BSCC Awards $3m to Juvenile Justice Programs
POMONA (Sept. 17, 2015) – The Board of State and Community Corrections has awarded $3 million in federal grant funds designed to support delinquency prevention and intervention services and reduce racial and ethnic disparity in the juvenile justice system. The competitive awards from the federal Title II Formula Grant Program will go to 13 agencies and two federally recognized tribes. In Alameda County $300,000 was awarded to Community Works West, which works with youth charged with felony-level crimes to help them make amends, develop empathy and work toward having charges dropped. The Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria will use its grant to reduce and prevent crime and delinquency through tutoring, counseling and mentoring services. (See all winning grant program descriptions here) The BSCC is the designated state administrative agency for the Title II program. The BSCC’s State Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention made the recommendations for awards based on an Executive Steering Committee’s proposal review process. Proposal priority areas were drawn from its three-year plan for juvenile justice needs. Priority areas include: evidence-based practices and strategies that help youth by strengthening programs and services; and reducing disproportionate minority contact in the juvenile justice system. Title II funding is intended to support juvenile justice agencies and community organizations in developing delinquency prevention reforms. Funding for the Tribal Youth Grant is intended to support enhanced services to at-risk and system-involved tribal youth. The BSCC received 18 requests for proposals totaling nearly $5 million. The committee divided the available funding among small, medium and large counties and the tribal applicants. For more information, the board report is available here. For more information please contact Helene Zentner at 916-323-8631 or at Helene.zentner@bscc.ca.gov