To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Defender
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
SUBJECT:title
Supplemental Budget for the Public Defender California County Resentencing Pilot Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 in the Amount of $47,575 (4/5 Vote Required)
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve a Supplemental Budget (Attachment 1) for the carry forward of the California County Resentencing Pilot Program in the amount of $47,575 in budget unit 1100-219200 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 (4/5 Vote Required).
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Safe & Healthy Communities
Strategic Plan Category: 1001 -Support and sustain partnerships between public safety and partner agencies to enhance public safety in our communities
DISCUSSION:
The California County Resentencing Pilot Program was created to promote and assess a collaborative approach to utilizing prosecutorial discretion for resentencing. Participants in each county include the district attorney’s office, the public defender’s office and community-based organizations. The primary goal is to lower incarceration costs by releasing individuals who have served lengthy sentences and no longer present a risk to public safety. In Oct. 2021, the Humboldt County Public Defender’s Office (HCPD) was allocated $240,000 for the program (Attachment 2). Selecting potential resentencing candidates requires extensive interviews with inmates in California facilities, their families, and reviewing the original crime and much more. It was determined the best use of those funds was hiring a contract investigator with extensive experience.
In preparing the FY 2024-25 budget in April 2024, the HCPD underestimated the amount of funds that would remain unspent and need to be carried forward from FY 2023-24 to FY 2024-25. At the time of projecting the amount to be carried forward, HCPD anticipated significant additional expenditures would take place before June 30, 2024. However, due to unexpected delays in obtaining critical records and documents and communication delays with external agencies, HCPD was unable to provide services to as many individuals as anticipated in the prior fiscal year.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
CA Resentencing Pilot Program (1100-219200)
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
Narrative Explanation of Financial Impact:
The supplemental budget for HCPD will allow carry forward of unearned grant funding and increase necessary expenditure appropriations by $47,575 in the Public Defender, CA Resentencing Pilot Program budget (1100-219200) for FY 2024-25. Revenue of $240,000 was received for this grant in FY 2021-22. At the end of FY 2023-24 the remaining unspent funds were $107,600. The proposed supplemental budget recognizes unearned revenue contained in the fund balance of the General Fund.
STAFFING IMPACT:
This action does not have an impact on staffing.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board of Supervisors may choose not to approve the recommendation; however, this is not recommended as the budget would not have necessary appropriations for expenditures in the final FY of the CA Resentencing Pilot Project.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. CA Resentencing Project Supplemental Budget (1100 219200) for FY 2024-25
2. BSCC Resentencing Project Letter
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A