Poughkeepsie, NY … Following a remarkable 46-year career in the Dutchess County Office of Probation and Community Corrections in which she distinguished herself as a compassionate and respected national and statewide leader in restorative justice, Probation Director Mary Ellen Still will retire on April 30, County Executive Sue Serino announced today. Ms. Still is the longest-tenured active department head in Dutchess County Government, having served as Probation Director for more than 22 years.
Throughout her career, Ms. Still has been a champion of community engagement and collaboration, forging strong partnerships with local organizations, law-enforcement agencies and community leaders to develop practical and effective solutions. She has actively worked to create a holistic approach to pretrial services and probation supervision – emphasizing rehabilitation, support and the reintegration of individuals back into society.
She has been a trusted leader throughout New York State with Governor Kathy Hochul appointing her in 2022 to serve as Commissioner on the State Probation Commission to advise and consult on all matters relating to probation in New York State.
County Executive Serino said, “Mary Ellen Still has dedicated her professional life to Dutchess County’s Office of Probation and Community Corrections, ensuring public safety through her innovative solutions – in the process, becoming an esteemed national authority on restorative justice. Mary Ellen has been a driving force in the transformation of our county’s probation and community corrections programs, implementing effective strategies that prioritize rehabilitation, public safety and community well-being, including our highly successful alternatives to incarceration. Dutchess County is grateful to Mary Ellen for her decades of services, and we wish her every success in her next chapter.”
Ms. Still began her tenure in County government as a Probation Officer trainee in 1978, eventually serving every function in the Office of Probation and Community Corrections, being promoted to Senior Probation Officer, Supervisor and Deputy Director, respectively, before then-County Executive William R. Steinhaus tapped her as Director in 2002.
As Director, Ms. Still has led the Office of Probation and Community Corrections, overseeing nearly 50 employees who protect the community through intervention in the lives of those under supervision, facilitating compliance with court orders and serving as a catalyst for positive change. Ms. Still’s department promotes public safety through effective supervision of some 2,000 defendants and probationers placed on community supervision by the courts, through evidence-based probation and diversion programs. Among others, those programs include the successful interagency collaborative in-jail transition program known as RESTART (Re-Entry Stabilization Transition and Reintegration Track) in partnership with Project M.O.R.E. and Family Services, as well as RECHARGE (Re-Entry Community Housing and Resource Guided Empowerment) to provide justice-involved people with supportive housing and services in partnership with Project M.O.R.E. to increase participants’ success once they return to their community.
She has been involved with a multitude of efforts to help individuals who encounter the criminal justice system, including the development of specialized courts for veterans and substance- users and the creation of college credit classes at the Dutchess County Jail and through EXODUS Transitional Community.
Ms. Still has also been instrumental in navigating the evolving New York State bail reform legislation that first passed in 2019 and has undergone various revisions, significantly impacting the criminal justice system process throughout the state.
Ms. Still shared the news of her impending retirement Tuesday at the Dutchess County Criminal Justice Council. Ms. Still has been involved with the CJC since its original formation in 1993 and currently serves as CJC Chair. The Dutchess County’s Criminal Justice Council has been an innovative, national model for working in a collaborative process of information-sharing to maximize resources for an enhanced criminal justice process, utilizing research-based practices to ensure community safety through the promotion and support of intervention for at-risk youth and adults, addressing victims’ needs and reduction of recidivism.
Ms. Still is also the current Chair of Training and Qualifications Committee for New York State Council of Probation Administrators; Chair of New York State Council of Probation Administrators Area III; as well as being a member of the New York State Probation Commission and the Dutchess County Police Chiefs Association. She was a past member of the Dutchess County Universal Response to Domestic Violence, and she previously served as a member of the New York State Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.
Dr. Gary Christensen, President of Justice Solutions, Inc, who served for many years as the Dutchess County Jail Administrator, as well as Chair of CJC, said, “Mary Ellen Still is a true legend– committed to ensuring a strong, fair and efficient criminal justice system that is focused on reform, rehabilitation and restorative justice. She stands alone at the forefront of progressive efforts to affect positive change in criminal justice practice both within Dutchess County and beyond, throughout the field of evidence-based criminal justice practice. I have been honored to work with her over the past 45 years and, due to her efforts and teachings, we will all continue to benefit for many years to come– her work has truly made a difference in people’s lives.”
In 2017, the National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women and American Jail Association invited Ms. Still to speak at its national summit in Washington, D.C., where she presented on the development and current use of the Inventory of Needs instrument – a pretrial and screening tool for justice-involved women used to create unique case plans based on women’s needs, resulting in better pretrial and supervision outcomes. Ms. Still has also worked with the Center for Effective Public Policy; engaged in a collaborative project with researchers from the University of Cincinnati and the University of Houston on gender-responsive strategies; and, in partnership with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (NYS DCJS), worked with the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice on a comprehensive review of the probation and juvenile justice system to enhance system practices, resulting in development of trauma assessment and interventions for young people.
Ms. Still has received numerous local, state and national awards and citations, including the Arlington Rotary’s Recognition of Service in 1995; the Van Bramer Award from Mental Health Association in 2005; New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services’ Sara Tullar Fasoldt Leadership and Humanitarian Award in 2011; recognition by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence for Outstanding Contributions to Victims in 2003; and Project M.O.R.E.’s 2015 Distinguished Service Award, among others. Ms. Still graduated from the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Corrections Executive Excellence Program in 2000, as well as Sam Houston University’s Executive Orientation Program in 2002.
Long active in her community, Ms. Still has served on various boards and committees, including the County’s Mental Hygiene Board, Family Services Board, the Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. She has also served on various workgroups and committees of NYS DCJS, including Staff Development, Revision of Rules and Regulations Governing Probation, Domestic Violence Workgroup.
Ms. Still said, “Over my career, I have witnessed a transformative journey of rehabilitation and growth in the criminal justice system. I have been a proud proponent for restorative justice because I've seen, firsthand, the power of second chances and the resilience of the human spirit. I carry with me the belief that compassion and understanding can reshape lives. This hasn’t been a career for me; it's a testament to the possibility of transforming lives and the enduring pursuit of a better tomorrow."
