Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: John T. Keene, Chief Probation Officer
Subject: Agreement with Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. secured through Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant (JJRBG) funding to law-related education and career navigation workshops and case management and coaching for youth at the Youth Services Center-Juvenile Hall.
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing the President of the Board of Supervisors to execute an agreement with Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. secured through Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant (JJRBG) funding to provide law-related education and career navigation workshops and case management and coaching for youth at the Youth Services Center-Juvenile Hall for the term of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $229,369.04.
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BACKGROUND:
In 2020, legislation (SB 823) initiated the closure of state Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) detention centers, and established the annual Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant (JJRBG) to allocate money to counties to support county-based custody, care, and supervision of youth who were realigned from the DJJ or who would have otherwise been eligible for commitment to DJJ.
In response, the Probation Department (Probation), through a subcommittee of the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, worked with county partners and community-based organizations to develop a Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant Plan. The plan describes the facilities, programs, placements, services, supervision and reentry strategies that are needed to provide appropriate rehabilitation and supervision services for offenders who will remain in county custody. The plan and a subsequent plan addendum were submitted to the state Office of Youth and Community Restoration in December 2021 and April 2022, as required by SB 823.
After completing the plan and plan addendum, Probation initiated a request for proposals (RFP) process (RFP No. 2022-004 Youth Activities and Mental Health Services), seeking to fill service gaps for juveniles in detention. Through this RFP, the Department entered into negotiations with Fresh Lifelines for Youth Inc. in February 2023 to provide services to youth in the JJRBG target population.
DISCUSSION:
Through this agreement, Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. will provide a combination of law-related education, vocational and education workshops as well as case management and coaching for youth who are in the JJRBG target population and who are placed in Probation’s Success and Opportunities Aspiring Readiness for Reentry (SOARR) program at the Youth Services Center-Juvenile Hall. In addition, Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. will lead a design process that will build out new, innovative services for SOARR youth who face longer commitments and unique needs, with the goal of preparing these youth for reentry, achieving goals while in custody, and supporting them as they transition back to the community.
The Probation Department requests that the Chief Probation Officer or his/her designee be granted authorization to execute contract amendments that modify the County’s maximum fiscal obligation by no more than $25,000 (in aggregate) for each agreement, and/or modify the contract term and/or services so long as the modified term or services is/are within the current or revised fiscal provisions.
The term of this agreement is July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026. The agreement and Resolution have been reviewed and approved by the County Attorney’s Office.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Performance Measures |
FY 2023-24 Target |
FY 2024-25 Target |
FY 2025-26 Target |
|
Youth will report they have more confidence to deal with negative peer pressure |
80% |
80% |
80% |
|
Youth report that they are less likely to commit crimes and more likely to make healthy choices |
75% |
75% |
75% |
|
Youth report that they have hope for the future and want to make positive changes |
80% |
80% |
80% |
|
Youth will who enroll and complete case management will achieve at least one goal from their service plans* |
100% |
100% |
100% |
*Service plans are personalized to each SOARR youth and include major goals such as education/career advancement, completion of probation, social-emotional skill building, etc. Goals are designed to align with protective factors against later incarceration.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Agreement will be secured through Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant (JJRBG) funding in the amount of $229,369.04. This funding will support this Agreement for the term July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026. The funds have been included in the FY 2023-24 Recommended Budget and will be included in the FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26 Recommended Budgets. There is no net County cost.