San Francisco’s chief juvenile probation officer, who recently lost a bid to keep the city’s Juvenile Hall from closing, is leaving his post at the end of November.
Allen Nance told his staff in an email late Tuesday that he plans to retire.
“Words simply cannot express the appreciation I have for all of the dedicated and passionate employees within the SFJPD and all those agency and community partners who have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of youth and families involved in our juvenile justice system,” Nance said, adding that “the time has come to pursue the next chapter in my life.”
Nance has worked for the Juvenile Probation Department for 14 years, and for the past six years as chief probation officer. He said that his agency has expanded alternatives to detention and diversion, work he said led to a record low population in the city’s juvenile justice system. Currently, there are 500 young people “active” in the system, compared to around 2,000 a decade ago, according to Nance.
The low population at San Francisco Juvenile Hall was one of the reasons criminal justice advocates and members of the Board of Supervisors pushed to close the facility.
