THE SENATE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE
NUMBER FIVE ON CORRECTIONS,
PUBLIC SAFETY. JUDICIARY. LABOR
AND TRANSPORTATION WILL COME TO
ORDER. GOOD MORNING. WE ARE
HOLDING OUR COMMITTEE HEARINGS
HERE IN THE CAPITOL. I ASK ALL
MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE BE
PRESENT IN ROOM 112 FOR ONCE,
PLEASE BE PRESENT. SO WE CAN
ESTABLISH QUORUM AND BEGIN OUR
HEARING. I'M JUST JOKING, TODAY
WE WILL HEAR INFORMATIONAL
PANELS ON THREE KEY PUBLIC
SAFETY ISSUES INVESTMENTS IN
ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION,
HEALTH CARE AND TREATMENT FOR
THE JUSTICE INVOLVED, POPULATION
AND SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS OF
CRIME. THESE ISSUES REPRESENT
KEY COMPONENTS IN THE STATE'S
EFFORTS TO INCREASE PUBLIC
SAFETY AND REDUCE CRIME, AS WELL
AS ADDRESS COMPOUNDING ISSUES
SUCH AS SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND
MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH
REHABILITATIVE, HUMANE AND
EVIDENCE BASED APPROACHES TO
ENSURE WE HAVE TIME FOR
EVERYTHING ON TODAY'S AGENDA, WE
ARE ASKING PANELISTS TO KEEP
THEIR TESTIMONY UNDER FIVE
MINUTES. I WOULD ALSO ASK MY
FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO KEEP
THEIR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
CONCISE. WOULD ANY MEMBERS LIKE
TO ADD ANYTHING BEFORE WE BEGIN?
SEEING NONE, LET'S ESTABLISH A
QUORUM. CONSULTANT, PLEASE CALL
THE ROLE SENATOR WAHAB HERE.
D'ARAZZO NEWMAN HERE. CIERTO
HERE. THANK YOU. THE CONSULTANT
NOTES A QUORUM HAS BEEN
ESTABLISHED. LET'S BEGIN WITH
OUR FIRST ISSUE. PROP 47. AND
INVESTMENTS IN ALTERNATIVES TO
INCARCERATION. WE WILL FIRST
HEAR FROM CAITLIN O'NEIL FROM
THE LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S OFFICE
. YOU CAN TELL THE OTHER
PANELISTS TO COME UP TO THE
TABLE. AND CAN WE ALSO HAVE
CASEY WARMUTH, CHIEF OF
RESEARCH, BOARD OF STATE AND
COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS APPROACH
THE TABLE. THANK YOU AND
TARNISH. HOLLINS. IS TARNISHING
OKAY? YEAH. PLEASE APPROACH THE
TABLE. TARNISH. HOLLINS IS THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
CALIFORNIANS FOR SAFETY AND
JUSTICE. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO
FIRST HEAR FROM CAITLIN O'NEIL
WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. THANK YOU
. SIR. GOOD MORNING, CAITLIN
O'NEIL WITH THE LEGISLATIVE
ANALYST'S OFFICE. I'LL BE
SPEAKING TODAY FROM A HANDOUT
CALLED OVERVIEW OF SELECTED
SENTENCING CHANGES AND AVOIDED
STATE COSTS, I BELIEVE THE
SERGEANTS ARE, HAVE COPIES OF
THE HANDOUT FOR THE AUDIENCE AND
MY FELLOW PANELISTS, IF THEY
WOULD LIKE SOME, SO TURNING TO
PAGE ONE, JUST TO BRIEFLY
PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF WHAT ALL
WHAT THE HANDOUT COVERS, WE
INCLUDE SELECTED SENTENCING
CHANGES ENACTED IN 2012 OR LATER
THAT HAVE IMPACTED THE STATE
CORRECTIONAL POPULATION, MEANING
THE PRISON AND PAROLE
POPULATIONS. A FIGURE SHOWING
THE DECLINE IN THE STATE
CORRECTIONAL POPULATION OVER
THAT PERIOD, AS WELL AS A
DISCUSSION OF REDUCED AND
AVOIDED COSTS THAT HAVE RESULTED
FROM THESE POPULATION DECLINES.
WE ALSO INCLUDE A BRIEF
DISCUSSION OF PROPOSITION 47 AND
THE STATE SAVINGS ATTRIBUTED TO
IT, AS WELL AS AN OVERVIEW OF,
TRENDS IN THE COUNTY
CORRECTIONAL POPULATION. OVER
THE SAME PERIOD, SO TURNING TO
PAGE TWO. YOU'LL SEE A SUMMARY
OF THE SELECTED SENTENCING
CHANGES SINCE 2012. IN THE
INTEREST OF TIME, I'M NOT GOING
TO GO OVER THEM, BUT I'M HAPPY
THEY'RE HERE FOR REFERENCE AND
HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS ON THEM.
TURNING TO PAGE FIVE, YOU CAN
SEE HERE A FIGURE SHOWING THE
PRISON AND PAROLE POPULATIONS
SINCE 2012, SPECIFICALLY THE
PRISON POPULATION DECLINED BY
ABOUT 40,000 PEOPLE IN THE
PAROLE POPULATION, THÀNH
DECLINED BY 33,000 PEOPLE.
TURNING TO PAGE SIX. THIS PAGE
AND THE NEXT PAGE PROVIDE AN
OVERVIEW OF THE SAVINGS THAT THE
STATE HAS THAT HAVE HAVE
RESULTED TO THE STATE, FROM
THESE POPULATION DECLINES. AND
WE THINK ABOUT THESE SAVINGS AS
HAVING TWO COMPONENTS. THE FIRST
COMPONENT IS THE ACTUAL BUDGET
REDUCTIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED AS
A RESULT OF THE POPULATION
DECLINES. AND THE WAY THAT CDCR
HAS ACCOMMODATED THOSE DECLINES.
AND THE SECOND COMPONENT, WHICH
IS ON THE SECOND PAGE, THE NEXT
PAGE IS THE AVOIDED COSTS, THAT
OR THE COSTS THAT THE STATE HAS
LIKELY AVOIDED, RELATIVE TO THE
ALTERNATIVE STATE OF THE WORLD
WHERE THE POPULATION EITHER
DIDN'T DECLINE OR THE POPULATION
ACTUALLY INCREASED AFTER 2012.
SO ON PAGE SIX, TALKING ABOUT
THAT FIRST SET OF SAVINGS, THE,
THE ACTUAL BUDGET REDUCTIONS
THAT HAVE OCCURRED, THOSE FALL
INTO FOUR CATEGORIES. THE FIRST
IS THAT THE STATE IN 2012 WAS
SPENDING ABOUT TEN, WAS SPENDING
ABOUT $260 MILLION TO HOUSE
ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE IN
CONTRACTOR OPERATED PRISONS,
BOTH IN-STATE AND OUT-OF-STATE.
AND AS THE POPULATION DECLINED,
THE STATE PHASED OUT THE USE OF
THOSE CONTRACT BEDS SO IT NO
LONGER HAS TO PAY THAT COST. THE
SECOND, SET OF COST REDUCTIONS
OR CATEGORY OF COST REDUCTION,
IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DECLINE
IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HOUSED
IN STATE OPERATED FACILITIES.
AND SO AS THAT NUMBER DECLINES,
THE STATE SAVES ABOUT $15,000
PER PERSON PER YEAR. AND THAT'S
ON THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING,
CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF MEDICAL
CARE. AND SO THAT NUMBER HAS
DECLINED BY ABOUT 33,000 PEOPLE
SINCE 2012, WHICH TRANSLATES TO
ABOUT HALF $1 BILLION ANNUALLY,
RELATIVE TO IF THE POPULATION
HAD REMAINED AT 2012 LEVELS, THE
THIRD COST REDUCTION IS THAT, AS
YOU'RE AWARE, THE STATE HAS
DEACTIVATED VARIOUS FACILITIES.
SO WHEN DEACTIVATIONS OCCURRED,
THE STATE CAN SAVE ON OVERHEAD
COSTS LIKE STAFFING. AND THE
ADMINISTRATION ESTIMATES THAT
THE CLOSURES THAT HAVE ALREADY
OCCURRED, AS WELL AS THE PLANNED
CHUCKAWALLA VALLEY CLOSURE NEXT
YEAR, WILL EVENTUALLY SAVE THE
STATE AROUND 700,000,770 MILLION
ANNUALLY. AND FINALLY, AS THE
PAROLE POPULATION DECLINES, THE
STATE SAVES ABOUT 11. THAT
CURRENTLY SAVES ABOUT $11,000
PER PERSON PER YEAR. AND SO WITH
THE 33,000 PERSON DECLINE, THAT
TRANSLATES TO ABOUT $350 MILLION
IN LESS SPENDING THAN IF THE
POPULATION HAD REMAINED AT 2012
LEVELS. SO, MOVING ON TO PAGE
SEVEN. I'LL DISCUSS THAT SECOND
COMPONENT OF SAVINGS, WHICH IS
WHAT WHICH IS AVOIDED COSTS. AND
THESE ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE,
NEBULOUS BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT THE ALTERNATIVE STATE OF
THE WORLD WOULD BE HAD THE
POPULATION NOT DECLINED. BUT
GENERALLY IT FALLS INTO THREE
CATEGORIES, WHICH ARE PRISON,
INFRASTRUCTURE AVOIDED, PRISON
INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR COSTS. SO
WITH THE FACILITIES WE'VE CLOSED
, WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY TO, YOU
KNOW, REPAIR CERTAIN ASPECTS OF
THE FACILITY THAT WE WOULD
OTHERWISE HAVE TO DO, WE AVOID
ADDITIONAL SPENDING ON PRISON
CAPACITY HAD THE POPULATION
REMAIN FLAT OR EVEN INCREASED,
THE STATE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE
PROBABLY CONTRACTED FOR
ADDITIONAL CAPACITY OR EVEN
BUILT AND STAFFED NEW PRISONS,
PRISON CAPACITY, WHICH WOULD,
OBVIOUSLY ADD COSTS. AND THEN
FINALLY THERE'S JUST OTHER COST
GROWTH THAT IS THAT HAS BEEN
AVOIDED BY THE FACT THAT THE
PRISON OPERATIONS HAVE SHRUNK
OVERALL. AND SO INSTEAD OF, FOR
EXAMPLE, PAYING FOR EMPLOYEE
COMP INCREASES FOR THE STAFF AT
35 PRISONS, WE'RE PAYING FOR
THOSE INCREASES FOR THE STAFF AT
33 PRISONS. OKAY, MOVING TO PAGE
EIGHT, WE PROVIDE A BRIEF
OVERVIEW OF PROP 47 AND THE
SAVINGS, AND HOW THE SAVINGS ARE
ALLOCATED. SO PROP 47 REDUCED
PENALTIES FOR, CERTAIN LOWER
LEVEL DRUG AND THEFT CRIMES AND
REQUIRES THE DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE TO ESTIMATE THE ANNUAL
SAVINGS, WHICH IS PRIMARILY
ASSOCIATED WITH THE DECLINE IN
THE PRISON POPULATION. THÀNH.
