Arizona Superior Court in Pima County
Thursday, August 11, 2022 by Superior Court, Pima County
On August 1, 2022, the Adult Probation Department of the Superior Court in Pima County launched Clear My Warrant - an innovative felony warrant resolution plan that will help bring probation absconders back into compliance without serving time in jail.
A person on probation “absconds” by not following the terms and conditions set by the court, including not making themselves available for supervision. Simply put, they cannot, and do not want to be, found.
Clear My Warrant is a no-court, no-jail program that will allow many the ability to clear their felony probation warrant without fear of being arrested and incarcerated. Individuals will contact the adult probation department, and, if eligible, have their warrant quashed and be reinstated to probation supervision without going to court or to jail.
To the absconder, this may seem too good to be true. But to Pima County Superior Court’s Chief Probation Officer David Sanders, “It is about public safety and reformation. The public is much better protected when the probationer complies with probation conditions. The probationer is much more likely to be rehabilitated when they receive services enabling them to live and thrive in the mainstream of public life.”
Sanders stresses that not all absconders are eligible for warrant resolution without jail, including those convicted of certain violent crimes, those who have new felony charges pending, or those who are wanted on additional warrants. “Individuals most appropriate for the Clear My Warrant program are on probation for drug or property crimes, who may have absconded because of their substance use issues,” said Sanders.
Grant funding for this initiative was provided by the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG). ISLG’s support will also subsidize drug testing and pay for public transportation, helping remove some of the barriers an individual confronts when trying to comply with their probation conditions.
The department’s research partner is the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), based out of Williamsburg, Virginia. NCSC will track the effectiveness of the initiative and the outcomes of those who re-engage in the process of probation supervision.
Pima County Superior Court’s Adult Probation Department is one of only five jurisdictions countrywide participating in ISLG’s solutions-based “Reducing Revocations” program. The initiative directs resources to local court and justice agency leaders to support individuals on probation experiencing the effects and challenges of substance use, mental health disorders, unemployment, and homelessness.
Unanswered, all create barriers to a probationer completing supervision successfully. Clear My Warrant will help individuals accept accountability and get their lives back on track without the fear of being arrested and incarcerated. This in turn will reduce violence, uphold public safety, save taxpayer dollars, and promote fairness and justice in our community, helping close the probation-to-incarceration pipeline.