DATE: April 11, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Third Amendment to Agreement with Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize Chairman to execute Third Amendment to Agreement with Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission for the Valley Apprenticeship Connections program, which provides construction apprenticeship services for adult offenders, to extend the term four months from May 1, 2023 until August 31, 2023, with no change to the contract maximum of $1,389,000.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action, which will approve an extension to the agreement with Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission (Fresno EOC), to continue providing a construction apprenticeship program for adult offenders, four additional months from May 1, 2023 until August 31, 2023, with no change to the contract maximum. The Department is currently in the process of drafting a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a construction apprenticeship program, as the current agreement is set to expire on April 30, 2023. To avoid a lapse in services, an extension is necessary. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the Board does not approve the recommended action, the Probation Department will have to discontinue the construction apprenticeship program for adult offenders, which will result in a lapse of services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The agreement is fully funded with the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011 AB 109 funds of $1,320,000 and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistant Grant (JAG) of $69,000, for the contract maximum compensation total of $1,389,000. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in Probation’s Org 3432 and Org 3430 FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget and will be included in the FY 2023-24 Budget Request.
DISCUSSION:
On March 20, 2018, the Board approved the agreement with Fresno EOC to provide a construction apprenticeship program for adult offenders through their 12-week duration Valley Apprenticeship Connections (VAC) program. The VAC program was developed using input from various trade unions and an evidence-based curriculum for adult offenders, which aims to prepare and place participants in various construction industry jobs. The program includes multiple components such as physical education, educational tutoring, financial literacy, and a Thinking for a Change curriculum, which is an evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy program that emphasizes on individual accountability and teaches offenders to recognize and address cognitive deficit, distortions, and flawed thinking processes that contributes to criminal behavior.
On August 6, 2019, the Board approved the first amendment to agreement with Fresno EOC to allow adjustments to the agreement’s line-item budget for up to 10% of the annual maximum compensation, providing that the changes do not result in a change to the total annual or contract maximum, with approval of the Chief Probation Officer and Fresno EOC.
On November 19, 2019, the Board approved the agreement with Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) for the JAG. The JAG Program provides reentry case management and supportive services to individuals, who have been incarcerated for at least 60 days in and upon release from the Fresno County Jail, 18-30 years of age, affiliated or previously affiliated with a gang, and at medium to high risk to reoffend. The goal of the JAG Program is to reduce gang activity after release from custody, assist offenders to re-enter society successfully, and thereby increasing public safety. On September 6, 2022, the Board approved the first amendment to agreement with BSCC for the JAG, which extended the term from December 31, 2022 to June 30, 2023 and provided additional time to expend JAG funds due to the impact of COVID-19.
On November 29, 2022, your Board approved the second amendment to agreement with Fresno EOC to add up to 25 additional participants to the VAC program, who are 18-30 years of age, affiliated or previously affiliated with a gang, and at medium to high risk to reoffend. The JAG grant funding of $69,000 was allocated to pay for the cost of these services for the period ranging from December 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023.
Approval of the recommended action will allow for a third amendment to the agreement with Fresno EOC, to extend the term four months from May 1, 2023 until August 31, 2023, with no changes to the contract maximum compensation. The Department is currently in the process of drafting a RFP for a construction apprenticeship program, as the current agreement is set to expire on April 30, 2023. To avoid a lapse in services, an extension is necessary.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #43, November 29, 2022
BAI #34, September 6, 2022
BAI #9, November 19, 2019
BAI #40, August 6, 2019
BAI #40, March 20, 2018
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Third Amendment
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck