The Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) provides state funding for counties to implement programs that have proven effective in reducing crime and delinquency among at-risk youth. The Youthful Offender Block Grant (YOBG) provides state funding for counties to deliver custody and care for youth who were no longer eligible to be committed to the state's Department of Juvenile Justice. Allocations from this funding are used to enhance the capacity of county probation, mental health, drug and alcohol, and other county departments to provide appropriate rehabilitative and supervision services to youthful offenders.
In FY 2021-22, with the support of the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, the county will seek to launch a new, innovative program called the Youth Early Intervention Partnership (YEIP) funded by the JJCPA/YOBG. YEIP will be a public-private partnership between the Office of the Public Defender, multiple county agencies, and community-based partners. The objective of this Partnership is to provide community-based case management, legal advocacy and support, and service connection to youth who have had contact with law enforcement but who have not yet been formally charged with a crime. The program will be designed to prevent or minimize system involvement for youth whose contact with law enforcement has not yet resulted in formal processing in the youth justice system.
The Deputy Public Defender III position will provide holistic legal services to youth to improve their educational outcomes, decrease youth homelessness, increase access to medical and mental health care, and increase employment opportunities. This position will be funded by the JJCP/YOBG, which is administered through the Contra Costa Probation Department.
If this action is not approved, the project could not launch and juvenile clients of the Office of the Public Defender will not receive necessary legal advocacy services.