Evolve Justice
Evolve Justice provides expert consulting services regarding community corrections and justice systems topics to agencies, organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders. All services are informed and guided by our decades of experience as justice systems practitioners.
Gary Govel
Evolve Justice
Evolve Justice Chief Consultant and Founder Gary Govel brings over 33 years of public service leadership experience to our clients. He is a frequent and highly regarded trainer/presenter with audiences including executive staff, the judiciary, probation & parole officers, and other stakeholders. Gary possesses strong analytical, strategic planning, and writing skills.
Gary served in the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives (OPCA) for over 18 years. As an Assistant Director within DCJS-OPCA, he managed the staff, projects, and initiatives of OPCA’s Adult Probation Operations, Juvenile Probation Operations, Alternatives to Incarceration/Pre-Trial, and Fiscal & Administrative Management units. His direct assignments and responsibilities included the provision of guidance, training, technical assistance, and quality assurance support to New York’s 58 probation departments.
His responsibilities also included the review and investigation of probation involved Critical Incidents, coordination of the Annual Probation Plan effort, oversight of New York’s Ignition Interlock Device program and impaired driving initiatives, probation involvement in violence reduction strategies, DNA collection by probation departments, and more.
He was the designated as lead in multiple, successful Information Technology projects, and developed, reviewed, and responded to executive initiatives including legislative, regulatory, and State of the State proposals. He served as OPCA’s primary reviewer of the qualifications and experience of candidates for appointment as probation directors.
Gary supported implementation of evidence-based practices, including risk and need assessments and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions, across the state. He served on the New York State Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team for over ten years, and is an expert on relevant sections of the New York Codes Rules and Regulations, Executive Law, Penal Law, and Criminal Procedure Law.
Prior to joining DCJS, Gary served for over 15 years at the Albany County Probation Department where he progressed through the positions of Probation Officer Trainee, Probation Officer, and Senior Probation Officer, to the title of Probation Supervisor. His work as a Probation Supervisor included oversight of the Department’s Pre-Sentence Investigations Unit, Adult Supervision Units, Intensive Supervision Program, Pre-Trial Program, Warrant Squad, and Electronic Monitoring Program. His experience at ACPD also includes staff development, policy development, and Labor-Management matters.
Gary holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Marist College, is a DCJS General Topics instructor, and a certified Real Colors facilitator. He received the DCJS Commissioner’s Award for Operational Services in February 2019, led the development of the NYS Warrant Notification System which was recognized as the Best Application Serving the Public at the Best of New York Awards in September 2018, and was a Probation Officer of the Year Nominee while at ACPD.