With the passage of SB 1020 in 2012 related to Public Safety Realignment, the County was required to create a Local Innovation Subaccount intended to promote local innovation and county decision making. The bill required each county treasurer to transfer 10% of the money the county receives from the Trial Court Security Growth Special Account, the Community Corrections Growth Special Account, the District Attorney and Public Defender Growth Special Account, and the Juvenile Justice Growth Special Account to the Local Innovation Subaccount, to be used for any of the purposes that money in those accounts may be expended, beginning with fiscal year 2015-16. Revenue deposited in this “Local Innovation Fund” must be used to support local needs, and the law 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 Innovation Subaccount.
In September 2016, the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) of the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) discussed the development of recommendations for the use of Local Innovation Fund revenue. This matter was then forwarded to the CCP Community Advisory Board (CAB) for their input on the recommendations. The matter was further considered by the QAC in November 2016 as the CAB continued to formulate its input .
After the County Administrator’s Office of Reentry and Justice (ORJ) was created in January 2017, the ORJ began working with CAB to determine recommendations for the use of revenue in the Local Innovation Fund. In June 2017, 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 needs related to organizational development. The cohort would then be provided individualized 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 where it was determined that the ORJ would conduct a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the allocation of up to $250,000 to be split between a capacity building project as envisioned by CAB and an innovative reentry program to compliment the array of reentry services currently offered. On October 4, 2017, the ORJ published RFP #1709-252 for “Local Innovation Fund Projects.” The RFP provided up to $75,000 in funding for a “Capacity Building Project” to be implemented from January 2017 – December 2017, and for up to $175,000 for an “Innovative Reentry Program” that would start in January 2017 and could end in December 2018. A Bidder’s Conference was held on October 17, 2017 and streamed online 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 County with contract award recommendations.
In December 2017 the Public Protection Committee supported the RFP Review Panel’s recommendations that contracts be awarded to Fast Eddies Auto Tech Training and to the Richmond Workforce Development Board (WDB). $112,500 has been awarded to Fast Eddie's and $175,000 has been awarded to Richmond WDB. After a subsequent RFQ process, Jeweld Legacy Group was awarded a $75,000 contract in May 2018 for Capacity Building Services from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.
Capacity Building Program
In September 2018, Jeweld Legacy Group began working with five (5) non-profit community-based agencies that provide a variety of reentry services with the intent to help these agencies improve operationally and in their ability to provide more effective reentry services. This work involves an organizational assessment, creation of a capacity development plan, and support making progress on that plan through both group and individual consultation sessions. In November 2018, a project update was provided to the Quality Assurance Committee.
The agencies participating in the capacity building project include:
- Back on Track Expungement Services & Back on Track Community Services
- Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS)
- FAST Automotive Technician Training
- Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay
- Bay Area Community Resources (BACR)
Jeweld Legacy Group has worked with each of these agencies to develop their capacity development plan and in October 2018, held their first group consultation session. Since then Jeweld has met independently with program participants to make further progress on elements of their capacity development plans. Through this process, Jeweld Legacy Group made a written request to the ORJ that further revenue be committed to this project in the form of “micro-grants” to the participating agencies to incentivize and support the organizations’ commitment to make progress on their capacity development plans.
On April 18, 2019, Jeweld Legacy Group hosted the Contra Costa County Capacity Building Network Symposium with the theme of “Characteristics of Thriving Organizations.” This event was hosted in partnership with the ORJ, the Reentry Success Center and Health RIGHT 360. The Symposium was also open for attendance by other local service providers and served as one of the ORJ’s featured events in recognition of April as Second Chance Month.
At its March 11, 2019 meeting, the Public Protection Committee considered this matter in item 7 and accepted staff's recommendation to award up to $50,000 from the Local Innovation Fund through “micro – grants” in amounts ranging from $3,000 - $10,000 to the five agencies currently participating in the County’s Capacity Building Project. These grants will be provided through the contract with Jeweld Legacy Group.
Effective capacity building will not be available to participating reentry service providers.