AND THAT THOSE SAVINGS, WHICH
WERE, ABOUT 113 MILLION, IN THE
IN THE MOST RECENT YEAR,
CALCULATED OUR OUR TRANSFER INTO
A SPECIAL FUND AND ALLOCATED
WITH 65% GOING TO THE BOARD OF
STATE AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS
FOR RECIDIVISM REDUCTION
PROGRAMS, 25% TO SUPPORT TRUANCY
AND DROPOUT PREVENTION, AND 10%
FOR TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERS. AND
FINALLY, PAGE NINE SHOWS HOW THE
COUNTY CORRECTIONAL POPULATIONS
HAVE CHANGED OVER THE SAME
PERIOD. AND THE FOCUS OF THIS
HANDOUT HAS REALLY BEEN ON THE
STATE. BUT WE JUST THOUGHT IT
MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO SHOW THIS,
SINCE THESE SENTENCING CHANGES
THAT HAVE IMPACTED THE STATE
POPULATIONS HAVE ALSO IMPACTED
COUNTIES. AS YOU CAN SEE,
THERE'S BEEN A 150,000 PERSON
DECLINE IN THE TOTAL COUNTY
CORRECTIONAL POPULATION OVER
THIS PERIOD. AND THAT BRINGS ME
TO THE END OF MY COMMENTS. AND
I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS AT
THE APPROPRIATE TIME. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, I JUST WANT TO BE
VERY CLEAR BECAUSE THIS IS OFTEN
TALKED ABOUT AND YOU, YOU
TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT HERE.
PROP 47 IS HIGHLY DEBATED.
RIGHT, AND SPECIFICALLY PROP 47,
WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS 2014. AND I
JUST WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR
TO THE PUBLIC WHO MAY BE
WATCHING, THAT THIS REDUCED
PENALTIES FOR CERTAIN PEOPLE
CONVICTED OF NON-SERIOUS AND
NONVIOLENT PROPERTY AND DRUG
CRIMES, FROM FELONIES TO
MISDEMEANORS, AND ALLOWED
CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN
PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED OF SUCH
CRIMES TO APPLY FOR REDUCED
SENTENCES. RIGHT. AND SINCE THIS
HAS PASSED, I ALSO WANT TO MAKE
IT VERY CLEAR TO THE LARGER
PUBLIC THAT, CRIME, VIOLENT
CRIME IN PARTICULAR, HAS DROPPED
AS WELL. CORRECT. IN THAT SAME
TIME PERIOD. VIOLENT CRIME HAS
BEEN BOUNCING AROUND A LITTLE
BIT, BUT SO I WOULD NEED TO LOOK
AT THE SPECIFICS AND GET BACK TO
YOU. AND IN PARTICULAR, IT WOULD
DEPEND ON THE SPECIFIC PERIOD
YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT. BUT, EPIC
DID LOOK AT PROP 47 AND ITS
SPECIFIC IMPACT ON CRIME. AND SO
, FOR EXAMPLE, ON OUR SENATE
COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND FISCAL
REVIEW, STAFF REPORT, IF YOU
WILL, ON PAGE EIGHT, VIOLENT
CRIMES, THE RATE HAS DROPPED AS
WELL AS PROPERTY CRIMES.
OVERALL. RIGHT. AND SO I JUST
WANT TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR TO
THE PUBLIC, WHO OFTEN IS
INFORMED BY MEDIA THAT, YOU
KNOW, CRIME IS OUT OF CONTROL,
CRIME IS NOT OUT OF CONTROL. AND
I JUST WANT TO CLEARLY HIGHLIGHT
THAT IS THAT IT HAS DROPPED
SIGNIFICANTLY, BOTH VIOLENT
CRIME AND PROPERTY CRIME, AND I
THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST FACTORS
OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE
MEDIA IS LARGELY THE FACT THAT
EVERYBODY HAS A CAMERA. SO WE'RE
SEEING A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE
DAY TO DAYS, IF YOU WILL. SO I
JUST REALLY, REALLY WANTED TO
HIGHLIGHT THAT OVERALL. AND IT
STATES HERE, OVERALL, VIOLENT
CRIME WAS 55% LOWER IN 2022
COMPARED TO THE PEAK RATE IN
1992. RIGHT. AND PROPERTY CRIME
WAS 66% LOWER COMPARED TO THE
PEAK RATE IN 1980. SO I JUST
WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AGAIN,
JUST FOR REFERENCE, THAT
EVERYBODY IS WELL AWARE WE CAN
MOVE ON TO TARNISH, OR CÁC. EACH
OF YOU GUYS WILL HAVE FIVE
MINUTES AND WE CAN GO THERE AND
THEN, YOU KNOW, START WITH
QUESTIONS AS WELL. THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING, SENATOR HOBBS,
SENATOR BARRASSO, SENATOR
NEWMAN, AND SENATOR SATO. FIRST,
I WANT TO SAY HOW GRATEFUL I AM
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THIS MORNING
TO DISCUSS CALIFORNIANS FOR
SAFETY AND JUSTICE'S VISION FOR
SAFETY, SPECIFICALLY, SHARED
SAFETY. NOW, THIS IS THE KIND OF
DEEP AND DURABLE COMMUNITY
WELL-BEING THAT WE BELIEVE THAT,
THE STATE DESERVES. THE SHARED
SAFETY APPROACH PRODUCES, AND,
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE WAYS IN
WHICH DOZENS OF CRIME AND HARM
PREVENTION PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN
FUNDED BY THE MORE THAN $800
MILLION IN SAVINGS THAT
PROPOSITION 47 HAS REALIZED SO
FAR IS REALLY WHAT EMBOLDENS US
TO BE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT
SHARED SAFETY. WE REALLY DO
BELIEVE THAT THIS APPROACH TO
CREATING COMMUNITY SAFETY HAS
UNDENIABLY POSITIVE PUBLIC
SAFETY OUTCOMES. AND WE WANT TO
SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THAT LOOKS
LIKE. I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO
BEGIN BY GOING BACK TEN YEARS
AND REMINDING OURSELVES WHAT
PROPOSITION 47 DID, AND WHY. ONE
OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE
DELUGE OF DISINFORMATION ABOUT
PROP 47 WE'VE ALL BEEN SUBJECTED
TO FOR MANY YEARS NOW, IS THAT
THE FUNDAMENTAL PURPOSE OF
PROPOSITION 47 HAS BEEN
COMPLETELY DISTORTED.
PROPOSITION 47 WAS PLACED ON THE
STATEWIDE BALLOT IN 2014, IN
RESPONSE TO THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
PUBLIC SAFETY CRISIS CALIFORNIA
HAS EVER FACED. MASS
INCARCERATION, MASSIVE PRISON
OVERCROWDING LED TO THE DEATHS
OF MULTIPLE PRISONERS EVERY WEEK
DUE TO MEDICAL NEGLECT, THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS
THREATENING TO TAKE OVER THE
STATE PRISON SYSTEM, AND THREE
OUT OF EVERY FOUR PEOPLE
RELEASED FROM OUR PRISONS WERE
BEING REARRESTED FOR COMMITTING
A NEW CRIME. WITHIN THREE YEARS,
WE WERE FAILING BY EVERY
CONCEIVABLE MEASURE TO PROVIDE
THE SAFETY THE PEOPLE OF THIS
STATE DESERVE. THE PREMISE OF
PROP 47 WAS PRETTY SIMPLE. THAT
IF WE STOP SENDING PEOPLE
CONVICTED OF PETTY THEFT IN
SIMPLE POSSESSION OF DRUGS FOR
PERSONAL USE TO STATE PRISON FOR
A YEAR AND A HALF TO THREE YEARS
AT A TIME AT EXTRAORDINARY
TAXPAYER EXPENSE, AND INSTEAD
MADE THOSE FOLKS ELIGIBLE FOR A
SENTENCE OF UP TO A YEAR IN
LOCAL JAIL. WE WOULD SAVE MONEY.
THE COST SAVINGS COULD THEN BE
REALLOCATED BACK TO LOCAL
COMMUNITIES AND INVESTED IN A
PANOPLY OF SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
AND CRIME AND HARM PREVENTION
STRATEGIES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
RUN BY A WIDE ARRAY OF SAFETY
STAKEHOLDERS AND WHICH WE KNOW
WORK TO PREVENT CRIME AND HARM
FROM OCCURRING IN THE FIRST
PLACE. THIS COMPREHENSIVE
APPROACH WOULD PROVIDE SUPERIOR
PUBLIC SAFETY OUTCOMES THAT WHEN
WE ONLY RELY ON LAW ENFORCEMENT
TO RESPOND TO CRIME AND HARM
AFTER THEY'VE ALREADY OCCURRED,
IS TOO LATE AND THAT, MY
FRIENDS, IS WHAT WE CALL SHARED
SAFETY. A SHARED SAFETY APPROACH
ENVISIONS A WORLD IN WHICH
EVERYONE CAN ATTAIN SAFETY, AND
EVERYONE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY
FOR FOSTERING IT. IT'S THE WORK
OF DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE
RETHINKING HOW TO UNDERSTAND,
INVEST IN, AND EVALUATE AND
ACHIEVE SAFETY. SHARED SAFETY
REQUIRES TAKING JOINT
RESPONSIBILITY ACROSS PUBLIC
AGENCIES AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
COMMUNITIES TO FOSTER A DEEP
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN THE
STATE NEED ADVANCE PUBLIC HEALTH
AND HEALING AND BREAKING CYCLES
OF HARM. AND IT'S TIME FOR THOSE
INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY TO
HAVE A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH
AND TO BE FUNDED TO SCALE, TO
QUOTE THE MANTRA THAT WE OFTEN
USE AT THE ALLIANCE FOR SAFETY
AND JUSTICE, SAFETY IS MORE THAN
THE ABSENCE OF CRIME. IT IS THE
PRESENCE OF WELL-BEING. AND FOR
TOO LONG, THE FOCUS OF PUBLIC
SAFETY INVESTMENTS IN THIS STATE
HAVE BEEN IMBALANCED AND
INEFFECTIVE. THE DRAMATIC GROWTH
OF PRISON SPENDING AND
INCARCERATION IN THE 80S AND 90S
AND 2000 CAME AT THE EXPENSE OF
PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY HEALTH,
SPECIFICALLY FOR LOW INCOME
COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE OF COLOR.
TODAY, PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF
LIFE AGREE THAT THE PRISON FIRST
APPROACH LEFT OUT TOO MANY. TOO
MANY HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE
CRACKS AND IT'S RESULTED IN
SAFETY FOR SOME AND NOT SAFETY
FOR ALL. WHEN VOTERS
OVERWHELMINGLY PASS PROP 47,
THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT WE NEEDED A
NEW APPROACH AND THAT WE CAN NO
LONGER OVER RELY ON
INCARCERATION, ENFORCEMENT, OR
POLICING TO ACHIEVE SAFETY THAT
WE NEED TO ADOPT A MORE SHARED
APPROACH. AND DESPITE WITH THE
ONE CONSTITUENCY THAT HAS
OPPOSED PROP 47 FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING, HAS TRIED FOR YEARS
AND YEARS TO GET US TO BELIEVE
PROP 47 HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST
SUCCESSFUL BALLOT MEASURES IN
STATE HISTORY, HAVING MADE GOOD
ON EVERY PROMISE IT MADE TO
VOTERS, IT RIGHTSIZED SENTENCES
FOR SOME OF THE LOWEST LEVEL
CRIMES IN THE STATE PENAL CODE.
IT LED TO DURABLE REDUCTION OF
STATE PRISON POPULATION TO A
LEVEL BENEATH A POPULATION CAP
ORDERED BY THE SUPREME COURT,
AND IT SAVED MORE THAN $800
MILLION SO FAR. THAT'S BEEN
FUNDED WIDELY SUCCESSFUL
PROGRAMS UP AND DOWN THE STATE,
FROM LARGE COUNTIES TO RURAL
TOWNS. AND THESE TOWNS AND
CITIES IN OUR STATE ARE RELYING
ON COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS
WITH DEEP ROOTS THAT ARE
SUCCESSFULLY REDUCING RIVAS
RECIDIVISM, REDUCING
HOMELESSNESS, REDUCING
UNEMPLOYMENT, INCREASING
COMMUNITY STABILITY, AND
INCREASING SAFETY. NOT TO
MENTION THE RATE OF IMPRISONMENT
FOR BLACK PEOPLE IN THIS STATE
DROPPED 27% BETWEEN 2013 AND
2021, AND WE BELIEVE THAT PROP
47 PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THIS.
WE'RE LEARNING EVERY DAY WHAT
WILL BE POSSIBLE IF WE INVEST IT
IN A SHARED SAFETY APPROACH
ROOTED IN PREVENTION AND
COMMUNITY WELL-BEING. TO SCALE,
WE SPENT MORE THAN $14 BILLION
LAST YEAR ON OUR PRISON SYSTEM
ALONE. OUR SAFETY INVESTMENTS
ARE STILL WAY OUT OF BALANCE,
BUT THANKS TO PROP 47, WE'RE
LEARNING THAT SHARED AND
BALANCED APPROACH DOES INDEED
LEAD TO ENHANCED SAFETY AND
COMMUNITY WELL-BEING. TO ABANDON
THAT APPROACH RIGHT NOW AND GO
BACK TO THE APPROACHES THAT WE
ALREADY KNEW WOULD FAIL MAKES NO
SENSE. WE NEED TO HAVE THE
COURAGE TO DOUBLE DOWN AND KEEP
MOVING FORWARD. THIS IS NOT A
TIME TO USE A SLEDGEHAMMER TO
SUCCESSFUL REFORM. THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO FINE TUNE OUR
APPROACHES TO INCREASE SAFETY.
AND WHILE I SHARE THE FACTS AND
INTENTIONS OF PROP 47, I DON'T
WANT TO APPEAR TONE DEAF EVERY
CALIFORNIAN DESERVES NOT ONLY TO
FEEL SAFE, BUT ACTUALLY BE SAFE
AT HOME, AT SCHOOL, ON PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION THÀNH WE DESERVE
TO EXPERIENCE THAT SAFETY
EQUITABLY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT
CITY AND COMMUNITY WE LIVE IN.
BUSINESS OWNERS AND EMPLOYEES
DESERVE TO WORK WITHOUT FEAR OF
BEING HURT. AND IF WE INVEST IN
AND REDIRECTED OUR RESOURCES TO
COORDINATION AND TO STABILIZE
OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
IN THE STATE, BUILD UP OUR
PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION
INFRASTRUCTURES, INVEST IN
TRAUMA RECOVERY, SUBSTANCE ABUSE
TREATMENT, REAL OPPORTUNITIES
FOR SUCCESSFUL REENTRY
STABILIZED HOUSING. THEN WE
WOULD ALLOW OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT
PROFESSIONALS TO FOCUS ON
SOLVING CRIME, RATHER THAN BEING
A GENERALIST AND HAVING TO SOLVE
ALL OF THE SYSTEM'S FAILURES, WE
HAVE TO STOP THIS NARRATIVE THAT
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM IS JUST
A CODE WORD FOR LAWLESSNESS AND
LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY. WE HAVE
TOOLS WITHIN THE PENAL CODE TO
HOLD FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE IN THIS
STATE FOR COMMITTING CRIME. WE
HAVE AGENCIES THAT ARE
POSITIONED TO DO THAT, BUT WE
HAVE A COMMUNITY BASED
INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE TO
CONTINUE TO INVEST IN. IF WE
WANT SAFETY TO BE ACHIEVED IN
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU, CASEY. THANK
YOU. SENATOR. GOOD MORNING. MY
NAME IS CASEY WARMOTH, AND I AM
THE CHIEF OF RESEARCH WITH THE
BOARD OF STATE AND COMMUNITY
CORRECTIONS. I AM HAPPY TO HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME
POSITIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
PROP 47 GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH IS
ADMINISTERED BY THE BSC AS
REQUIRED BY THE BALLOT
INITIATIVE. THE GRANT FUNDS ARE
AWARDED TO PUBLIC AGENCIES TO
PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES,
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT
SERVICES AND DIVERSION PROGRAMS
FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
ADDITIONALLY LEGISLATION
REQUIRES THAT THE GRANTS ARE
AWARDED COMPETITIVELY, SPECIFIES
THAT FUNDS MAY SERVE BOTH ADULT
AND JUVENILES, AND ALSO ALLOWS
FOR THE FUNDS TO BE USED FOR
HOUSING RELATED ASSISTANCE AND
OTHER COMMUNITY BASED SUPPORTIVE
SERVICES. THE BSC FURTHER
REQUIRES THAT AT LEAST 50% OF
THE FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE
GRANTEES ARE PASSED THROUGH TO
COMMUNITY BASED SERVICE
PROVIDERS. THE EVALUATION OF THE
PROP 47 COHORT TWO GRANT PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS HOW THE 92 MILLION IN
FUNDING THAT WAS PROVIDED TO 21
GRANTEES BENEFITED CALIFORNIA
FOR THE GRANT PERIOD BEGAN IN
AUGUST 2019 AND ENDED IN MAY OF
2023. DURING THIS TIME, GRANTEES
SPENT OVER $81 MILLION, OF WHICH
64 MILLION WAS PASSED THROUGH TO
COMMUNITY BASED SERVICE
PROVIDERS. THROUGH THE GRANT
FUNDED PROJECTS, MORE THAN
21,000 PEOPLE RECEIVED MENTAL
HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER
TREATMENT OR WERE DIVERTED FROM
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ALSO
RECEIVED OTHER SUPPORTIVE
SERVICES, INCLUDING CASE
MANAGEMENT, LEGAL HOUSING, AND
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES. AT THE END
OF THE GRANT PERIOD, 22% OF
PARTICIPANTS WERE STILL
RECEIVING SERVICES AND 32% OF
PARTICIPANTS HAD SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETED PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE EVALUATION. THREE
OUTCOME MEASURES WERE EXAMINED
RECIDIVISM, HOUSING AND
EMPLOYMENT. FOCUSING ON
RECIDIVISM FIRST, POSITIVE
OUTCOMES WERE ACHIEVED FOR THIS
EVALUATION. RECIDIVISM WAS
DEFINED AS THE CONVICTION OF A
MISDEMEANOR OR FELONY AFTER
PROGRAM ENROLLMENT. THIS DOES
DEVIATE FROM THE USUAL
DEFINITION, WHICH IS CONVICTION
WITHIN THREE YEARS OF RELEASE
FROM CUSTODY OR BEING PLACED ON
SUPERVISION. THIS MODIFICATION
WAS NECESSARY FOR THE EVALUATION
TO ACCOMMODATE NOT ONLY THE
GRANT TERMS, BUT ALSO THAT THE
PARTICIPANTS HAVE A VARIETY OF
RELEASE STATUSES AND SUPERVISION
STATUS FOR THE PARTICIPATION FOR
WHICH RECIDIVISM DATA WERE
AVAILABLE. 51.3% WERE CONVICTED
OF A NEW MISDEMEANOR OR FELONY.
THIS RATE IS SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER
THAN OTHER REPORTED STATEWIDE
RECIDIVISM ESTIMATES, WHICH
RANGE FROM 35 TO 45. IN ADDITION
TO THE OVERALL RECIDIVISM RATE,
THE EVALUATION EXPLORED
RECIDIVISM BY A VARIETY OF
FACTORS. THE RECIDIVISM RATE WAS
11% FOR PARTICIPANTS WHO
IDENTIFIED AS BLACK OR AFRICAN
AMERICAN, COMPARED TO 12 TO 17%
FOR OTHER RACE OR ETHNICITY
GROUPS. THE RECIDIVISM RATE WAS
12% FOR PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE
EMPLOYED EITHER PART TIME OR
FULL TIME, COMPARED TO 15% FOR
THOSE WHO WERE UNEMPLOYED. AND
FINALLY, THE RECIDIVISM RATE WAS
11% FOR THOSE WHO WERE LIVING
INDEPENDENTLY, COMPARED TO 18%
FOR THOSE WHO WERE HOMELESS.
FOCUSING ON HOUSING OUTCOMES,
THIS OUTCOME WAS EVALUATED FOR
THE 6000 PARTICIPANTS WHO
IDENTIFIED HOUSING AS A GOAL FOR
THOSE WHO COMPLETED PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS, HOMELESSNESS WAS
REDUCED BY 60% COMPARED TO
PROGRAM ENROLLMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, THE PROPORTION OF
PEOPLE LIVING INDEPENDENTLY
NEARLY DOUBLED, FOCUSING ON
EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES. THIS
OUTCOME WAS ALSO EVALUATED FOR
THE APPROXIMATELY 6000
PARTICIPANTS WHO IDENTIFIED
EMPLOYMENT AS A GOAL FOR THOSE
WHO COMPLETED PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS. UNEMPLOYMENT WAS
REDUCED BY 50, AGAIN RELATIVE TO
PROGRAM ENROLLMENT. MOST
EMPLOYMENT GAINS WERE IN PART
TIME EMPLOYMENT, ALTHOUGH THE
PROPORTION OF PARTICIPANTS WHO
WERE EMPLOYED FULL TIME ALSO
INCREASED. IN SUMMARY, THE
BENEFITS OF THE COHORT TWO
PROPOSITION 47 GRANT PROGRAM
INCLUDED LOWER RECIDIVISM RATES
COMPARED TO OTHER STATEWIDE
RECIDIVIST ESTIMATES AND A
REDUCTION IN HOMELESSNESS AND
UNEMPLOYMENT FOR THE THOUSANDS
OF PARTICIPANTS WHO MADE
POSITIVE LIFE CHANGES. THE
BENEFITS ARE IMMEASURABLE. THANK
YOU. AND THIS CONCLUDES MY
REPORT. I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. ALL
RIGHT, WELL, ONE, I JUST WANT TO
THANK EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN
HERE. I DO JUST WANT TO SAY, ONE
OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THESE
CONCEPTS OF SAFETY IS THEIR
IMPACTS AND SUCCESSES THAT CAN
BE HARD TO MEASURE AND ATTRIBUTE
, EVEN FOR PROP 47, WHERE AT
LEAST THE DIRECT IMPACTS ARE
MEASURED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE
CONSTANTLY HAVING CONVERSATIONS
ON PROP 47. THERE'S AN EFFORT
RIGHT NOW THAT POTENTIALLY MAY
OR MAY NOT GO ON THE BALLOT,
IT'S A LITTLE MIXED IN WITH THE
FENTANYL CRISIS AS WELL, WHICH
IS A LITTLE PROBLEMATIC AS WELL,
AND THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DEBATE
FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT STATING
WHETHER OR NOT THIS WAS
IMPACTFUL OR NOT, AS WELL AS,
COMMUNITIES IS TALKING ABOUT
THAT. IT WAS IMPACTFUL IN ONE
WAY OR ANOTHER. SO THERE'S A LOT
OF DEBATE, BUT CLEARLY THE DATA
SHOWS THAT IT HAS NOT ONLY SAVED
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUNDS, IT
ALSO PRIORITIZED, YOU KNOW,
WHAT, YOU KNOW, A REEVALUATION
OR AN UPDATE TO OUTDATED LAWS AS
TO WHAT IS CONSIDERED SERIOUS
AND NOT SERIOUS AND REALLY
ENSURING, WHAT THE PUNISHMENT IS
, THE PUNISHMENT THAT FITS THE
CRIME IN MODERN TIMES. SO I
REALLY JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT
THAT. BUT I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO
ASK ALL OF YOU, HOW CAN THE
LEGISLATURE THINK ABOUT AND
HIGHLIGHT THE IMPACTS OF OTHER
REFORMS?
DON'T JUMP ALL IN ONCE. WELL, I
WANT TO ASK YOU MORE ABOUT YOUR
QUESTION, SENATOR, I DO THINK
THAT OVER ALL, IT GOES BACK TO
THE STATEMENT THAT I MADE
BEFORE, RIGHT? THAT, WE CAN'T
CONTINUE TO ALLOW THE NARRATIVE
AROUND REFORM TO BE A SCAPEGOAT
FOR LAWLESSNESS AND
ACCOUNTABILITY. IT GOES BACK TO
WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE
PUNISHMENT FITTING THE CRIME.
THERE ARE LOTS OF TWEAKS THAT
CAN AND SHOULD BE MADE THROUGH
THE LEGISLATURE AS WE GO THROUGH
IMPLEMENTING REFORM, AND I THINK
THAT'S FOR ANY GOOD LEGISLATION.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AND
EVALUATING ON HOW TO IMPROVE IT,
TO MAKE COMMUNITIES SAFER. I
THINK DATA MATTERS. AND
SOMETIMES THAT GETS THROWN OUT
OF THE WINDOW WHEN WE START
USING THE PUBLIC NARRATIVE OR
THE FEAR MONGERING ON SOCIAL
MEDIA OR THE REPORTING IN THE
MEDIA. BUT THE DATA DOES MATTER.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE
LEGISLATURE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK
AT THE DATA AND LOOK TO THE
DATA. I THINK THE OTHER WAY THAT
WE CAN PROTECT AND SUPPORT
REFORM IS TO LOOK AT THE SYSTEMS
THAT ARE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, THE
INFORMATION SHARING, THE
COORDINATION, WHICH CONTINUES TO
BE A STRUGGLE ACROSS THE STATE
AND ESPECIALLY LOCALLY, AND SO
THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE TAKEN
INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT REFORM AND IMPLEMENTATION
AND THEN WHAT ARE THE
OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE? I
THINK THOSE ARE THE WAYS THAT
THE LEGISLATURE CAN REALLY BE
HELPFUL. THANK YOU. SENATOR
SERRANO. THANK YOU. I DIDN'T
WANT TO JUMP INTO A DEBATE ON
PROP 47 OR OR OR THAT I THINK WE
WERE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW,
EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO GRAPPLE
WITH THE DIFFERENCES OF
INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO
EVERYBODY. AND IT IS VAST AND
IT'S WIDE AND IT'S RIGHT HERE IN
OUR OWN MATERIAL. YOU KNOW, ONE
PAGE YOU READ, THERE'S NO NO
RISE IN CRIME AND VIOLENCE. AND
THEN THE NEXT ONE YOU READ, IT
SAYS THERE'S A RISE IN CRIME AND
VIOLENCE. SO, I THINK WHAT WE
HAVE A CLASH OF PEOPLE'S LIVED
EXPERIENCES, VERSUS, DATA AND
THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT THEY'RE
BEING TOLD, THEY'RE NOT REALLY
EXPERIENCING. AND OVER THE
YEARS, THERE'S BEEN MANY,
NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO DO EXACTLY
WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT,
MA'AM, WHICH IS ADDRESS THE
SHORTCOMINGS, RECOGNIZE THAT NOT
EVERY BILL IS GOING TO BE
PERFECT. NOT EVERY LAW IS GOING
TO BE PERFECT, AND THAT WE NEED
TO ADDRESS THOSE AS WE GO ALONG.
I THINK THE PROBLEM IS NOBODY
HAS ADDRESSED THEM. AND SO THEY
HAVE GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE
THEY'RE QUITE VISIBLE AND
THEY'RE QUITE VISIBLE IN
PEOPLE'S INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES.
THEY'RE QUITE VISIBLE TO PEOPLE
WHO WHO FREQUENT STORES THAT ARE
NO LONGER THERE BECAUSE ENTIRE
CHAINS HAVE PULLED OUT OF
CALIFORNIA. CITING SPECIFICALLY
CRIME, AMONGST OTHER THINGS. AND
SO WE'VE ALLOWED IT TO GET OUT
OF HAND AND YES, THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT IS A STAIN ON
PROP 47. AND THE EFFORTS THAT
WERE MADE TO DO RECIDIVISM OR TO
REDUCE RECIDIVISM AND ALSO TO
EMPTY OUR PRISONS, AND THAT TO,
TO EVERY THAT'S WORKED EVERYBODY
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE
NOT IN PRISON ANYMORE, HOWEVER,
THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED
TO BE RAMPED UP AND THE TOOLS
THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN TO
THE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE
REST OF IT, PROBATION OFFICERS,
DOING SOME OF THE, DRUG REHAB
AND ALL OF THESE THINGS TO
PREPARE FOR A, A PERSON THAT IS
INCARCERATED FOR THE OUTSIDE
WORLD, A SHORT VISIT TO THE
PRISONS WILL TELL YOU THAT
THEY'RE TRYING LIKE HECK TO DO
IT, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE
RESOURCES TO DO IT. SO WE'RE
SAVING A LOT OF MONEY. BUT WHERE
IS THAT MONEY BEING READ TO?
WHERE IF WE'RE PUTTING IT OUT
INTO COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS AND EXPECTING THAT
TO REDUCE CRIME, I WOULD SAY,
AND I WOULD OFFER THAT IT'S
FAILING BECAUSE WE'RE NOT
REDUCING THE KIND OF CRIME THAT
PEOPLE ARE VERY, VERY AWARE OF
IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. AND
YOU KNOW, I DON'T SPEAK FROM
OTHER PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES. I
SPEAK FROM SEEING IT AND ALMOST
SEEING IT FIRSTHAND. YOU CAN'T
TELL ME IT DOESN'T EXIST. IT
DOES EXIST. AND WE NEED TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT DOES EXIST.
