Mayor Mamdani has made clear that closing Rikers Island is a central criminal justice goal of his administration. As the City considers how to reduce the jail population and strengthen public safety, it must confront an important reality: any effort to significantly reduce reliance on incarceration will depend on a strong and stable Department of Probation.
Right now, the New York City Department of Probation is in a state of crisis. And that crisis is not theoretical.It is measurable, visible, and growing.
Today, there are fewer than 600 probation officers and supervisors on the job, despite a budgeted headcount of 845. Every week we see more officers leave for better-paying positions in the NYPD, Department of Correction, or probation departments in neighboring counties. This is not because they lack commitment. It is because they cannot afford to stay.
Every day, probation officers balance the need to keep our neighborhoods safe with giving New Yorkers involved in the criminal justice system a second chance. They are responsible for supervising individuals in the community, helping them access services, maintain stability, and avoid reoffending—and for preparing reports that inform court sentencing decisions—making them a critical part of any effort to reduce reliance on incarceration.
Probation is the alternative to incarceration. You cannot reduce the jail population without dedicated, skilled probation officers.
Yet despite the critical role they play in our communities (and the fact that they’re required to have a college degree), probation officers are among the lowest-paid law enforcement professionals in New York City. Meanwhile, police and correction officers earn significantly higher base salaries,often tens of thousands more annually.
This disparity impacts how effectively probation officers do their jobs. When probation is understaffed, caseloads rise. When caseloads rise, supervision weakens. And when supervision weakens, the entire system becomes less safe.
If the goal is to safely reduce incarceration, probation is the frontline agency that makes that possible. We are the ones helping people return to their communities, maintain employment, access services, and avoid reoffending. A strong probation department is the backbone of any decarceration strategy.
But right now, that backbone is cracking.
The Department of Probation has experienced the highest attrition rate of any city agency. The department currently has 300 fewer officers than it did in 2019, as hiring has not kept pace with departures. Each departure means more work for those who remain—more cases, more stress, more burnout. This is not sustainable.
And here is what makes this crisis even more troubling: it is also an issue of economic justice.
Probation officers are overwhelmingly women and people of color. In fact, nearly 71% of probation officers are women, far higher than in policing or corrections. At the same time, the workforce is disproportionately Black and non-white.
Yet despite this, studies have found persistent disparities in pay. Female probation officers earn less than their male counterparts, even when controlling for experience. Non-white and female officers are also significantly more likely to be paid below the minimum salary required under their own collective bargaining agreement.
Let that sink in: the very workforce tasked with advancing justice is itself subject to systemic inequities.
This is not just a workforce issue—it is a civil rights issue.
For years, the City has relied on probation officers to do more with less. Less pay. Less staffing. Less support. And yet expectations continue to grow, especially as policymakers push for alternatives to incarceration.
We support those alternatives. We believe in second chances. We believe in safer communities built through rehabilitation, not just punishment.
But belief alone does not sustain a workforce.
If the Mayor wants to close Rikers Island, he must invest in the agency that will make that closure possible. That means addressing pay equity and bringing probation salaries in line with other law enforcement agencies.
Pay equity will not solve every problem overnight. But it will stabilize the workforce. It will improve recruitment and retention. And most importantly, it will ensure that probation officers can continue doing the work that keeps our communities safe.
It’s important to note that the Mayor did not create this mess;he inherited it. We have already seen signs of progress under Commissioner Sharun Goodwin—improvements in administration, renewed focus on training, and efforts to rebuild morale. But those gains will not hold if the underlying issue of compensation remains unresolved.
The choice before the City is simple.
We can continue down the current path—losing experienced officers, increasing workloads, and weakening the very system meant to reduce incarceration.
Or we can make the investment now—strengthening probation, supporting its workforce, and building the foundation necessary to close Rikers Island the right way.
If we are serious about justice, we must be serious about probation.
Because when probation is strong, public safety is stronger.
Powell is the president of the United Probation Officers Association.