Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, announced Friday that the Santa Barbara County Probation Department has received more than $1 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The Probation Department will use the funding to launch a new probation and parole program that will provide intensive supervision and evidence-based therapeutic interventions to specific high-risk probationers with gang-related terms and conditions and/or identified gang affiliations.

The Probation Department was selected from among 3,652 applicants to receive a Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant funded through ARRA.

“I’m pleased this funding will go to help our probation and parole officers in Santa Barbara County as they work to protect the public’s safety,” Capps said. “Every day they serve our community with distinction, and it’s important that they have all the tools and resources they need to do their job safely and effectively. This economic recovery funding will help our law enforcement officers do their job and make our community safer.”

Karen Wheeler, deputy chief probation officer with the Probation Department, said, “This is an outstanding, exciting and well-timed opportunity to develop a new program to provide services and oversight to a high-risk population and work in conjunction with law enforcement to enhance community safety.”

— Emily Kryder is a communications director for Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara.