Before you start
This checklist is for anyone in Sacramento who needs or wants an anger management class, whether a judge mentioned it at sentencing, your officer brought it up at a check-in, or you decided on your own. Set aside an hour, a notebook and your court paperwork. The steps run in order because each one makes the next easier.
Step 1: Pull together your case details
Find the paperwork that mentions the class. Look for a case number, the name of the court, any deadline, and any description of the program, such as a number of sessions or weeks. If you are on supervision, find your X-reference number from county paperwork. Sacramento County Probation's phone system asks for it.
If you cannot find a written requirement, do not guess. Note what you were told and by whom, and carry that question into Step 2.
Step 2: Reach your probation officer
Call (916) 874-PROB, the county's line for finding an assigned officer, from a touch-tone phone with your X-reference number ready. The department's page, cited below, says adults with no other instructions report to 8745 Folsom Boulevard, the same address it lists for Adult Services, which supervises adults on probation.
When you reach your officer, ask plainly:
- What kind of program do you expect, and how long?
- Is an online or hybrid class acceptable?
- What proof do you need, and by what date?
- Should progress reports come to you directly?
Write down the answers with the date of the call. Only the court or your probation officer decides whether a class fits an order, so their answer outranks anything a provider says.
Step 3: Check where your case stands
If you have not been sentenced yet, your situation is different. Adult Court Services, at 711 E Street downtown, prepares pre-sentence investigation reports for judges in the Sacramento County Superior Courts, according to the department. Talk with your own attorney about whether starting a class before sentencing makes sense for you; this guide cannot answer that.
Step 4: Build a short list
Use the listings on this page to choose three or four providers. Think about where you live and work. Someone commuting from Elk Grove to a downtown office has different options than someone in Citrus Heights or North Highlands. Note each provider's area, meeting days, and whether it offers groups, individual sessions or online attendance.
Step 5: Call each provider with the same questions
Asking every provider the same questions makes the answers easy to compare:
1. How many sessions is the program, and how long is each one? 2. What day and time does the next group start? 3. What does it cost in total, and is there a sliding scale? 4. What happens if I miss a session? 5. What document do I get at the end, and can you send updates to my officer? 6. Do you offer sessions in a language other than English?
Keep the answers in your notebook in a simple table. A provider who is vague about attendance records or cost is harder to plan around.
Step 6: Confirm before you pay
Take your top choice back to your officer, or to your attorney if your case is still open. Give the program name, length and format, and ask whether it fits. Get the response in writing if you can, even a short email. Then enroll.
Step 7: Keep a paper trail as you go
Save your receipt and the enrollment confirmation. After each session, jot down the date. If the provider issues mid-program letters, keep copies. If you move, change jobs or need to switch to an evening group, tell both the provider and your officer before you miss anything.
Step 8: Close it out
When you finish, ask the provider for the completion document right away, and check that your name, case number and dates are correct. Deliver it the way your officer or the court asked, and keep a copy for yourself. Note the date you turned it in.
A note on this directory
We list independent providers and do not run classes. We do not check credentials or decide whether a program fits a court order. The steps above are general planning guidance, not a substitute for advice from your attorney, the court or your probation officer.