roles but also in their everyday lives.

The first purpose of this course will be to help probation staff, supervisors
and management to become aware of their own unconscious and implicit biases
and how these biases impact the way they interact with each other as well as
with probation clients (and their family) and the wider community
(including interfacing with other agencies).


The second purpose will be to create strategies and practices within
the departmental daily culture that will reduce opportunity for ongoing
unconscious and implicit biases.

The third purpose of this course will be to actively eliminate workplace
biases and officer to offender biases. The instructor will facilitate
targeted interventions and exercises aimed at altering perception,
attitudes and actions of participants. The content of the course will be
designed to transfer back to the workplace through concrete instructions
of actions to take for each situation.
.

Given our current social, political environment, cultural competence is critical
to achieving success in the law enforcement setting. Cultural Competence is
defined as a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together
as a system, agency or among professionals and enable that system, agency or
those professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations.
The unobservable psychological impact of implicit/explicit bias on coworkers,
the public, defendants, community-based organizations, subordinates, inmates,
etc. can go largely unnoticed until the threat of a class action suit or a case
of excessive use of force brings them to light.


Interpersonal competence in cross-cultural situations is the key to creating
environments that are safe so that law enforcement can fulfill our mission of
protection and service. Understanding the components of cultural competence
leads to improved decisions/behaviors while working with probationers;
children and adults.

The course chosen for Year 2, titled 'Cultural Competence: Creating Respectful Cross-Cultural Environments,' has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participating staff members, reflecting promising mid-year results. Explore the comments and experiences shared by them below.

"I learned there are different factors to consider in understanding one's explicit and implicit biases. It may not be as simple as identifying one thing such as race, as discrimination can overlap and be compounded with other factors such as gender, sexuality, etc."

"During today's training, I learned the importance of recognizing that not everyone has the experiences that we do, and we need to be mindful of that during our interactions."

"I learned about Land Acknowledgment and while many of us are aware to some extent of the history of various regions, I was not aware of the terminology. Thank you for that."

"I learned about measuring humanity in each individual's uniqueness and not by their race, color, sex, etc."

"I learned that Kujichagulia means self-determination, to define ourselves, name ourselves, create ourselves, and speak for ourselves."

"I learned many new terms and refreshed [my knowledge of] evolving ones. I really enjoyed focusing on Emotional Intelligence and how self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation [are] all within, vs. empathy and social skills that are seen through others."

"During today's training, I learned that I still need to work on being open-minded and compassionate. I have more room for improvement."

"I really enjoyed this class ... besides being a woman of faith and having a belief in God ... and [trying to be] more understanding and less judgmental, this class confirms that everyone is broken and/or has trauma in one way or another; and we all need to have empathy, understanding, and respect towards each other."

"During today's training, I learned what SOGIE stands for and that it is important in my role with engaging with other agencies, increasing my awareness. It is also important as I engage with our clients to ensure I am able to differentiate between sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression."

"During this class, I learned about the differences between PTSD and CPTSD which was very helpful in recognizing some of the symptoms and people I come into contact with. Also, it was very eye-opening to learn about Trauma-Informed Cultural Competency and realizing that generations down the line may also be deeply affected by traumatic events even if they did not live through them."

"I learned about Erasure and the importance of learning about and being aware of other peoples' history."

"During today's training, I learned that different forms of discrimination, when coupled together, can have a bigger impact than simply the sum of their parts, and being cognizant of that can help us assist those clients better and overcome barriers to success."

"I learned that in the big scheme of things, inclusivity serves as a benefit not only to the marginalized group to which it was intended but to the organization as a whole."

"I learned that everyone should not be treated the same but should be treated with dignity, respect, and based on their own needs."

"What has impacted me [the most during this training] was when you spoke of anxiety being a disability. I have never looked at it that way before."

"During today's training, I learned how to analyze my internal thoughts and ideas and to try to identify what events lead me to have a preconceived notion about a particular situation. Also, how to re-evaluate the situation and determine if my response is based upon reason or simply something I was taught without any basis."

