With the passage of SB 1020 in 2012, and beginning with fiscal year 2015-16, the County was required to create a Public Safety Realignment "Local Innovation Subaccount" which is, according to the California State Association of Counties' (CSAC) documentation, "intended to promote local innovation and county decision making." The subaccount is funded by taking a ten percent share of four specified Public Safety Realignment-related growth accounts: (1) The Trial Court Security Growth Special Account; (2) The Community Corrections Growth Special Account; (3) The District Attorney and Public Defender Growth Special Account; and (4) the Juvenile Justice Growth Special Account. CSAC advises that revenue deposited in this “Local Innovation Fund” must be used to support local needs, and the law establishing the Local Innovation Subaccount provides the Board of Supervisors with the authority to fund any activity that is otherwise allowable for any of the underlying accounts that fund the subaccount.
Because each year’s Public Safety Realignment growth revenue is distributed to the County in the subsequent fiscal year, in fiscal year 2016-17 the County’s first deposit of $119,186 was made into the Local Innovation Subaccount from the requisite 2015-16 growth allocations. In this current fiscal year (FY 17-18), the County expects $186,607 to be deposited in the Local Innovation Subaccount based on the FY 2016-17 growth allocation projections, bringing the total amount of funding in the Local Innovation Subaccount to $305,793.
Award Recommendation Process
In September 2016, the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) of the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) initially discussed the development of recommendations for the use of Local Innovation revenue. This matter was then forwarded to the CCP's Community Advisory Board (CAB) for their input. The matter was further considered by the QAC in November 2016 as the CAB continued to formulate its input on the recommendations. In June 2017 the CAB recommended that this revenue be used to fund a capacity building project. The CAB recommended a project where a cohort of AB 109-funded community based service providers would be guided through a self-assessment of their needs related to organizational development. The cohort would then be provided individualized, tailored assistance to help participating agencies build capacity in the critical areas identified through the self-assessment process.
The ORJ received CAB’s input, developed additional considerations, and returned to the QAC in September 2017 for direction to the ORJ to conduct a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the provision of up to $250,000, allocated between a capacity building project as recommended by the CAB and an innovative reentry program to compliment the array of reentry services currently offered in the County. On October 4, 2017, the ORJ published RFP #1709-252 for “Local Innovation Fund Projects.” The RFP offered up to $75,000 for a “Capacity Building Project” to be implemented between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018, and for up to $175,000 for an “Innovative Reentry Program” to be provided during the period of January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019. A Bidder’s Conference was conducted by ORJ Deputy Director Blue on October 17, 2017 and streamed on-line as a webinar.
Final responses to the RFP were due November 8, 2017, and Review Panels were convened the week of November 12, 2017 to review the submitted responses and provide the Board of Supervisors with contract award recommendations. Award recommendations from the Review Panels were issued on November 17, 2017. At its special December 7, 2017 meeting, the Public Protection Committee accepted the contract award recommendations and directed staff to utilize the balance of Local Innovation Subaccount funds for a Capacity Building project.
Review Panel Scoring Process and Award Recommendations
Upon receipt of RFP responses, which numbered 5 for the Innovative Reentry Program and 1 for the Capacity Building Services Project, the ORJ conducted a technical compliance review of each proposal; all submitted proposals were provided, confidentially, to the appropriate Review Panel for review.
Review Panel Composition for the Capacity Building Project:
-
Rebecca Brown, Further the Work
-
Patrice Guillory, HealthRIGHT 360
-
Mariana Moore, Richmond Community Foundation
-
Jenny Robbins, Contra Costa Health, Housing, and Homeless Services
Review Panel Composition for the Innovative Reentry Program:
-
William Edwards, Reentry Specialist, Rubicon Programs, Inc.
-
Lesha Roth, Assistant Chief of Probation
-
Jody Sicheneder, Sheriff’s Office, Inmate Welfare Fund programs
-
Harry Thurston, Member, Community Advisory Board to CCP
-
Jessie Warner, Oakland Unite Program Planner, City of Oakland
Each Review Panel scored the response(s) submitted using a consensus scoring process, facilitated by the Director of the ORJ and the Deputy Director of the ORJ, that produced a single final consensus score for each proposal. Review Panel members each provided signed Statements of Impartiality.
The consensus score for the one Capacity Building Project proposal was 51.5 points out of 100. Based on this score, the Review Panel recommends that the County not award a contract for these services at this time. Staff recommends that another solicitation process be undertaken in the near future to secure Capacity Building services for the community-based reentry services providers, utilizing the balance of funds in the Local Innovation Subaccount and any necessary additional Local Innovation Subaccount revenue that may be available in FY 17-18 or thereafter.
There were five proposals submitted to the Innovative Reentry Program Review Panel for scoring. After an initial review of all proposals, four agencies who submitted the highest scoring proposals were invited to an interview with the Review Panel. Each of the agencies accepted the invitation, and once these interviews were completed, the Review Panel finalized the scores as follows:
Scoring was based on a Rating Sheet comprised of a maximum115 points. Based upon these results, the Review Panel recommends awarding a $75,000 contract to Edgar G. Ibarra, doing business as Fast Eddie’s Auto Repair Service, and a contract for $175,000 over two calendar years to the Richmond Workforce Development Board.
Program Summaries
Fast Eddie's Auto Tech Training Program
The proposed vocational training program in auto repair services is a 90-day Automotive Service Technician correspondence program, developed to provide vocational training opportunities for incarcerated males and females in Contra Costa County. The in-custody component would be followed by a 4-week hands-on training program at Fast Eddie's Auto Service. Participants will be expected to complete one module of the curriculum each week for 12 weeks prior to release from custody. Upon completion, participants will receive a "work-ready" certificate for a Lube Technician, Brake Technician, and Service Writer and be referred to the Job Developer for employment placement services. Courses will be offered on a quarterly basis via correspondence with onsite study sessions that include one-on-one or small group support, depending on the facility access and participant needs. The program aims to provide services to up to 40 incarcerated individuals. This vocational training model, which blends an in-custody and out-of-custody service approach, has not previously been offered in Contra Costa County.
Richmond Workforce Development Board
The proposed program will enroll up to 80 participants in six cohorts in the 60 hour Accelerating Careers Through Essential Skills (ACES) Academy to enable participants to develop essential skills for job attainment and retention. The Academy originated to address employment needs in the warehouse/production/manufacturing sectors of the East Bay. The Academy will provide training in skills such as teamwork, work ethic, developing positive networks, motivation, conflict management, community service and civic engagement, and responding appropriately to supervision. Upon completion of the Academy, participants will have several options for further training or immediate employment assistance. Participants will have the option to enter the RichmondBUILD construction training program upon completion of ACES. Participants can undertake warehousing/logistics training. Approximately 15 participants each year will receive training and instruction in the Multi-Core Curriculum (MC3) pre-apprenticeship program and receive the industry-identified MC3 certificate, which would be an innovative element to our reentry system. The proposed model will feature strong coordination, co-enrollment and co-investment with WIOA and Prop. 39 grant funds.