By Sherry Larson
“It is extremely comforting when you witness a group of very talented individuals come together collectively, as an organization, who share the common goal to be the best at their job. Such is the case of the Adams County Probation Department that has been assembled to serve the citizens of Adams County,” said the Honorable Judge Brett Spencer about the recent Edward J. Latessa Award the probation department received for innovation in education.
The Probation Department, under the direction of Court Administrator and Chief of Probation, Veronica Grooms, received the honor at the Ohio Chief Probations Conference held on June 17 and 18 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton.
Grooms explained that even though this award was geared toward Juvenile Probation, the entire department is involved with the programs like the courthouse classroom, vaping classes, and The Enhancing Youth Education (EYES), which is an early intervention partnership between the Adams County Common Pleas Court, local school districts, and community agencies. The EYES program pays an attorney, Lisa Rothwell, who serves as a liaison among the court, probation, and the schools when a student is truant. Rothwell sets up mediation with the parties to help keep the child out of the system. Grooms said, “She’s enhancing our diversion program. Diversion is to keep the kids out of the court system.”
Grooms announced two new highly credentialed recovery specialists on staff. She said, “We have changed our probation department model. The client’s needs are getting met – it’s not just accountability anymore. We have just as many people supporting the officers as we do officers.” She relayed that the University of Cincinnati is more involved with the youth. The department is also pursuing a grant for a juvenile treatment court.
Grooms said of her staff, “the work is getting done,” noting that this award is not typically awarded to a rural court probation department that doesn’t have an abundance of resources available to them. She believes the Ohio Bar Association had a hand in recognizing the group after Judge Spencer received an innovation award last winter.
Grooms stated it all stemmed from Operation Better Together, which was officially launched in 2022 and led by Judge Spencer. This collaborative model between agencies was designed to provide wraparound services to at-risk and vulnerable individuals within the justice system and is cited as one of the top rural justice programs in the United States. In 2026, the State Justice Institute sent a peer group from five different states to visit Adams County to study and replicate the model.
The Probation Department Staff are: Supervisor/Diversion Officer -Radah Curtis, Juvenile Officers – Kayla Bender and Emily Shaffer, Juvenile Community Service Supervisor – Brandon Philpower, Juvenile Recovery Specialist – Tessa Ellis, Classroom Tutor – Mallory Tolle, Adult Probation Officers – Brad Harper and Seth Dunning, Adult Bond Clerk – Andrea Snider, Adult Recovery Specialist – April Porter, Adult Misdemeanor Officer/Adult Supervisor – Kay Crutchfield, Adult Probation Support Specialist – Kylie Fisher-May, Probation Administrative Assistant – Marla Thompson, and Chief of Probation/Court Administrator – Veronica Grooms.
Judge Spencer said, “I have gleefully watched this group, under the steady leadership of Veronica Grooms, innovatively balance the mandate to protect the public, while also creating an environment where probationers are provided the opportunity to become productive citizens, with accountability stressed at every level. I simply could not be prouder of everyone within the Probation Department, who are now recognized by their professional colleagues as an organization that has set a high standard of success that others strive to emulate. Congratulations to the Adams County Probation Department on the well-deserved recognition and coveted award from their colleagues across the State of Ohio.”