COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Office of District Attorney

DATE:

April 22, 2002

BOARD MEETING DATE:

May 7, 2002

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

James P. Fox, District Attorney

SUBJECT:

Application for Renewal of Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board (formerly the California State Board of Control) Restitution Program Contract

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution authorizing execution of a contract with the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board in the amount of $77,427 for the Restitution Program for FY2002-2003.

Background

In January 1997, the State Board of Control established a Restitution Committee to review and discuss statewide restitution and victim's services issues. One result of this effort was that the State Board of Control approached several District Attorneys' Offices in the State and proposed the establishment of paralegal positions within those offices to collect restitution and monitor the enforcement of court orders. In the fall of 1997, the State Board of Control stated their intent to enter into a contract with San Mateo County to fund a paralegal position and start the program. Your Board approved an amendment to the Salary Ordinance in December 1997 and an appropriation transfer request in January 1998 to initiate the program in San Mateo County.

Discussion

The Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board has submitted a contract to the District Attorney's Office to continue the Restitution Program in FY2002-2003. The program supports one paralegal who is responsible for coordinating restitution efforts in the District Attorney's Office. This includes notifying deputy district attorneys of cases in which restitution needs to be ordered, tracking the disposition of cases in which restitution has been ordered, and reporting case status to the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board. Approval of the subject resolution will permit the District Attorney to submit the contract to the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board for continuance of this program effort.

The purpose of the restitution contract is to seek the imposition of restitution fines and orders for cases in which a victim has filed a claim with the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board. In the last 16 months the State has updated their database and introduced an Access database to assist counties in automating their unit. A number of data queries still need to be developed in order to capture statistics that had been kept manually. The estimated cases tracked by the paralegal this year are 350. Of the 350 cases, 85% will result in conviction and 65% will result in restitution fines and orders. The paralegal continues to work to increase the number of fines and orders by training all new deputy district attorneys and working with the Victim compensation and Government Claims Board to properly identify and track cases prior to sentencing.

Fiscal Impact

The subject contract fully funds the Restitution Program for FY2002-2003. The proposed $77,427 covers salaries and benefits totaling $70,332 and $7,095 in services, supplies, equipment and per capita service charges. The effort under this contract also has a positive fiscal impact for the State because the State obtains reimbursement of funds issued to victims of violent crimes by their Victim of Crimes Program from criminal perpetrators. Assuming approval will be forthcoming, this current Board action will have no fiscal impact on net county cost.

Vision Alignment

The contract with the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board keeps the commitment of Ensuring Basic Health and Safety for All and goal number 8: Helping vulnerable people - the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at-risk youth and others - achieve a better quality of life. The contract contributes to this commitment and goal by ensuring that victims get the restitution due them. Without this restitution the quality of their lives would deteriorate because they have been victimized.