To: Board of Supervisors
From: Probation
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Award Recommendation for Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Grant
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Accept the recommendation of the Merit Review Committee to award funds for the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Grant.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Funding for this grant comes from the Humboldt County Probation’s Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) allocation.
DISCUSSION:
The Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) was created by the Crime Prevention Act of 2000 (Chapter 353) to provide a stable funding source for Juvenile justice programs aimed at curbing crime and delinquency among at-risk youth and juvenile offenders. JJCPA funds are available to address a continuum of responses including prevention, intervention, supervision, and incarceration. State law requires that JJCPA-funded programs be modeled on strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in curbing juvenile delinquency. Beyond that, counties have broad discretion in how they use JJCPA funds to support and enhance their juvenile justice systems.
To encourage coordination and collaboration among the various local agencies serving at-risk youth and young offenders, JJCPA requires a county’s Multi-Agency Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (MAJJCC) to develop and modify the county’s juvenile justice plan. The MAJJCC is chaired by the county’s Chief Probation Officer and its members include representatives of law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, the Board of Supervisors, social services, education, mental health, and community-based organizations. The MAJJCC is required to meet at least annually to review and update the county Juvenile Justice Plan. JJCPA relies on partnership between the state, local agencies and stakeholders. Local officials and stakeholders determine where to direct resources through an interagency planning process. The State Controller’s Office distributes the appropriated JJCPA fund to counties based on population. Local agencies and community-based organizations deliver programs and services. This partnership acknowledges the value the state places on local discretion and multiagency collaboration in addressing the problem of juvenile crime in California’s communities. Humboldt County’s MAJJCC has determined that using some of the funds to support diversionary services would be an ideal use of the funds.
On Oct. 20, 2020 the Humboldt County Probation Department released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a community-based organization to provide services for youth currently involved in or at risk for delinquent behavior. This funding comes from JJCPA and is guided by the MAJJCC. The goal of the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Grant is to provide services to young people or their families that prevent delinquency. The proposals focused on factors of resiliency known to encourage improved outcomes for youth including but not limited to targeting school attendance and academic performance, structed recreational activities, positive prosocial activities, mentorship or positive adult non-family relationships, cultural connections, development of coping skills, and employment or employment readiness training.
The Probation Department received three eligible applications that were evaluated by the Merit Review Committee. The Merit Review Committee included Chief Probation, Officer Shaun Brenneman; Instructional Leadership Coordinator, Jennifer Fairbanks; and Interim Deputy Director of Mental Health, Jeremy Nielsen. The Merit Review Committee reviewed the applications independently and then reviewed their scoring of the applications as the group.
The Merit Review Committee selected the application by Two Feathers Native American Family Services (NAFS) for Two Feathers Youth Juvenile Justice Prevention Programming. This service will pair 10 to 15 Local Native Youth at risk of or actively involved with Juvenile Probation with a Youth Advocate according to shared interests and/or life experience. These youth and advocates will engage in weekly cultural mentorship. Youth Advocates will create mentorship plans that will target the following: school attendance and performance, structured recreational and cultural pro-social activities, and coping and independent living skills, employment and leadership development, juvenile justice requirements, substance use disorder and/or mental health. Youth and Youth Advocates will also define an activity and cultural project supplies needed to participate in cultural activities.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The funding for this grant comes from the Humboldt County JJCPA allocation for fiscal year 2020-21. Funding for this grant was included in the Probation Department’s 2020-21 budget in budget unit 1100-202, therefore there is no supplemental budget required at this time. This grant will have no impact on the General Fund. The funds will pass through the Humboldt County Probation 1100-202 budget line to grant recipient.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by providing community-appropriate levels of service .
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Two Feathers NAFS
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may elect not to awards these funds, however that is not recommend. This is an opportunity to support at risk youth with no cost to the general fund. This will encourage early intervention
ATTACHMENTS:
Two Feathers Juvenile Justice Prevention Programming Proposal
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A