We should listen to Rayshard Brooks about probation

As commissioner of New York City Probation, I was alarmed to learn that probation officers could deprive people of their liberty for the slightest of infractions. It’s so bad that I witnessed two people voluntarily return to the notorious Rikers Island jail complex rather than continue on probation.
New York state parole, second in the nation in this injustice, jails people for an average of two months with no right to pre-hearing release for non-criminal violations. But it’s a nationwide dilemma. In 17 states, probation staff can mete out “swift and certain” jail terms administratively, without even going to court.
Black and brown people are most abused by this system. Black people are incarcerated for technical, non-criminal violations at between 50% to 100% more frequently than white people, even controlling for other relevant factors.