THERE ARE SOME FAILINGS AND WE
NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE, BECAUSE
IF WE DON'T ADDRESS THOSE
FAILINGS, GUESS WHAT? THEN THE
PUBLIC GETS SICK AND TIRED OF IT
AND THEY PUT ON THEIR
THREATENING OR THE THREATENING
PROPOSITION THAT SAYS, HEY, YOU
KNOW WHAT? THIS ISN'T WORKING.
WE DON'T WANT IT ANYMORE. SO
THAT'S BEEN THE PROBLEM FOR A
LOT OF PEOPLE. IS THE SYSTEMS
THAT WE WERE PROMISED AND TOLD
THAT WE'RE GOING TO REFORM AND
DO ALL THIS STUFF. A LOT OF
THOSE AREN'T WORKING BECAUSE WE
DON'T GIVE THE RESOURCES TO
THEM. WE TAKE WE SAVE MONEY, BUT
THEN WE DON'T SPEND THE MONEY,
AND REINVEST THAT MONEY IN THE
PLACES WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE
REINVESTED. AND A LOT OF THAT
IS, IN THE INCARCERATION PART OF
IT, BECAUSE WE'RE WE NEED TO GET
PEOPLE READY TO COME OUT. WE
NEED TO GET PEOPLE REHABILITATED
FROM THEIR DRUG PROBLEMS OR
ALCOHOL ABUSE PROBLEMS OR MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES BEFORE WE SEND
THEM BACK OUT, BECAUSE THE
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS,
AS MUCH AS THEY TRY, ARE NOT
HAVING THE EFFECT THAT WE WANTED
IT TO HAVE. SO, SO THAT'S, YOU
KNOW, FOR, YOU KNOW, I
UNDERSTAND THIS IS JUST THE, THE
BUDGET FOR WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED
TO BE REVIEWING PROP 47 AND THE
INVESTMENTS AND THE ALTERNATIVES
TO INCARCERATION. THÀNH. BUT YOU
KNOW, WHAT I'M HEARING IS A LOT
OF DEFENSIVENESS ABOUT THE
PEOPLE WHO DON'T THINK PROP 47
IS WORKING ANYMORE. AND THAT
DEFENSIVENESS IS NOT UNJUSTIFIED
. IT REALLY IS NOT. AND WE NEED
TO DO A BETTER JOB OF INVESTING
THE MONEY IN THE RIGHT PLACES TO
MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE TELL
SOMEBODY THAT IF THEY PASS THIS,
THAT THIS, THESE GOOD THINGS ARE
GOING TO HAPPEN, WE NEED MORE
THAN JUST STATISTICS. THEY NEED
TO BE ABLE TO FEEL IT. AND RIGHT
NOW THEY DON'T FEEL IT. AND I
THINK THAT'S WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
THANK YOU. SENATOR DURAZO, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH, WELL, MAYBE SOME
OF MY QUESTIONS IS, CAN ALSO
ADDRESS, MY COLLEAGUES QUESTIONS
OR COMMENTS. ACTUALLY BUT I
WOULD ASK, OF, MR. NISH, IF YOU
COULD, SINCE YOU'RE ON THE
GROUND, IMPLEMENTING SO MANY OF
THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR
THIS, SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR
PUBLIC SAFETY, IF YOU COULD TALK
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU SEE
ON THE GROUND THE SAVINGS BEING
USED AND DO YOU SEE MORE
SAVINGS, DO YOU SEE LESS? I MEAN
, TALK ABOUT THE ACTUAL USE OF
THE SAVINGS FROM PROP 47. YEAH,
WE'VE WE'VE BEEN PARTNERING WITH
ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY OVER
THE LAST TWO YEARS ACROSS THE
STATE TO UPLIFT THE SUCCESSES OF
PROP 47 FUNDED INITIATIVES,
THERE ARE SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF
ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE
STATE THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING
SUCCESSFUL REENTRY, HELPING
FOLKS STABILIZE THEIR HOUSING
AND EMPLOYMENT, PREVENTION
PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS,
INTERVENTION PROGRAMS. AND WE
CAN TALK ABOUT THEM ALL DAY. BUT
HERE'S THE TRUTH. THE TRUTH IS
THAT NONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE
INVESTED AT THE SCALE THAT THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS
INVESTED IN. AND UNTIL WE SEE
EQUITABLE INVESTMENT, WE'RE NOT
GOING TO SEE THE SAME TYPE OF
OUTCOMES. IF WE OVER RELY ON A
SYSTEM WHICH I THINK IS THE
FAILURE THAT YOU'RE POINTING TO.
SENATOR SORRENTO, THE REASON WHY
YOU DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF THE
FOLKS WHO NEEDED THOSE
INTERVENTIONS, BECAUSE THEY WERE
HOUSED IN JAIL, IN PRISON, AND
THEY WEREN'T GETTING THE
TREATMENT THAT THEY NEEDED AND
DESERVED. AND PART OF THAT
FAILURE IS BECAUSE WE FAILED TO
INVEST IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE
THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THAT
FROM HAPPENING IN THE FIRST
PLACE. SO UNTIL WE SEE PUBLIC
HEALTH SCALED UP, UNTIL WE SEE
DRUG TREATMENT, ACCESSIBILITY
READILY AVAILABLE, THERE'S A
SHORTAGE OF BEDS IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. IT'S BEEN GOING ON
FOR YEARS NOW. IT DIDN'T JUST
START WITH PROP 47, RIGHT? UNTIL
WE SEE THOSE INVESTMENTS, WE
WON'T SEE THE OUTCOMES. BUT WE
DO SEE THEM IN COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE NOT AS HIGHLIGHTED IN
THE MEDIA IN THE WAY THAT THE
PERCEIVED FAILURES. AND I CAN
ALSO SAY THAT AS SOMEONE WHO'S
BEEN PERSONALLY IMPACTED BY
HOMICIDE, WHO'S HAD MY CAR AND
HOME BROKEN INTO, SOMEONE WHO'S
RESPONDED TO LOCAL BUSINESSES IN
MY COMMUNITY ACROSS THE STATE,
THAT ARE EXPRESSING THEIR FEARS
AND CONCERNS THAT WHEN WE PEEL
BACK THE LAYERS, WHAT PEOPLE ARE
CALLING FOR, FOR SAFETY, AS LONG
TERME SAFETY AND THEY DO TRUST
THE ORGANIZATIONS AND PROGRAMS
THAT ARE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES TO
DELIVER ON THAT. THEY WANT TO
KNOW HOW TO ENGAGE IN, PARTNER
WITH THEM. SO IF WE CAN DO A
BETTER JOB OF CREATING THOSE
OPPORTUNITIES, WE'RE GOING TO
SEE MORE INVESTMENT WITH THEM AT
THE LOCAL LEVEL. THERE ARE GREAT
PROGRAMS THAT ARE WORKING RIGHT
NOW TO DEMONSTRATE THAT. SO CAN
I ASK YOU A SPECIFIC ABOUT, AS
PART OF THE CRIME PREVENTION
STRATEGY, TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERS,
AS PART OF CRIME PREVENTION,
BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF THE
SAFETY THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING
FOR, RIGHT, IS NOT JUST HOW TO
REACT AND INCARCERATE AND THEN
PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THEM TO BE
REHABILITATED. IT'S ABOUT
PREVENTING IT IN THE FIRST
PLACE. SO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THAT. SURE. SO YOU'LL HEAR
FROM ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES WHO
REPRESENTS THE TRAUMA RECOVERY
CENTER NETWORK HERE IN
CALIFORNIA. SHORTLY ON THE NEXT
PANEL. BUT THE TRAUMA RECOVERY
PROGRAMS ARE AMAZING, THEY WERE
UNDERFUNDED WHEN WE STARTED PROP
47, AND WE'VE SCALED UP TO HAVE
22 ACROSS THE STATE. NOW, THESE
PROGRAMS ALLOW IMMEDIATE ACCESS
TO VICTIMS OF CRIME AND
SURVIVORS. THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED
TO HAVE TO GET A POLICE REPORT
TO ACCESS THOSE SERVICES. THEY
GET ACCESS TO CLINICAL SERVICES,
SUPPORT GROUPS, HOME BASED
SERVICES. THEY CAN CONTINUE TO
RECEIVE THESE SERVICES FOR OVER
A YEAR IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS,
THE IDEA IS THAT THESE SERVICES
ARE LOCALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THEM
AND THAT WE REMOVE BARRIERS TO
ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
HARMED. AND THAT REALLY IS THE
PREVENTION STRATEGY FROM WHERE
CRIME OCCURRING. THE SAYING HURT
PEOPLE, HURT PEOPLE IS A REAL
ONE. IT'S NOT JUST A TAGLINE.
WHEN YOU HAVE UNADDRESSED
TRAUMA, WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN HURT AND VICTIMIZED
REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR CONTACT
HAS BEEN WITH THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM, IF WE CAN
ADDRESS THE TRAUMA, IF WE CAN
STABILIZE THEIR LIVES, WE CAN
GET THEM SUPPORT. THEY ARE LESS
LIKELY TO BE HARMED OR COMMIT
HARM IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. AND
THAT'S WHAT THE TRAUMA RECOVERY
CENTERS OFFER. THEY OFFER AN
OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN ACUTE
INTERVENTION TO GIVE PEOPLE
ONGOING SUPPORT AND TO BE ABLE
TO SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES. AND WE SEE THOSE
PROGRAMS BEING SUCCESSFUL ACROSS
THE STATE. AND THEN ONE FINAL
ONE, IF I CAN MISS CHAIR, MAYBE
MISS. WARMUTH IF YOU COULD TALK
A LITTLE BIT, I'M A BIG BELIEVER
IN A GOOD JOB, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE
GOOD JOBS, THEY, YOU KNOW, IT
ADDRESSES A LOT OF THE ISSUES
THAT THEY FACE THAT EVERYBODY
FACES AND UPS AND DOWNS IN THEIR
LIVES. COULD YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT
YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN OR WHAT
THE BSC HOW GETS INVOLVED WITH
PREPARING PEOPLE? I IMAGINE, FOR
, JOBS WHERE A GOOD JOB. THE BSC
DOES THAT THROUGH MANY OF OUR
GRANT FUNDED PROGRAMS. WITH PROP
47, AS I DEMONSTRATED IN THE
DATA, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE
ABLE TO GET A JOB WERE LESS
LIKELY TO RECIDIVATE THAN THOSE
WHO WERE UNEMPLOYED. AND THE,
THE WORK THAT IS DONE TO GET
PEOPLE READY FOR A JOB IS
PRIMARILY DONE THROUGH THE
COMMUNITY BASED SERVICE
PROVIDERS, SO IT'S DONE AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL, AND THEY MAKE
CONNECTIONS EITHER THROUGH
EDUCATION AND SKILL TRAINING OR
EVEN WITH PROVIDERS IN THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY. SO IT'S REALLY
ADDRESSED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
WITH RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY,
BUT THERE ARE CHALLENGES TO
THAT, AS DEMONSTRATED IN THE
DATA WHERE A LOT OF THESE
PARTICIPANTS ARE GETTING THE
PART TIME JOBS. INSTEAD OF FULL
TIME JOBS. THESE ARE PROGRAMS,
SORRY. THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT
YOU THAT ARE PROVIDING IN WHEN
THEY'RE STILL INCARCERATED. NO
AND ALSO WHEN THEY'RE RELEASED,
ALL OF THE ONES THROUGH BSC, ALL
MOST OF OUR GRANTS ARE, POST
RELEASE OR PRIOR TO EVEN BEING
INVOLVED IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
SO AS A DIVERSION. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, I DO JUST WANT TO SAY
YOUR EVALUATION NOTES AMONG
PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED PROP
47 FUNDED PROGRAMS, WHO HAD
HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT AS GOALS,
THE PROPORTION WHO WERE HOMELESS
DECREASED BY 60% AND THE
PROPORTION WHO WERE UNEMPLOYED
DECREASED BY 50. CORRECT, SO
CLEARLY THESE PROGRAMS WORK,
RIGHT, I THINK SOME OF THE
COMMENTARY WE HAVE, I JUST WANT
TO SAY THAT JUST TACKLING BUDGET
SUB FIVE AND TAKING A LOOK AT
FUNDING AND SO FORTH, I OFTEN
HAVE CONCERNS IN A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT WAYS. I WAS ONE OF THE
FOLKS THAT WENT AND TOOK A LOOK
AT THE NORWAY MODEL, AND I SAY
THIS OFTEN, YOU KNOW, SENATOR
SARDO ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW
PEOPLE NEED THE TREATMENT AND,
YOU KNOW, SUPPORT AND SO FORTH.
PRIOR TO RELEASE, YOU KNOW, AND
KIND OF A WARM HANDOFF BEFORE
THEY ENTER, JUST, YOU KNOW, THE
REGULAR WORLD AGAIN, I DO
BELIEVE THAT. AND I THINK THAT
IN THE SYSTEM THERE IS A
SIGNIFICANT FAILURE ACROSS THE
BOARD. AND WHERE YOU GUYS SIT,
OFTENTIMES THERE'S OTHER
REPRESENTATIVES THAT, YOU KNOW,
DEFEND THE LARGE BUDGET OF, YOU
KNOW, $15 BILLION, ALMOST.
RIGHT. AND A LACK OF YOU KNOW,
HITTING CERTAIN GOALS THAT THE
LARGER COMMUNITY WANTS, YOU KNOW
, WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE CLEAN. WE
WANT PEOPLE TO BE LAW ABIDING
CITIZENS. WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE
EDUCATED, HOUSED, HEALTHY, AND,
YOU KNOW, AS, AS THE NORWEGIANS
SAY, A GOOD NEIGHBOR. RIGHT
HOWEVER, I THINK THAT THERE,
THERE IS PROBLEMS HERE IN
REGARDS TO, I'M GOING TO SAY
BASED ON SYSTEMS THEORY. RIGHT,
WHERE EVERYTHING IS HANDLED IN
HOUSE BY INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE
NOT NECESSARILY THE
PROFESSIONALS IN THOSE FIELDS.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
HEALTH CARE, WE SHOULD BE
FOCUSED ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS
THAT ARE LICENSED BY THE STATE
THAT HAVE THE EDUCATIONAL
BACKGROUND, THAT HAVE THE HOURS
AND YEARS OF SERVICE, AND THAT
ARE MONITORED BY THE AGENCIES
THAT REALLY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
HEALTH CARE, RIGHT? NOT IN-HOUSE
EDUCATION. THÀNH WHEN WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT EDUCATION, AND YOU
KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING THESE
PROGRAMS AND HOW ARE WE, YOU
KNOW, EDUCATING THE INMATE
POPULATION AND SO FORTH. AGAIN
WHO IS REALLY ADMINISTERING
THOSE TYPES OF PROGRAMS, WHO HAS
THE OVERSIGHT OVER THOSE
PROGRAMS, WHO HAS ALL OF THESE
THINGS? AND AGAIN, WHEN WE'RE
TRYING TO CHANGE OUR CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM TO BETTER THE
LARGER COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, AND
WE'RE COMPARING IT TO THESE
MODELS INTERNATIONALLY, ONE OF
THE CONCERNS I HAVE IS THAT THE
COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF THOSE
COMMUNITIES ARE VERY DIFFERENT
FROM THE UNITED STATES. IN
CALIFORNIA, THERE ARE SOCIAL
SERVICES BUILT IN IN REGULAR
SOCIETY FROM THE VERY START.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EDUCATION.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HEALTH CARE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THESE
THINGS FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON IN
TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT
THEY NEED BEFORE THEY GO INTO,
WHETHER IT'S A LIFE OF CRIME OR
THEY HAVE AN INCIDENT OR, YOU
KNOW, THEY'RE MORE VULNERABLE
AND SO FORTH. AND I THINK WE
HAVE NOT ADDRESSED THOSE
CONCERNS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE
HAVE NOT ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS
IN THE PRISONS, AND WE HAVE NOT
NECESSARILY HIT OUR TARGET OR
MARK AS MUCH AS WE'D LIKE. DUE
TO A LACK OF FUNDING. AND, YOU
KNOW, YEARS OF, YOU KNOW,
IMPROVEMENTS, POST-RELEASE. SO I
HAVE NOT BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH,
YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY CRIMINAL
JUSTICE AS, AS A WHOLE, BECAUSE
WE ARE NOT HITTING OUR TARGETS
IN A LARGE SCALE. HOWEVER I
DON'T WANT TO FALL TO THE
RHETORIC OF, YOU KNOW, ONE
PROPOSITION BEING SUCCESSFUL OR
NOT SUCCESSFUL. AND KIND OF THE
EXTREMIST RHETORIC THAT'S OUT
THERE IN THE MEDIA. SO I REALLY
JUST WANTED TO APPRECIATE YOU
GUYS SHARING, YOUR, YOU KNOW,
INPUT AND INSIGHT AND SOME OF
THE DATA, BUT I WILL MOVE ON TO
THE NEXT ITEM, ISSUE NUMBER TWO.
SO ISSUE NUMBER TWO IS
HEALTHCARE FOR THE JUSTICE
INVOLVED AND REENTRY POPULATION.
THIS ITEM IS GOING TO BE
PRESENTED IN TWO SUB PANELS.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS CAN ASK
CLARIFYING QUESTIONS AFTER EACH
SUB PANEL. BUT PLEASE SAVE
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR AFTER
THE SECOND PANEL. FIRST WE'RE
GOING TO HEAR FROM THE JUDICIAL
COUNCIL AND FROM ANDY GUTIERREZ,
RECENTLY RETIRED FROM THE SANTA
CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF THE
PUBLIC DEFENDER. WELCOME. THAT'S
MY COUNTY. SO THANK YOU, AND WE
ARE GOING TO START WITH I MESSED
UP YOUR NAME LAST TIME. SO I'M
GOING TO SAY ZLATKO TEODOROVICH
RAVETCH. YOU DID GREAT. THANK
YOU, FROM JUDICIAL COUNCIL,
RIGHT. SO THANK YOU. AND SO, YOU
KNOW, WE'LL START OFF AND, YOU
KNOW, NEXT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR
FROM OBVIOUSLY ANDY GUTIERREZ
AND, AND, I JUST WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOU
GUYS ARE READY AND YOU WILL BE
TIMED. THANK YOU. AND WE'RE
TIMING OURSELVES AS WELL. THANK
YOU. AND WE HAVE SEVEN MINUTES.
WE UNDERSTAND IF WE'RE GENEROUS.
YES. GREAT. THANK YOU. ALL
RIGHT. YES. GOOD MORNING
EVERYONE. I AM ZLATKO
TEODOROVICH, BUDGET DIRECTOR AT
THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL. AND I'M
JUST GOING TO BE GIVING YOU A
QUICK OVERVIEW AND THEN TURNING
IT OVER TO JUDGE HERNANDEZ AND
DAVID YAMASAKI TO REPRESENT THE
EXPERIENCE FROM THE COURTS,
CALIFORNIA CURRENTLY HAS OVER
400 COLLABORATIVE COURTS IN ALL
BUT TWO OF OUR SMALLEST
COUNTIES, WITH MANY
JURISDICTIONS HAVING FOUR OR
MORE TYPES OF COLLABORATIVE
COURTS. THE MOST NUMEROUS TYPES
OF THESE COURTS INCLUDE ADULT
DRUG COURTS, WHICH IS THE
DISCUSSION POINT TODAY. ADULT
MENTAL HEALTH COURTS, VETERANS
COURTS, DEPENDENCY DRUG COURTS,
JUVENILE DRUG COURTS, DUI
COURTS, REENTRY COURTS, HOMELESS
COURTS, COMMUNITY COURTS,
JUVENILE MENTAL HEALTH COURTS,
JUST TO NAME A FEW OF THEM. AND
THEY ARE REALLY FOUNDATIONAL AND
REQUIRE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF
CONNECTION WITH OUR LOCAL
PARTNERS, BOTH SERVICE
PROVIDERS, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
, PROBATION, SO THERE'S A LOT OF
INTEGRATION THAT'S NECESSARY.
THE COURTS ARE JUST A SORT OF A
PLACE TO COME TOGETHER OF ALL
THESE CRITICAL SERVICES. AND
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT
OVER TO JUDGE HERNANDEZ TO GIVE
US SOME REALLY GOOD INSIGHTS.