"I learned that we still have a long way to go as a nation and as a population towards healing the wrongs done to marginalized communities, and it starts with acknowledging the things that happened, validating those community experiences, and making sure they do not happen again."

"With regard to intersectionality, I learned how America has treated Asians throughout history and has done a lot of harm to many ethnic groups. I also learned about the history of the camps after WWII of the Japanese citizens and how Filipinos were treated after the Watsonville Riots and how they were no longer considered US nationals as well as blaming Chinese people and the attacks on them during the height of COVID. America needs to do a better job at recognizing our faults and embracing everyone, not just those of European descent."

"My takeaway from this training is to remember that we are the change and have to stand up for individuals even when it's outside of our comfort zone."

"I learned that 2SLGTBQIA+ is an acronym for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and the plus reflects the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify."

"My takeaway from this training is how each person is coming to the table with a history that will impact our interaction in some shape or form. My role is to do my best to try to see things from their perspective, be patient and use emotional intelligence to identify my own triggers so as not to negatively impact the relationship and the greatest goal towards which we are working. It is also very important for me to remain vigilant in leading against any intolerance for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ people."

"This is the first training [I have attended] that this topic has been discussed ... the struggles we face as Asian Americans ... I feel seen ... Thank you!"

"I learned that words and actions matter, so it is important to be mindful of them at all times. I learned to take into consideration everyone's beliefs, backgrounds, and diversity ... to do the research before saying anything incorrectly to not offend others. Overall, being mindful of everyone's backgrounds."

"I learned a lot more about Indian schools and how far we have come as a society but also how much work we need to continue to do to instill change and do our part every single day to be better humans."

"The biggest takeaway for me in this training is that so many people lead with fear. Fear of the unknown and fear of learning more before making judgments. Fear can help encourage learning and growth, but if we sit and cast off anyone that is not the same before finding out more information, there will never be change."

"It was profound to learn about Generational Trauma .... the traumas experienced at the residential schools; the number of children who never went back to their families; Dr. Maya Angelou not crossing the train tracks. [It is important to] how understanding and learning history can affect the way we approach people in situations today and to show empathy even if we didn't experience the same history."

"I learned about metacognition and how that applies to thinking about thinking, planning, and learning. Also, reflecting on how the inappropriate actions/words of those in our profession can truly blemish all of us."

"I learned that erasure is a system designed to change history and not allow individuals the true representation of the past."

"I came to the U.S. when I was 13 years old. It was hard to integrate into a new culture ... especially when I started going to school ... other students would make racial comments that were hurtful. What I am learning today is that so many people, races, and cultures go through exactly the same rejection. We all have more in common than what we think."

"I learned that 90% of the railroad workers were Asian-American Pacific Islanders but were erased from the written and photographic history of the railroads."

"It was impactful to learn and see the photographs of the Indigenous children who were taken from their parents and how many lost their lives; and the pain the families had to go through not knowing what happened to their child or loved ones. Also, the children's trauma of not having their parents, not knowing their language, and being forced to break from their culture and beliefs."

"My big takeaway from this training was to realize that dehumanization is still occurring, and I thought it was not, but something from the past. This was a great eye-opening class, and you possess excellent instructor skills and kept the class interesting and engaged. Thank you!"

"I learned that it takes all of us to build a better, more inclusive tomorrow, and that dialogue is key, as well as having those tough discussions. In the end, the majority of people are good, and we can all agree that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness apply to all."

"I found it interesting how you illustrated the high suicide rate among the LGBTQ+ community. I don't work with the juvenile population, but sometimes, we assist, and I can easily be transferred one day ... this knowledge will [help] me to approach situations with more of an open mind."

"... I was shocked to read the Watsonville article ... I had no idea. Filipinos are part of the Asian community so I can only imagine the CPTSD they have gone through when they hear certain individuals calling COVID-19 the Chinese virus. I have to reconcile with myself every day not to dislike those types of people. I must remember that they are ignorant and it's not all people who think and feel that way."

"I learned that we have so much more to do and learn to make a bigger impact within ourselves, our agency, and life in general ... metacognition is really powerful."

