Agenda

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C. 24

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Esa Ehmen-Krause, County Probation Officer
Date:	September 15, 2020

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Smart Reentry Transitional Age Youth Services Contract Renewal with Bay Area Community Resources

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 09/15/2020

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:

Donte Blue, 925-313-4087

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: September 15, 2020
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Chief Probation Officer, or designee, to execute a contract with Bay Area Community Resources, subject to approval as to form by County Counsel, in an amount not to exceed $248,870, to provide Smart Reentry Transitional Age Youth Services for the period October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2021.

FISCAL IMPACT:

100% Federal: "Smart Reentry: Focus on Evidence-Based Strategies for Successful Reentry from Incarceration to Community" grant

BACKGROUND:

On October 24, 2017, the Board of Supervisors authorized new revenue in the amount of $1,000,000 awarded from the U.S. Department of Justice "Smart Reentry: Focus on Evidence-Based Strategies for Successful Reentry from Incarceration to Community" grant and appropriating it to implement responsive reentry services for transitional aged youth (TAY) offenders (18-25 years old). The initial grant period was from October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2019.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

In February 2019, the County's one-year no-cost-extension of the grant was approved by the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), extending the grant period to September 30, 2020. In August 2020, due to the impact of COVID-19, the County’s second one-year no-cost-extension of the grant was approved by the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance, further extending the grant period to September 30, 2021.

The goal of the Smart Reentry Program is to support jurisdictions to develop and implement comprehensive and collaborative strategies that address the reentry challenges for individuals reentering communities from incarceration who are at medium to high risk for recidivating in order to increase public safety and reduce recidivism. Within the context of this initiative, “reentry” is not envisioned to be a specific program, but rather a process that begins when the individual is first incarcerated (pre-release) and ends with his or her successful community reintegration and reduction in risk of recidivism (post-release).

In Contra Costa County, the TAY population constitutes the largest age cohort within the jail and experiences the highest rates of homelessness outside of jail. There is a growing state and national awareness of the inadequacy of existing practices in serving the needs of young adults aged 18 to 25 in the justice system. This Smart Reentry program will allow the County to better serve the needs of the TAY population.

Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) partnered with the Contra Costa County Probation Department to prepare and submit the grant application. As part of this grant project, BACR will:

Provide pre-release services to incarcerated TAY;
Participate on the Reentry Success Team;
Provide case-management and wrap-around post release support services;
Provide career coaching and planning services; and
Provide job and life skills training.

On August 14, 2018, the Board of Supervisors approved and authorized the County Administrator, or designee, to execute a contract with Bay Area Community Resources in an amount not to exceed $305,000 to provide Smart Reentry TAY Services for the period January 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019. In February 2019, the County's one-year no-cost-extension of the grant was approved by the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance setting the new end date of the grant as September 30, 2020. On May 21, 2019, the Board of Supervisors approved and authorized the County Administrator, or designee, to execute a contract amendment with Bay Area Community Resources for Smart Reentry TAY Services that increased the payment to $332,000 and established a new contract end date of September 30, 2020.

On May 26, 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved and authorized the County Administrator, or designee, to execute a contract with BACR, in an amount not to exceed $130,000, to provide Smart Reentry Transitional Age Youth Services for the period October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020. Subsequently, due the impact of COVID-19, the BJA approved a one-year no-cost-extension setting the new end date of the grant as September 30, 2021.

Because of the latest change to the grant term, the funder approved the reallocation of another $118,870 in grant funded revenue to BACR. This action would allow the County to enter into a new extended contract with BACR for the period of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2021, in an amount not to exceed $248,870, to fully account for the changes made to the term and budget for this grant.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Smart Reentry Transitional Age Youth services will not be performed, a community based partner will not be compensated for a significant amount of work provided to the County, and the "Smart Reentry: Focus on Evidence-Based Strategies for Successful Reentry from Incarceration to Community" grant deliverables would not be performed.