Comment period extended to March 22, 2021

Virtual Stakeholder Meeting – March 22, 2021, 4 to 6 PM and Draft RFA Outline

 

SACRAMENTO (Feb.19,2021) - The BSCC is requesting broad input from all stakeholders and interested parties about the needs and priorities that should be addressed by the $9.6 million in one-time funds designated in SB 823 for start-up infrastructure planning. The BSCC has proposed that $4 million be used to create regional facilities for youth with specific needs, and that $5.12 million be divided equitably by the counties. The comments the BSCC receives will be incorporated into the process of preparing a Request for Applications (RFA) that will be submitted to the Board for consideration at its April 8, 2021 meeting.

Background

On September 30, 2020, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 823 (SB 823), which began the closure of the state’s Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), realigning those state functions to county governments. Under SB 823, DJJ intake will close for most youth on July 1, 2021, and counties will then become fully responsible for the housing, programming, and treatment of youth with high-level offenses and longer-term needs who can no longer be committed to DJJ.

SB 823 allocated $9.6 million for the Board of State and Community Corrections to “award one-time grants, to counties for the purpose of providing resources for infrastructure-related needs and improvements to assist counties in the development of a local continuum of care.”  These funds are limited to counties as eligible applicants.

The BSCC issued to counties a Request for Information on December 18, 2020. The survey requested information about each county’s intent to house these youth after June 30, 2021, specifically in programming that may be developed/offered for the population, whether youth from other counties will be housed, the anticipated number of youth to be housed, and the infrastructure needs to house these youth. A majority of the responding counties indicated they lack capacity to serve youth in one or more of the following high-needs categories and that they intend to refer these youth to other counties for appropriate treatment and placement: 1. Females, 2. Sex Offenders, and 3. Seriously Mentally Ill youth.

The current proposal under review by the Board is to make available $4 million for four projects (up to $1 million each) to develop regional programs to serve youth referred by other counties in the three high-needs areas noted above (females, sex offenders, seriously mentally ill). The intent is to award at least one project in each of the three high-needs categories. Under this proposed distribution, the remaining $5.12 million will be distributed equitably to all counties to support infrastructure and improvements needed to serve their in-county populations of realigned youth.

We request that those submitting comments take into account the following statutory parameters for the SB 823 Youth Program and Facilities Grant:

• Eligible applicants must be counties.
• Grant funds must be used for infrastructure-related needs and improvements to assist counties in the development of a local continuum of care.
• Infrastructure and improvements must be for facilities or programs addressing the needs of youth who are being realigned to counties as a result of the planned closure of the state Division of Juvenile Justice

As a reminder, the most frequently reported infrastructure needs by the counties are listed below:

The public comment period has been extended to Monday, March 22, 2021  and comments will be used to help formulate the RFA.  Interested parties can provide input by emailing SB823GrantFeedback@bscc.ca.gov

Please be sure to indicate if your comment pertains to the recommendation to allocate $4 million for regional programs or to the $5.12 million to be distributed to all counties.

Thank you

LINDA PENNER
Chair

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