DATE: April 27, 2021
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant Plan
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Receive the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan and presentation by the Probation Department.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Senate Bill 823 Juvenile justice realignment: Office of Youth and Community Restoration (SB 823) establishes the Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant (JJRBG) Program, in order to transfer jurisdiction for the care, custody and supervision of high-risk youth from the State Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to the County. The Fresno County Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan was created in accordance with SB 823 and based on the requirements outlined in Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 1995. It is being brought before your Board in accordance with the funding eligibility requirements detailed in WIC 1991.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action. WIC 1991 indicates that beginning the 2021-22 fiscal year and annually thereafter, funds will be allocated to the county for the provision of appropriate rehabilitative housing and supervision services to the DJJ realignment target population. WIC 1991 specifies the Board of Supervisors shall consider the plan required in WIC 1995, when allocating funding.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The Fresno County Juvenile Realignment Plan will allow the county to receive funding in accordance with SB 823. SB 823 appropriates moneys from the State General Fund for the Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant program to provide funding to counties for the custody, care and supervision of youth who are realigned from DJJ to counties. It is anticipated that Fresno County will receive the following funding: $1,548,816 for Fiscal Year 2021-22, $4,587,984 for Fiscal Year 2022-23, and $7,600,904 for Fiscal Year 2023-24.
DISCUSSION:
On September 30, 2020, SB 823 was signed into law, which will stop the intake of youth to DJJ custodial facilities on July 1, 2021. DJJ is planned to permanently close on June 30, 2023. In addition, SB 823 established the JJRBG Program to transfer responsibility for the custody, care, and supervision of high-risk youth from the DJJ to the local county jurisdiction. SB 823 was passed based upon demonstrable evidence that justice system-involved youth are more successful when they remain connected to their families and communities, and that justice system-involved youth who remain in their communities have lower recidivism rates and are more prepared for their transition back into the community. SB 823 intends for counties to: use evidence-based practices and programs to improve the outcomes of youth and public safety; reduce the transfer of youth into the adult criminal justice system; ensure dispositions are in the least restrictive appropriate environment; reduce and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities; reduce the use of confinement in the juvenile justice system by utilizing community-based responses and interventions; end the practice of placing youth in custodial or confinement facilities that are operated by private entities; and end placements of justice-system involved youth in out of state facilities that do not appropriately address the programming, services, safety and other needs of placed youth once appropriate and sufficient capacity within California is achieved.
WIC 1995 (a) outlines the eligibility requirements to receive JJRBG funds. It requires each county create a subcommittee of the multiagency juvenile justice coordinating council to develop a plan that describes the facilities, programs, placements, services, supervision and reentry strategies that are needed to provide appropriate rehabilitation and supervision services for the DJJ realignment target population. WIC 1995(b) details the members that shall be included in the subcommittee, and WIC 1995(c) describes the elements that shall be included in the plan. The subcommittee detailed in WIC 1995 is a subcommittee of the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC), and as such, the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan was brought before the JJCC for their review and approval on April 13, 2021. The subcommittee is composed of members from multiple County departments, the county office of education, a representative from the court, and various members of the community who have experience in providing community-based youth services, are youth justice advocates with expertise and knowledge of the juvenile justice system, or have been directly juvenile justice system-involved.
The Plan is being presented before your Board today for review, in advance of the allocation of funding from the JJRBG, and in advance of the July 1, 2021 date, which will begin the transfer of jurisdiction from the DJJ to the County. As specified in WIC 1995, in order to receive funding for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan shall be filed with the Office of Youth and Community Restoration by January 1, 2022. Additionally, in order to continue receiving funding, the subcommittee shall meet to consider the plan at least every third year, but shall at minimum submit the most recent plan, regardless of changes. The plan shall be submitted to the Office of Youth and Community Restoration by May 1st of each year, in accordance to WIC 1995 JJRBG funding eligibility requirements.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Fresno County Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan
PowerPoint Presentation
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck