Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: John T. Keene, Chief Probation Officer
Subject: Approve the San Mateo County Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution accepting the San Mateo County Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan.
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BACKGROUND:
On September 30, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 823, Juvenile justice realignment: Office of Youth and Community Restoration, setting into motion the phase-out of California's State Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and establishing a system in which justice-involved youth will receive treatment and services closer to their families and communities.
Under SB 823, the state shall halt all transfers of youth from California's counties to the DJJ's three remaining youth facilities, commencing July 1, 2021. Youth who previously would have been sent to the state facilities will instead remain in local settings closer to their families and communities.
To provide oversight of this juvenile justice realignment, the law creates the Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) within the California Health and Human Services Agency. Among other things, the OYCR shall evaluate the efficacy local programs for the realigned youth and provide approval of juvenile grants awarded to counties by the Board of State and Community Corrections.
Additionally, SB823 creates a Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant program to provide annual funding to the state's counties to finance the new system of county-based custody, care and supervision of youth who otherwise would have been eligible for DJJ commitment. Counties can receive funding to meet the needs of youth by providing and implementing public health approaches to support positive youth development, building the capacity of a continuum of community-based approaches, and reducing crime by youth. SB823 also provides for one-time grants to cou...
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