Senate Resolution No. 2001

BY: Senator ROLISON

HONORING Mary Ellen Still upon the occasion of her
retirement after 46 years of distinguished service
to Dutchess County

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body seeks to acknowledge those
individuals whose professional lives and civic endeavors serve to
enhance the stature of the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, For the past 46 years, Mary Ellen Still rendered faithful,
conscientious, and valuable service to the residents of Dutchess County
and beyond; and

WHEREAS, In her capacity as probation director, Mary Ellen Still
served with loyalty, honor and distinction; and

WHEREAS, Beginning her career in County government in 1978 as a
probation officer trainee, Mary Ellen Still eventually served 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
appointed her as Director in 2002; she has served faithfully in this
position for the last 22 years; and

WHEREAS, Mary Ellen 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; and

WHEREAS, Mary Ellen Still 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; her 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; and

WHEREAS, Throughout her career, Mary Ellen 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; and

WHEREAS, Dedicating 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; she has been a driving force
in the transformation of the county's probation and community
corrections programs, implementing effective strategies that prioritize
rehabilitation, public safety, and community well-being, including her
highly successful alternatives to incarceration; and


WHEREAS, Mary Ellen Still has been involved with the Dutchess County
Criminal Justice Council (CJC) since its original formation in 1993, and
currently serves as CJC Chair; the Dutchess County 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; and

WHEREAS, As Probation Director, Mary Ellen Still 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, as well as the creation of college
credit classes at the Dutchess County Jail and through EXODUS
Transitional Community; she also oversees programs such as RESTART,
Project M.O.R.E. and Family Services, as well as RECHARGE to provide
justice-involved people with supportive housing and services to increase
participants' success once they return to their community; and

WHEREAS, Committed to active involvement and impactful change
throughout her career, Mary Ellen Still has 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; and

WHEREAS, A trusted leader throughout New York State, and as a result
of her unrelenting commitment to the field, Mary Ellen Still was
appointed to serve as Commissioner on the State Probation Commission to
advise and consult on all matter relating to probation in the State in
2022; and

WHEREAS, Mary Ellen Still is 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 is 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; and

WHEREAS, Devoted to making her community a better place, Mary Ellen
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; and

WHEREAS, Mary Ellen Still 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; and

WHEREAS, In 2017, the National Resource Center on Justice Involved
Women and American Jail Association invited Mary Ellen 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; and

WHEREAS, The recipient of numerous awards and accolades, Mary Ellen
Still has received: 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; and

WHEREAS, In her official acts, Mary Ellen Still was governed by a
keen sense of duty and always showed a unique grasp of human problems;
and

WHEREAS, During her tenure with Dutchess County, Mary Ellen Still
earned the admiration, esteem, and affection of her colleagues; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Mary Ellen Still upon the occasion of her retirement after 46
years of distinguished service; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Mary Ellen Still.