YES. SO GOOD MORNING AGAIN. GOOD
TO SEE YOU, SENATOR. AND THANK
YOU TO ALL THE MEMBERS FOR
ALLOWING US TO SHARE WITH YOU. I
THINK WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IS
JUSTICE THROUGH INTERVENTION
PREVENTION. AND WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT PREVENTION, EARLY
PREVENTION, YOU HAVE ALREADY. SO
I DON'T WANT TO REITERATE SOME
OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN
MADE. BUT WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH
WITH TREATMENT COURTS,
SPECIFICALLY THESE DRUG COURTS,
MENTAL HEALTH COURTS, AS
VETERANS COURTS, IS HAVING THE
OUTCOMES THAT YOU ALL HAVE JUST
COMMENTED ON, THAT WHEN WE SEE
FOLKS COMING INTO THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM, WE NEED TO TREAT
THE UNDERLYING ISSUE, THE
SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUE, THE
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, THE HOUSING
INSTABILITY THAT OCCURS, WHAT
WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN A
MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH IS
NOTHING SHORT OF REMARKABLE. AND
I WOULD INVITE, AS I DID THE
LAST TIME I SPOKE, PLEASE COME
IN TO THE COURTS. PLEASE COME IN
AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU
TALK ABOUT A PARTICIPANT,
WHETHER IT'S A MENTAL HEALTH OR
A DRUG COURT PARTICIPANT AT A
GRADUATION, YOU SAY, YES, THAT
PARTICIPANT GRADUATE AND THAT
PARTICIPANT'S LIFE MAY HAVE BEEN
SAVED FROM THE MORGUE. IT'S SO
MUCH MORE THAN THAT. IT'S A
RIPPLING EFFECT OF THOUSANDS OF
MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, PUBLIC
SAFETY ISSUES AND WE ARE
TREATING THE UNDERLYING ROOT
CAUSE, WHICH BROUGHT THAT
PERSON, SADLY, TO PENETRATE THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. IN A
PERFECT WORLD, WE'D HAVE ALL
DIVERSION, WE'D HAVE ALL
PREVENTION IN THE BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH SIDE OF IT, ADDRESSING
WHETHER IT'S SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR
MENTAL HEALTH WORKING VERY
COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR
PARTNERS, WHICH THE COURT DOES
AND DOES SO VERY PROUDLY. BUT
THAT'S NOT WHERE WE'RE AT.
THAT'S NOT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.
THEY DO COME INTO OUR JUSTICE
SYSTEM, SO WE MUST BE RESPONSIVE
AND BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEIR
HIGH RISK, HIGH NEEDS. WE KNOW
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COST BENEFIT
RATIO, WHEN WE'RE ADDRESSING
THEM IN DRUG COURTS AND THE
OTHER TREATMENT COURTS, THE COST
BENEFIT ANALYSIS IS STELLAR. SO
WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE'RE
CAPTURING THAT DATA NOT JUST TO
RECIDIVISM, EVERYBODY ON THIS
PANEL AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
WANTS TO SEE A REDUCTION IN
RECIDIVISM. THAT'S A HUGE,
SIGNIFICANT FACTOR. BUT WE ALSO
CAPTURE DATA RELATING TO THEIR
STABILITY AND HOMELESSNESS.
THEIR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES,
THEIR EMPLOYMENT TO SENATOR
DAHLE. WE KNOW WHEN THEY'RE
EMPLOYED, WE KNOW THEIR OUTCOMES
ARE MUCH BETTER. THEIR
EDUCATION, GETTING THEM THEIR
DIPLOMAS OR POST, GRADUATION
EDUCATION. ALL OF THOSE THINGS
MUST BE CAPTURED. AND THEY ARE
BEING CAPTURED TO TELL YOU THESE
PROGRAMS ARE WORKING BECAUSE OF
THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS, NOT
ONLY WITH THE MEMBERS LIKE YOU,
BUT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES,
WITH OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS AND
EVERYBODY BEING AT THE TABLE FOR
THE OUTCOME OF COMMUNITY SAFETY
AND BETTER OUTCOMES. BUT I'LL
TURN IT OVER TO MR. YAMASAKI
BEING VERY MINDFUL OF MY TIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JUDGE
HERNANDEZ. MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS,
I APPEAR TODAY AS THE EXECUTIVE
OFFICER FOR THE SUPERIOR COURT
IN ORANGE COUNTY, BUT ALSO AS
THE CHAIR OF THE COURT OF ESSEX
ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH
ENDEAVORS TO REPRESENT THE
INTERESTS OF ALL THE SUPERIOR
COURTS HERE IN CALIFORNIA. I'VE
ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING
WORKED IN THREE DIFFERENT COURTS
IN CALIFORNIA, AND I CAN TELL
YOU THAT EVERY ONE OF THE COURTS
IN WHICH I HAVE WORKED HAVE BEEN
VERY, VERY COMMITTED TO
SUPPORTING THE WORK OF THE
COLLABORATIVE COURTS, THAT ARE
IN PLACE. THEY HAVE NOT, BECOME
SMALLER. THEY'VE ACTUALLY
EXPANDED BECAUSE OF THE
COMMITMENT THAT ALL OF THE
COURTS, CONVEY IN TERMS OF
SUPPORTING THE CAUSES AND ISSUES
THAT WE TRY TO RESOLVE IN THE
COURTS THAT WE HAVE, SOME MIGHT
SUGGEST THAT WE ARE FOCUSED IN
THE COURTS TO TRY TO FIND THE
PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE TO, TO
PROCESS SOME OF THESE CASES.
THAT IS NOT THE SITUATION HERE
IN THE COLLABORATIVE COURTS.
THEY TAKE A LOT MORE TIME. THEY
TAKE A LOT MORE RESOURCES. THEY
NEED A LOT MORE SPACE. BUT
CLEARLY, THEREFORE A VERY GOOD
REASON, BECAUSE LIVES ARE
CHANGED BY THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE
IN THE PROGRAM, ONE OF THE
VALIDATIONS THAT I OFTEN REFER
TO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE WORK
AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND
ENERGY THAT THESE COURTS ARE
REQUIRED, INVOLVE IS THE
GRADUATION CEREMONIES THAT WE
HAVE, ONE SUCH GRADUATION
CEREMONY THAT I WANT TO SHARE
INVOLVES ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO,
UPON GRADUATION, THE JUDGE TOLD
EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE AND
THE INDIVIDUAL THAT HE WAS NOT
SURE IF THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS
GOING TO LIVE OR DIE. AND IT WAS
A VERY HAPPY MOMENT TO SEE THAT
THIS INDIVIDUAL NOT ONLY
GRADUATED THE PROGRAM, GOT
MARRIED, HAD A CHILD, OPENED A
BUSINESS, AND EVEN OFFERED
EMPLOYMENT TO ANOTHER GRADUATE
OF THE PROGRAM. LIVES ARE
CHANGED BY THE WORK THAT IS DONE
IN THESE COURTS. THESE LIVES ARE
FRAGILE. THEY NEED A HAND WHEN
THEY NEED TO STAND, AND THEY
NEED GUIDANCE WHEN THEY NEED TO
BE GUIDED AND THESE
COLLABORATIVE COURTS DO A
WONDERFUL JOB THROUGH THE
COMMITMENT OF THE JUDICIAL
OFFICERS, THE STAKEHOLDERS
WITHIN EACH COUNTY. AGAIN,
THEY'RE NOT EASY TO COMPLETE AND
ACHIEVE THE OUTCOMES. HOWEVER
EVERYONE IS COMMITTED TO MAKING
SURE THAT THESE PROGRAMS CAN
CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN AND IMPACT
THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE FACE DAY
IN AND DAY OUT BECAUSE IT DOES
CHANGE THE LIVES OF MANY. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE
ANYBODY ELSE PRESENTING? OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING, ANDY
GUTIERREZ, RETIRED PUBLIC
DEFENDER, SANTA CLARA COUNTY.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO
SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR
JUSTICE INVOLVED AND REENTRY
POPULATIONS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
OF A LONG TIME PUBLIC DEFENDER,
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH REENTRY
EFFORTS FOR THE ENTIRETY OF MY
25 YEAR CAREER. DESPITE PROGRESS
IN THE WAKE OF OUR DECARCERATION
EFFORTS, SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS
REMAIN FOR OUR OUR REENTRY
POPULATIONS. THIS REALITY IS NOT
SURPRISING TO ANY PUBLIC
DEFENDER. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR
PUBLIC DEFENDER CLIENTS TO FIND
THEMSELVES LOST DESPITE A
REFERRAL TO PROBATION, PAROLE
AND OR A REENTRY RESOURCE CENTER
. WE ASKED OURSELVES WHY AND
CONSIDERED OUR OWN ROLE, OR LACK
THEREOF, IN THE ENTIRE REENTRY
PROCESS. ARE WE JUST LEGAL
ADVOCATES AND MUST BE RELY ON
OTHERS FOR CAN AND SHOULD WE BE
MORE? THUS, DURING THE PANDEMIC,
THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY PUBLIC
DEFENDER'S OFFICE HELD ONE ON
ONE MEETINGS WITH SYSTEMS
PARTNERS WITHIN CDCR PAROLE,
PROBATION AND OUR REENTRY
RESOURCE CENTER TO GAIN A
COLLECTIVE UNDERSTANDING AS TO
WHAT EACH OF US IS DOING. THOSE
MEETINGS LED TO AN UNDERSTANDING
THAT A PUBLIC DEFENDER AGENCY IS
NOT ONLY BENEFICIAL, BUT OFTEN
INTEGRAL TO THE REENTRY PROCESS.
LIKEWISE, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S
OFFICE CAME TO APPRECIATE THE
COMPLEXITY OF PROGRAMS AND
OPERATIONS WITHIN CDCR AND
PAROLE. THOSE CONVERSATIONS
ULTIMATELY LED TO THE
DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTENTIONAL
REENTRY PROGRAM WITHIN OUR
POST-CONVICTION WIENER. APPLYING
A PUBLIC HEALTH LENS TO REENTRY.
