SACRAMENTO (Nov. 17, 2016) – The Board of State and Community Corrections today approved release of a Request for Proposals for the design and construction
of local adult criminal justice facilities.

The $250 million in state lease-revenue bond financing, made available through Senate Bill 844, is earmarked for the 20 counties that have not yet received jail improvement funding, or that received only partial funding in previous rounds.

Counties may use the funds to improve housing with an emphasis on expanding program and treatment space, to create in-custody mental health or treatment space, and to establish space for reentry services. Successful applicants will build projects that provide in-person visitation and will include with their applications a description of efforts to address sexual abuse.

The Governor’s 2011 Realignment effort transferred responsibility for non-violent, low-level offenders to the counties. Since then state budgets have included financing to help counties adapt to new populations in local jails through improvement of facilities and construction of space for programming designed to reduce recidivism.

As with the previous round of funding, applicants must submit documentation showing the  ercentage of inmates being held pending trial and a description of any current risk-assessment pretrial release program.

The Executive Steering Committee based the new RFP on the one established for SB 863, which, like previous rounds of jail funding, also emphasized construction of treatment and programming space. Proposals are due back to the BSCC on Feb. 28, 2017. The ESC will convene on May 18, 2017 to rate proposals and establish a rank-ordered list for funding.

SB 844 also includes $20 million to  eplace the jail in Napa County, which was damaged by earthquake in 2014..

Once Title 15 and 24 regulations are approved by the Office of Administrative Law, the RFP will be posted on the BSCC website. The BSCC anticipates this will take place in December.

For more information about the SB 844 grant process please contact John Prince
at John.Prince2@bscc.ca.gov or at 916-445-2014.