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 Youthful Offender Block Grant (YOBG) funding to provide law-related education, employment, and reentry services for youth at the Youth Services Center-Juvenile Hall and Margaret J. Kemp Camp.
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 Youthful Offender Block Grant (YOBG) funding to continue to provide law-related education classes, career navigation workshops, mentoring and career coaching services and reentry case management services for youth at the Youth Services Center-Juvenile Hall and Margaret J. Kemp Camp for the term of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $672,303.10.
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BACKGROUND:
In 2007, legislation (SB 81) stopped the intake of youthful offenders adjudicated for non-serious, non-violent offenses to the state Division of Juvenile Justice, and established the annual Youthful Offender Block Grant (YOBG) to allocate money to counties to support local programs for offenders who would remain in county care and custody. Pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code Section 1951(a), YOBG funding shall be used to enhance the capacity of county probation, mental health, drug and alcohol, and other county departments to provide appropriate rehabilitative and supervision services to youthful offenders. Counties, in expending their YOBG allocations, must provide all necessary services related to the custody and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders.
In November 2022, the Probation Department 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 at the Youth Services Center-Juvenile Hall and Margaret J. Kemp Camp for Girls. Through this RFP, the Department entered into negotiations with Fresh Lifelines for Youth Inc. in February 2023 to continue existing and ongoing services.
DISCUSSION:
Through this agreement, Fresh Lifelines for Youth Inc. will continue to provide law education classes to educate youth about the laws and their rights to help change their mindsets about crime, illegal activity and risky behavior while building life skills that will increase their capacity to problem-solve in pro-social ways. Fresh Lifelines for Youth Inc. also will continue to provide reentry case management as well as education and career navigation workshops to youth in custody. The program’s case management and mentoring strategy is to identify and address the youth’s critical needs and criminogenic risks to develop a comprehensive youth-centered plan that will lead to lasting positive change.
The Probation Department requests that the Chief Probation Officer or his 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 now have access to a positive adult role model (Law Program) |
80% |
80% |
80% |
|
Youth will be less likely to commit crimes and more likely to make healthy choices (Law Program) |
75% |
75% |
75% |
|
Youth will gain the skills to resist negative peer pressure (Law Program) |
80% |
80% |
80% |
|
Youth will report school improvement in attendance or performance (Law Program) |
80% |
80% |
80% |
|
Number of youth who receive Reentry services |
30 |
30 |
30 |
FISCAL IMPACT:
Agreement will be secured through Youthful Offender Block Grant (YOBG) funding in the amount of $672,303.10. 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.