Nebraska Probation's Emerging Adult Justice Innovation

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Naoka Carey, JD, PhD is a Senior Advisor for the Emerging Adult Justice Project. In that capacity, she advises jurisdictions on ways to make juvenile and adult criminal systems more developmentally appropriate and effective, including providing training, data analysis, and technical assistance. She is also an Acting Assistant Professor at NYU School of Law, where she teaches first-year law students and conducts research on the impact of state policies and neighborhood contexts on adolescent development, including the ways that mass incarceration has shaped family life. She has previously taught undergraduate classes in adolescent psychology and child development and worked as an attorney and advocate for children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Dr. Carey has a PhD in Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology from the Lynch School of Education & Human Development at Boston College and a JD from New York University School of Law.

Marc Kohmetscher is the Chief Probation Officer for District 9 in Grand Island and Kearney, Nebraska. Marc began his career with Nebraska Probation in 1997 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Over the years, Marc has held a variety of roles within the probation system, beginning as an adult and juvenile probation officer and later transitioning into Intensive Supervision Probation. In 2015, he became the District 10 Reporting Center Coordinator, overseeing services across an eight-county region in central Nebraska. In November 2022, Marc was appointed as the Alternatives to Incarceration Specialist with the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation. A year later, in October 2023, he was selected to serve as the Chief Probation Officer for District 9 in south central Nebraska. Throughout his career, Marc has been actively involved in numerous initiatives and statewide committees. He currently leads the Emerging Adult Pilot in his district and serves on Nebraska’s Emerging Adult (EA) Leadership Team. Since 2001, Marc has also been a dedicated trainer within the Nebraska Probation System, providing instruction on a wide range of topics including the YLS assessment, case planning, Field Search, and the Advanced Coaching for Excellence initiative. Marc's commitment to excellence and innovation has earned him several accolades, including the 2018 Rising Star Award, the 2018 Recognition for Leadership in Development Award, the 2024 Outstanding Team Award, and the 2024 Recognition for Leadership in Implementation Award.

Eric serves as the Director of Adult Field Services for the Nebraska’s Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation. He currently manages Nebraska’s emerging adult innovation pilot project and supports the leadership and implementation teams in Omaha, Grand Island, and Kearney, Nebraska. From 2019-2022 he served as probation’s Alternatives to Incarceration Programs Specialist, overseeing probation’s post-release supervision population and identifying ways to help support the re-entry outcomes for individuals coming out of Nebraska’s prison system. Prior to his work for the state, he served as the Director of the International Youth Center in Chicago, a staff secure facility that provided developmentally appropriate programming and supportive services to adjudicated immigrant youth. Eric started his career as a mentor at an after-school non-profit organization in his hometown of Lincoln, and has over 20 years experience working with justice involved youth. Eric believes that applying data driven decisions can help build safe and thriving communities.

Damon Strong is the Chief Probation Officer for District 4 in Omaha, Nebraska. He joined the Nebraska Probation System in September of 2011 as a Probation Officer, supervising low risk clients prior to being promoted to Specialized Probation Office in 2013. In October of 2016 Damon was promoted to Navigation Officer with the Administrative Office of Probation. In this role, he met with clients prior to them being released from incarceration and formulated a re-entry plan that would provide for transitional housing, treatment, and other resources to be successful upon their reentry into the community. In December 2017 Damon was promoted to Chief Deputy Probation Officer for three years and promoted to Chief in October of 2020. He currently oversees one hundred twenty-five staff and serves on the leadership team for the emerging adult pilot project. Prior to his career in Probation he worked as a Corrections Sergeant for Douglas County Corrections for 10 years. Chief Strong is a Passionate leader dedicated to developing relationships with court and community stakeholders. He is a member of the American Probation and Parole Association, and National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and 100 Black Men of Omaha. He enjoys playing basketball with his two teenage sons, exercising, but most of all taking walks with his wife Sheritta.