COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Probation Department

DATE:

6/30/04

BOARD MEETING DATE:

7/27/04

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Loren Buddress, Chief Probation Officer

SUBJECT:

Resolution Accepting the Conditions of the Grant and Authorizing the Chief Probation Officer to Submit and Execute the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant.

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution that continues the VICTIM IMPACT AWARENESS (VIA) Program with funding ($88,726, match $9,858) available through the Federal Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) administered by the California State Board of Corrections. In addition, the County agrees that any liability arising out of this grant will be the responsibility of the grant recipient and the Board of Supervisors, as the authorizing agency, and further that the County will provide all matching funds and that grant funds will not be used to supplant other funds controlled by the Board of Supervisors. Further that the Chief Probation Officer is authorized to submit the grant proposal to the Board of Corrections and sign, approve, and execute the Award Agreement including any extensions or amendments, provided any modification requiring expenditure of additional funds by the County is approved by the Board.

Background

A Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant in 2003 alotted $115,112 to the County and the Probation Department to operate the Victim Impact Awareness (VIA) Program, a collaboration of the Superior Court, Community Based organizations, and Probation. The requirements of the grant were that the program focus should be in two target areas chosen by the applicants. Our targets are:

• Developing and administering accountability-based sanctions for juvenile offenders.

• Enabling juvenile courts and juvenile probation officers to be more effective and efficient in holding juvenile offenders accountable and in reducing recidivism.

Youth under the age of 15 ½ in the northern and southern part of San Mateo County have been identified by the Juvenile Crime Enforcement Coalition (JCEC) as having extremely high needs and a disproportionately high impact on county services. Young offenders in this area contribute to a major portion of the overall probation referrals (67%) and significant portion of the violence (53%) in this county. Existent services address two of the key rehabilitation factors, skill building and community protection. However, efforts need to be placed toward the crucial components of victim awareness and active reparation to victims.

Due to reductions in probation funding at the time and the amount of the grant offered it, was necessary to begin our victim awareness program as a pilot project in the northern and southern jurisdictions of the County, only. The target group was120 youth who are either referred by police diversion programs or the juvenile court but all must meet the following requirements:

• Current offense must involve a victim

• Offender must be willing to meet with victim, unless excluded

• Must be assessed as “High Risk” offender

Parents of the project participants are a sub-target group of this effort. Their involvement and willingness, in some cases, to make changes to the family environment will encourage and support the offender to change. This parental, or other adult support, coupled with recognition of the youth offender’s assets and strengths will, in most cases, make any immediate alteration of behavior more likely to be sustained. In addition, lessons learned may also assist the parent’s with issues that effect their own lives and choices they make.

In the VIA program youth participate in prescribed exercises focused on developing a sense of responsibility and an understanding of the harm inflicted as result of their actions. The program emphasizes restorative justice through restitution and or reparation to the community.

The course curriculum, based on the California Youth Authority Victim Awareness Education program, which consists of eight (8) 75 minute interactive sessions taught by trained teams of Probation, Mental Health and Community members and includes presentations by crime victims. The sessions, given six times per year in both locations, are an overview of crime and victimization by crime category: Property Crimes- Burglary, Theft, Vandalism, Arson; Embezzlement; Domestic Violence; Assault & Battery; Hate Crimes; Robbery; Sexual Assault and Driving Offenses- DUI, Reckless Driving.

Normal program hours are from soon after school lets out until approximately 5 PM. The purpose of each session is to build skills that encourage participants to think beyond a first response, to seek alternatives to dealing with rivalries, to visualize worst case outcomes, and to understand consequences of their behavior. Upon completion of the program, each of the offenders is presented with the opportunity to participate in the Victim Offender Mediation Program with their victim, providing the victim agrees and the contact is not excluded by the nature of the offense or staff decision. Work with court mediators supplements the class experience and assist participants in active reparation to the victims instilling empathy for the victim. This step sets in motion offender amends to the victim through apology, payment for damages, or community work. If a participant fails to or refuses to participate they have not successfully completed the program. Unsuccessful completion may result in a diversion failure and referral to the juvenile court, or in the case of probation youth, a probation violation.

Discussion

The first grant period of operation was limited by start-up issues and staff training. Once in place and with building referrals, 16 youth were served and all but one (1) successfully completed the program. In addition, potential participant non-compliance in three areas was tracked: class attendance, restitution paid, and community service performed. During the term of the program there was 92% compliance in these areas by program participants.

For this second grant period efforts to encourage police referrals have been redoubled and the Juvenile Court is ordering appropriate offenders into the program. We should be able to effectively meet our target number during this grant period.

Since there has been an approximately $26,000 reduction in funding this grant cycle, the difference has been mitigated by elimination of the costs for the start-up training, slight reductions to contract providers, and workload absorbed by the Probation Department. The program should still be able to operate at full capacity for this new funding cycle. The required match of approximately $9,800 will continue to be met with administration time by the Juvenile Delinquency Mediation Coordinator of the Superior Court and the Probation Services Manager overseeing the program.

Vision Alignment

In keeping with the County’s Shared Vision 2010, the Comprehensive Multi-Agency Juvenile Justice Plan Modification supports the following goals:

• Goal 6, Children grow up healthy in safe and supportive homes and neighborhoods

• Goal 7, Maintain and enhance the public safety of all residents and visitors

• Goal 8, Help vulnerable people --…at-risk youth and others – achieve a better quality of life.

• Goal 22, County and local governments effectively communicate, collaborate and develop strategic approaches to issues affecting the entire county

The Comprehensive Juvenile Justice Plan Modification is an extensive collaboration of social service, educational and community based organizations within the County. The focus of the Coordinating Council and the plan is to provide programs that fill service gaps in the targeted neighborhoods most needing the services. The ultimate goal of these service agencies is that at-risk youth just entering the juvenile justice system will be able to make significant changes to their way of life to prevent further contact, and develop tools that will enable them to have a better quality of life that continues through their lifetime. The bottom line benefit to all is the reduction in crime and enhancement of public safety.

Fiscal Impact

No additional net County cost is associated with the review, approval, and submission of this grant application, matching funds will be derived from existent administration resources.