"I learned that bias, both implicit and explicit, is still relevant today as much as we think they are not. We must all stand up against it. Diversity is a positive!"

"Thank you so much. This training was outstanding, and we need to do so much more to address cultural sensitivity. We must change the culture in our department, and this is a great start."

"My takeaway from this training is to treat everyone with respect regardless of their background and educate myself regarding various cultures so that I can understand their histories and how I can best assist them. I will continue to confront my explicit and implicit biases to ensure I am acting in accordance with the law, both on and off the job. Simply put, it's just the right thing to do as a fellow human."

"Learning about traumatic invalidation was the most impactful for me; and realizing how much it occurs and how easily it can be cured by being [more] empathetic rather than making excusable statements."

"I appreciate that this class is customized to our department and that you are addressing Policies and Procedures specific to us. I feel that it is more impactful when learning these crucial topics."

"During today's training, I learned about Vicarious Liability and how the actions of one person can have a significant impact on the department as well as the need to properly intercede."

"I learned how to be actively aware of other people's cultures and beliefs when dealing with them to understand how they navigate their daily lives and interact with others to better help them navigate their probation successfully."

"The land acknowledgment was something I had never heard about until today. I grew up and still live in Palm Springs which is entirely made up of land belonging to the Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians and have never heard of this concept or anything like it. We have landmarks, signs, and museums representing their past throughout the city which I feel does a pretty good job of acknowledging the land. However, I have not heard about the acknowledgment before."

"Thank you very much for this powerful day of learning! You have given me new things to consider and integrate into my ways of thinking and ways of being."

"My takeaway during this training is that sometimes we need to take a step back and acknowledge our choices and actions because we may not realize the biases within those choices and decisions."

"I was reminded that there are so many cultures and subcultures that we need to be aware of when interacting with others."

"I learned that cultural competency consists of so many shades and layers. Which shade of gray do I look like, is the quintessential question here. It is sensitive and could get messy at times. But I guess if our intent as a department is to ultimately have equity, inclusivity, and fairness, we cannot go wrong."

"During this training, I learned to try and be aware of the needs, culture, beliefs of others who may not share the same views as myself. Also, how to be able to incorporate those things into our daily lives to make others feel included."

"I appreciated the 'How Anti Filipino Hate Led to the Watsonville Riots' article. I'm Filipino and it's a piece of history that I have missed, but very important to know. It really shows the importance of Trauma-Informed Cultural Competency in this field of work and how to respond."

"I learned that vicarious liability is a key aspect of our jobs. It helps ensure we remain within policy but also places responsibility on us to ensure others around us remain compliant as well."

"I learned that you cannot change outcomes without understanding how they came about and the history behind them."

"I learned the importance of taking a step back and thinking twice before doing or saying something to others."

"Hearing about generational trauma is an eye-opener. I consider myself to be empathetic, open, and accepting. Acknowledging how deep that trauma goes is humbling and it opens my mind on another level."

"I learned the importance of speaking up and/or advocating for equality and calling out/calling in when we see cultural inappropriateness."

"So far, everything covered in this training has been interesting and has given me a lot to think about. Especially getting more familiarized with diversity and what cultural competence looks like today. I have worked in the department for many years and graduated from college in 2000, and I would like to have the tools to be better equipped and guide others. I'm also excited to explore the padlet tool."

"I learned that we have to actively seek out knowledge to become culturally competent."

"I learned to see things through others' perspective; otherwise, you can change the meaning of what your good intentions are ... making a Braille sign bigger does not serve blind people."

"I learned about metacognition and how my thought process is not imaginary but has a concept applied to it. Additionally, I became more aware of the term, dehumanization, and how a few changes in my words can drastically change things."

"I learned about Confirmation Bias - how we might start looking for things that enhance or confirm our thoughts/beliefs and we might actually ignore things that prove the opposite."

"I am not shocked nor unaware that the narratives of history that look at America in a negative light are erased. What is surprising to me is that it is happening so often and is not being stopped nor talked about ... the narrative is changed or hidden so people do not know."