Agenda

Return

C. 64

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	David Twa, County Administrator
Date:	April 16, 2019

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

AC5 Arts in Corrections and County Jails Reports

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 04/16/2019

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Julia Taylor, 925.335.1043

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: April 16, 2019
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ACCEPT the "2018 Arts in Corrections Contra Costa County Jails Demonstration Project Evaluation Report" and the "Arts in Corrections County Jail Project Report" from the California Lawyers for the Arts, as recommended by the Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County (AC5).

FISCAL IMPACT:

These reports are informational only and will have no fiscal impact on the County.

BACKGROUND:

California Lawyers for the Arts (CLA) is a nonprofit corporation that offered an Arts in Correction Initiative, which received major funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and other funders. The initiative brought a new level of awareness to the value of effective arts programming in correction facilities. The goal was to measure the behavioral and attitudinal changes experienced by residents in county jails throughout California and the impact on their lives.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

CLA and AC5 agreed to collaborate in order to provide arts programming for inmates at the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, Marsh Creek Detention Facility, under the auspices of CLA’s Arts in Corrections County Jails Demonstration Project. This project started May, 2018 and extended through July, 2018.

The purpose was to place high quality teaching artists in the Marsh Creek Detention Facility to teach drawing classes to inmates. These teaching artists provided oversight and support to the participants and issued a survey to participants as part of a statewide evaluation of arts programs in county jails. Contra Costa County agreed to disseminate results of this project to CLA in order to inform elected county leaders and statewide associations involved in public policy, the arts and criminal justice. Participants completed questionnaires that were designed by Dr. Brewster, University of San Francisco School of Management.

The benefits of this collaboration was that CLA provided new resources, technical assistance and mutual support for Contra Costa County in order to implement the Project. The CLA report, "Arts in Corrections County Jail Project Report", shares the aggregated results of the surveys conducted during the Project. Results clearly demonstrate the value of this Project. The report highlights the CLA's intent to work with local agencies, to use the survey results to advocate for ongoing State funding for similar programs. CLA, AC5, and the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff will continue to work together to try to obtain additional financial support for the continuation and future development of this program. AC5's "2018 Arts in Corrections Contra Costa County Jail Demonstration Project Evaluation Report" reports program costs and activities more specifically within Contra Costa County.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Not accepting these two reports on the Arts in Corrections County Jail Demonstration Project will fail to acknowledge the feedback received from inmates about the program, and the work executed in Contra Costa County to make the program a success.