Receive and file Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan. (No general fund impact) (Fruchtenicht)

Receive and file Yolo County’s Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan, a requirement to be eligible to receive Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant funding allocation.

	Safe Communities
	County Mandated Service

In August 2020, Senate Bill 823 was signed into law with the intent to end placement of justice system-involved youth in State facilities by July 1, 2021, and instead, realign the responsibility to provide rehabilitative services for this population to their respective counties of residence.  To be eligible for related funding allocations (Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant) each county has been tasked with developing a plan for rehabilitative treatment for those youth who previously would have been sentenced to the California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) – the highest level, serious juvenile offenders requiring long-term treatment and custodial care who could not have their needs addressed through intensive community-based services. 
 
In accordance with Welfare and Institutions Code Sections 1990-1995, Yolo County’s Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan was developed by the Probation Department in partnership with the Juvenile Justice Realignment Subcommittee of the multi-agency Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council over a nine-month period in which seven public Subcommittee meetings were held.
 
Of note, the Department and Subcommittee considered the benefits and the risks of:  a) creating a local long-term treatment program; b) hosting youth from other counties; c) contracting with another county for these services; or d) opting into the Secure Track County Consortium.  Following a presentation on the findings, on May 4, 2021, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to opt into the Consortium.
 
Since then, the Department and Subcommittee have developed the attached Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan which contemplates the Consortium and includes the following components:
 

• Description of Realignment Target Population
   
• Description of Programs and Services, including facilities, programs, placements, services and service providers, supervision and other responses to be provided to target population
   
• How the County plans to apply grant funds, for the benefit of the target population to address:
  • mental health, sex offender treatment or related behavioral or trauma-based needs
  • support programs or services that promote healthy adolescent development
  • family engagement in programs
  • reentry, including planning and linkages to support employment, housing and continuing education
  • evidence-based, promising, trauma-informed and culturally responsive services
     
• How the County plans to apply grant funds to include services or programs for the target population that are provided by non-governmental or community-based providers
   
• How facilities will ensure the safety and protection of youth having different ages, genders, special needs and other relevant characteristics
   
• How the County will incentivize or facilitate the retention of the target population within the jurisdiction and rehabilitative foundation of the juvenile justice system, in lieu of transfer to the adult criminal justice system
   
• Regional efforts
   
• Data collection and outcome measures

To receive 2022-23 funding, Yolo County’s Juvenile Justice Realignment plan must be filed with the Office of Youth and Community Restoration by January 1, 2022.  To continue receiving funding, the Subcommittee shall consider the Plan, at a minimum of every third year, and revised or not, the Plan shall be submitted to the Office of Youth and Community Restoration by May 1 of each year.

Juvenile Justice Realignment Subcommittee of the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council