COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

SHERIFF’S OFFICE

DATE:

June 4, 2010

BOARD MEETING DATE:

June 22, 2010

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

4/5ths

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Sheriff Greg Munks

SUBJECT:

FY 2009 Congressionally Selected Grant Award

RECOMMENDATION:

A.

Adopt a Resolution:

1.

Accepting the FY 2009 Congressionally Selected Grant award in the amount of $200,000; and

2.

Authorizing the Sheriff or Sheriff’s designee to execute all necessary documents in connection with the grant including but not limited to agreements, amendments, and grant assurances.

B.

Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) transferring $93,243 from the Sheriff’s Office Departmental Reserves to various expenditures accounts within the Sheriff’s Office to fund the match associated with the Women’s Transitional Facility grant.

C.

Adopt an ordinance amending the salary ordinance and waiver of reading the ordinance in its entirety to add two unclassified Sheriff’s Correctional Officer positions.

BACKGROUND:

Due to a cooperative relationship with the California Superior Court of San Mateo County an existing, but aged 16 bed dormitory in an adjoining minimum security building was freed up to establish a new environment that offers more opportunity and responsibility for female inmates. Addressing the personal challenges of female inmates is a key component to reducing recidivism and preparing the inmates for a productive and involved future. To address this issue, the Sheriff’s Office, on behalf of the County, applied for and was awarded federal assistance to establish a 12-month pilot Transitional Housing Unit, known as the Women’s Transitional Facility. The converted living space provides gender-based services and corrections programming including: intensive trauma counseling, mental health services, alcohol and drug treatment, GED and job training/education, parenting and life skills. The facility will also test the efficacy of gender-specific, evidence-based corrections to improve the outcomes of female offenders. The overarching goal is for women to make a successful transition back into the community by achieving, family reunification, financial and housing stability, job readiness skills, and personal health and well being.

DISCUSSION:

Acceptance of this grant award establishes a Women’s Transitional Facility within the San Mateo County jail system that currently does not have dedicated space or staffing for a Women’s Work Furlough program, to house minimum security sentenced female inmates. Previously, women in the Work Furlough program were housed in the maximum security facility. This resulted in their not receiving the expected benefits of the program due to the absence of transitional preparation, the switch from maximum freedom during the day to maximum confinement during the evening hours and stressful living conditions.

Acceptance of this grant will allow the Sheriff’s Office to offer women a work furlough experience that helps them transition from custody to the community. In addition, the grant will reduce overcrowding in the Sheriff’s Women’s Correctional Center (WCC) and will allow for conditions that promote effective rehabilitation.

This will be accomplished by adding two unclassified Sheriff’s Correctional Officer positions to provide security, programming, monitoring and facilitation to approximately 100 women annually housed in the new separate work furlough accommodations. The cost of this project is approximately $293,243. The grant award is for $200,000 in which the remaining $93,243 will be paid from Sheriff’s Office Reserves as local match to assist with the project.

County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution and Ordinance as to form.

Approval of this grant award contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Healthy Community by providing gender response programming to women housed in the new Women’s Transitional Facility.

PERFORMANCE MEASURE:

Measure

FY 2009-10
Projected

FY 2010-11
Projected

Number of women housed in the Women’s Transitional Facility

50

(Measure is based on a 6 month period: January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2010)

50

(Measure is based on a 6 month period: July 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010)

FISCAL IMPACT:

The ATR transfers $93,243 from the Sheriff’s Office Departmental Reserves to various expenditure accounts within the Sheriff’s Office. There is no Net County Cost associated with this ATR. The Sheriff’s Office plans to front-load the match in FY09-10 and expend the grant in FY10-11. This grant award has been included in the FY10-11 Sheriff’s Office Recommended Budget.