DATE: June 20, 2017
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Rick Chavez, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Agreement with SCRAM of California, Inc. to provide offender paid electronic monitoring services and equipment
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Authorize the Probation Department’s continued operation of an offender paid electronic monitoring program; and
2. Approve and authorize Chairman to execute an Agreement with SCRAM of California, Inc. to provide offender paid electronic monitoring services and equipment to the Probation Department, effective July 1, 2017, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions ($0).
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions, as the adult electronic monitoring (EM) program is offender funded. The County’s existing agreement for adult offender paid electronic monitoring services and equipment expires on June 30, 2017. Penal Code Section 1203.016(a) states the Board of Supervisors of any county may authorize the Correctional Administrator (Chief Probation Officer) to offer a program in which minimum security inmates and low-risk offenders committed to a county jail may voluntarily participate in an electronic monitoring/house arrest program in lieu of confinement in the county jail. Therefore, the recommended actions authorize the Probation Department’s continued operation of the offender paid EM program and approves a new contract for these services.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board does not approve the second recommended action, the existing agreement will expire on June 30, 2017. The Probation Department would be without a vendor to provide electronic monitoring services/equipment to adults until such time as an alternate vendor could be selected and a new agreement comes before your Board.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions, as the adult EM Program is offender funded. Further, there is no equipment or monitoring costs to the County for those services. The Probation Department collects a $60 screening fee per offender that offsets administrative costs for the program. A total of $4,000 is estimated to be received in FY 2016-17.
DISCUSSION:
The Probation Department requires electronic monitoring services and equipment for its offender paid adult EM Program. The EM Program is an alternative to serving time in the county jail for those offenders who are sentenced to more than 30 days in custody and referred to the program by the Court. EM staff screen offenders referred to the program to determine their eligibility and suitability for the program, for which a $60 administrative screening fee is charged to the offender. Offenders accepted into the EM Program are referred to the contracted vendor for the actual installation and removal of electronic monitoring equipment, as well as monitoring the offender for compliance with the program rules. The contracted vendor provides all equipment and services to the EM Program at no cost to the County as the vendor collects and retains all fees from the offenders. The offenders participating in the EM Program are solely liable for any and all fees.
The County’s current contract for this program with Correctional Healthcare Companies, Inc., went into effect on June 1, 2012 and will expire on June 30, 2017. The County released Request for Quotation (RFQ) 17-062 on March 8, 2017 and Addendum No. 1 to RFQ on April 4, 2017. Bidding closed on April 19, 2017 and four vendors responded. Utilizing the cost evaluation formula provided in the RFQ, SCRAM of California, Inc. was determined to be the lowest responsible bidder.
Approval of the recommended actions will allow the Probation Department’s EM Program to continue and SCRAM of California, Inc. to provide the offender paid electronic monitoring services and equipment for this program.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #6 - November 12, 2013
BAI #37 - May 22, 2012
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk -Agreement with SCRAM of California, Inc.
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck