Title
Superior Court of El Dorado County (Court) recommending the Board give authority to the Chief Probation Officer, Director of the Health and Human Services Agency, and Chief Public Defender to sign joint letters of endorsement for two applications being submitted by the Court for funding under the State Judicial Council's Recidivism Reduction Fund competitive grant program.
Body
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost
Unknown. County departments will be involved with grant funded projects, but grant does not allow for recouping of County department overhead costs.
Background and Reason for Request
The Superior Court of El Dorado County (Court) requests that the County Board of Supervisors give authority to the Chief Probation Officer, Director of the Health and Human Services Agency, and Chief Public Defender to sign joint letters of endorsement for two applications being submitted by the Court for funding under the State Judicial Council's Recidivism Reduction Fund competitive grant program. Letters of endorsement by justice system partners are required for both applications. Pursuant to Board of Supervisors Policy A-5, County departments are required to obtain formal approval from the Board of Supervisors prior to offering verbal or written endorsement for non-county grant applications. The draft endorsement letters are attached.
As part of the Budget Act of 2014, the Legislature allocated $15 million from the Recidivism Reduction Fund for a competitive grant program to be administered by the Judicial Council. The Budget Act designates the funds for courts to use in the administration and operation of programs and practices known to reduce adult offender recidivism and enhance public safety, including the use of validated risk and needs assessments, other evidence-based practices, and programs that specifically address the needs of mentally ill and drug addicted offenders.
These funds are available to the Superior Courts of California for the establishment or ongoing operation and staffing for three categories of programs: Adult criminal collaborative courts that serve moderate and high-risk offenders, pretrial programs, and court use of validated risk and needs assessment information.
The Court has submitted a Notice of Intent to Apply for two program categories:
1. Adult Criminal Collaborative Court Programs that serve moderate and high-risk offenders. Enhancement Phase for Ongoing Program Support and Expansion.
2. Pretrial Programs. Planning/Implementation Phase for Initial Program Development.
The Court, Probation Department, District Attorney, Public Defender, Health & Human Services Agency, and Sheriff's Office have been meeting since October to plan and develop the programs for the grant applications. The funding being sought is to enhance current collaborative courts to include a reentry court, and for planning and implementation of a pretrial release program. The grant fund uses include contractor/subcontractor/consultants/professional services, including training, but not including overhead costs. Subcontracts may include salaries and benefits for employees of local justice system partners (in this case County Departments) necessary to meeting the operational requirements of the program. The programs would include subcontracts with each of the above justice partners.
Contact
Jackie Davenport, Assistant Court Executive Officer, x7453
Concurrences
Probation Department
Health and Human Services Agency
Chief Public Defender