THIS MODEL CENTERS THE
INDIVIDUAL. TWO YEARS INTO THIS
MODEL, WE BUILD IN A
TRANSFORMATIONAL TÊ FEATURES
INCLUDE EARLY ENGAGEMENT.
INTENTIONAL REENTRY STARTS WELL
BEFORE RELEASE, OFTEN TIMES
MONTHS. EXTENSIVE SUPPORT WITH
INSIGHT DEVELOPMENT FOR EVERY
SINGLE PERSON WHO PARTICIPATES.
REENTRY PLANNING, INCLUDING
HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, RELAPSE
PREVENTION, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT,
AND INDIVIDUALIZED NEEDS
ASSESSMENTS WITH THE TRAUMA
INFORMED APPROACH, MOTIVATIONAL
INTERVIEWING THROUGHOUT THE
PROCESS AND CRITICALLY, IT
INVOLVES PUBLIC DEFENDER
COORDINATION WITH SYSTEMS
PARTNERS IN AREAS WHERE WE
PREVIOUSLY LACKED ANY
INVOLVEMENT. WE BELIEVE
INTENTIONAL REENTRY MODEL, WHICH
INCORPORATES A PUBLIC HEALTH
LENS, HAS SHOWN EARLY PROMISING
RESULTS. WE HAVE HELPED DOZENS
OF PEOPLE REENTER THE COMMUNITY
WITH AN ENHANCED REENTRY
EXPERIENCE BY CENTERING
INDIVIDUAL WHO KNOW THAT WE ALSO
CENTER PUBLIC SAFETY.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS ENORMOUS
FISCAL COST SAVINGS. COST
SAVINGS ARE REALIZED EACH YEAR
OF INCARCERATION THAT IS SAVED
DUE TO AN ACCELERATED RELEASE
ALLOWED BY OUR INTENTIONAL
REENTRY PROGRAM. WE CALL THOSE
SOUL YEARS SAVED BECAUSE
QUANTIFYING THE TRUE SAVINGS
EXTENDS BEYOND THE FISCAL. A
SNAPSHOT OF JUST ONE COHORT OF
PEOPLE IMPACTED BY INTENTIONAL
REENTRY INVOLVES A GROUP OF 21
MEN RESENTENCED FROM LONG PRISON
SENTENCES BETWEEN MARCH 22ND
THROUGH NOVEMBER 23RD, IN SANTA
CLARA COUNTY, COMBINED Dð
SENTENCES, WHICH DEPENDED
HEAVILY ON AN INTENTIONAL
REENTRY APPROACH, RESULTED IN
396 YEARS OF INCARCERATION,
YEARS SAVED. THIS RESULTED IN A
SAVINGS OF UNTOLD MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS FOR THE STATE AND THE
COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY OF
SANTA CLARA. IT IS IMPORTANT TO
NOTE THAT MANY OF OUR
INTENTIONAL REENTRY CLIENTS ARE
WORKING, SUPPORTING FAMILIES,
AND GIVING BACK THROUGH SO MANY
OTHER WAYS. ONE OF THE
HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR INTENTIONAL
ENTRY MODEL WAS USING ONE TIME
GRANT MONIES TO HIRE A VERY
FIRST COMMUNITY SERVICE ADVOCATE
WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE. THIS
PERSON UNDERSTANDS BETTER THAN
MOST THE CHALLENGES OF AN
INDIVIDUAL FACING REENTRY.
REENTRY INTO THE COMMUNITY, AND
BETTER THAN MOST. THEY
UNDERSTAND HOW TO NAVIGATE OUR
COMPLEX SYSTEMS IN A MANNER
SPECIFIC TO OUR CLIENT BASE TO
TRULY MEET THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT
. OUR CSA HAS BEEN SO
INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING OUR OUR
COUNTY'S CLIENTS WITH REENTRY
THAT SHE WAS RECENTLY AWARDED A
SPECIAL COMMENDATION BY OUR
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. SHE
ACCOMPLISHED THAT GOAL IN LESS
THAN THREE MONTHS ON THE JOB.
I'VE NEVER RECEIVED SUCH A
COMMENDATION, EVEN AFTER 25
YEARS. THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT THE
COMMUNITY SERVICE ADVOCATE WITH
LIVED EXPERIENCE IS AT THE
PUBLIC DEFENDER OFFICE. IN THE
WAKE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM,
PUBLIC DEFENDER AGENCIES ARE
FINDING THEMSELVES MORE AND MORE
INVOLVED WITH THE CORE BUSINESS
OF REENTRY. GIVEN OUR
CONFIDENTIAL ACCESS TO THE
CLIENTS AND OUR RELATIONSHIPS
WITH NUMEROUS SYSTEMS PARTNERS,
WE ARE UNIQUELY SITUATED TO
ENHANCE THE REENTRY EXPERIENCE
AND IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY.
HOWEVER, THIS REQUIRES
RESOURCES. THIS INCLUDES FUNDING
FOR SOCIAL WORKERS, COMMUNITY
SERVICE ADVOCATES, AND DATA
ANALYSTS FOR DATA TRACKING AND
PROGRAM EFFICACY. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU, NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO
HEAR FROM THE REMAINING
PANELISTS ON THIS ITEM,
INCLUDING DCS AMITY, SANTA CLARA
COUNTY, AND CDCR. PLEASE COME
UP. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AUTUMN
BOLIN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OFFICE
OF STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PARTNERS,
SHIPS, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE
SERVICES. YEAH, SO AFTER THE
SUBCHANNEL, THEN ALL THE
QUESTIONS. YEAH. OR THEY CAN GO
UP TO THAT LITTLE THINGY. YOU
KNOW, I LOVE THE LECTERN, I JUST
WANT TO INTRODUCE EVERYBODY,
JUST, WHILE WE'RE HERE, AND THEN
MICHELLE DELYLAH. OKAY. OKAY.
GREAT. DIRECTOR OF SYSTEMS,
INTEGRATION OF SANTA CLARA
COUNTY, AND THEN DOUG BOND,
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AMITY
FOUNDATION, AND FINALLY CDCR
DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATION AND
SPECIAL PROJECTS, PERFECT. THANK
YOU. AND SO I'LL LET YOU ALL,
BEGIN AND SHARE YOUR
PRESENTATIONS. AND I GUESS WE
CAN START WITH YOU. THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU. MEMBERS
OF THIS COMMITTEE. I HAVE SOME
WONDERFUL TALKING POINTS HERE,
BUT I'D RATHER JUST HAVE A
CONVERSATION, WITH ALL OF YOU.
AMITY FOUNDATION'S,
COMPREHENSIVE REENTRY SERVICES
ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES
SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT,
HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, AND IS A
THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR
400 COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS TRYING TO DEVELOP
THEIR CAPACITY TO GET THEM TO
THE PLACE WHERE THEY CAN
ACTUALLY CONTRACT WITH
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. AS WE'VE
ALL HEARD HERE TODAY, REENTRY
AND REHABILITATION IS COMPLEX, I
TOO, HAVE BEEN IN NORWAY AND
HAVE TRAVELED AND LOOKED AT MANY
OF THE MODELS AROUND THE WORLD
AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, BOTH
THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL AND MANY
THAT ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL, I WILL
SAY THAT THERE IS NO SILVER
BULLET AND THERE IS NO WAY TO
REPLICATE ONE SYSTEM OVER TO
ANOTHER, COMMUNITY BASED ORGS
REALLY SERVE AS A CONNECTING
ORGANIZATION BETWEEN MANY
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. WE SERVICE
67 CONTRACTS FROM CITY, COUNTY,
STATE AND FEDERAL ORGANIZATIONS,
GETTING PEOPLE THROUGH THE FULL
CONTINUUM OF CARE, PARTNERING
WITH OUR PARTNERS AT CDCR TO
PROVIDE IN PRISON SERVICES AND
MOVING THEM SAFELY INTO THE
COMMUNITY. VÆ SOME SOLUTIONS
THAT ARE WORKING WELL RIGHT NOW
ARE THE MALE AND FEMALE
COMMUNITY REENTRY PROGRAMS THAT
ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEND THE LAST
TWO YEARS OF THEIR INCARCERATION
IN THE COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAM,
EMPLOYED IN A CAREER PATH AND
SAVING 75% OF THEIR INCOME. IT'S
REALLY HARD TO STABILIZE YOUR
HEALTH CARE WITHOUT STABLE
LIVING CONDITIONS AND SETTINGS.
SO I WOULD SAY ONE OF THE
BIGGEST BARRIERS AS WE LOOK TO
THE FUTURE WITH MEDICAID AND WE
WORK AGAIN IN MANY STATES, IS
THE DEFINITION OF HOMELESSNESS.
PEOPLE THAT ARE INCARCERATED FOR
MORE THAN 90 DAYS ARE NOT
QUALIFIED FOR SUBSIDIES WITH
FEDERAL HUD RULES RIGHT NOW. AND
SO THAT IS A BIG ISSUE, LOS
ANGELES HAS HAD SOME INNOVATIVE
PROGRAMS THAT'S CREATED,
ENTITIES LIKE HOUSING FOR
HEALTH, WHERE YOU CAN BYPASS
THOSE SYSTEMS. BUT UNTIL WE GET
PEOPLE FROM TREATMENT AND
EMPLOYMENT WITH SAFE, SAFE AND
STABLE HOUSING, WE ARE REALLY
GOING TO STRUGGLE WITH REDUCING
RECIDIVISM AND IMPROVING PUBLIC
SAFETY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING, SENATOR LISA
HEINZ. AND MEMBERS, THANK YOU,
LISA HANS-JÜRGEN, DIRECTOR AND
LEGISLATION, SPECIAL PROJECTS.
AND I'M OVERSEEING THE COUNTY
INITIATIVE, I WANT TO THANK THIS
LEGISLATIVE BODY FOR ITS
CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE
REHABILITATIVE PROGRAMS IN OUR
DEPARTMENT. YOUR COMMITMENT AND
SUPPORT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE IST
PROGRAM AND YOUR FOCUS ON
ENHANCING REENTRY SERVICES FOR
THE POPULATION WE SERVE AS A
RESULT OF THE UNPRECEDENTED
OPIOID CRISIS FACING THIS
NATION, CAUSING ADDICTION, LOSS
OF LIFE, HOMELESSNESS, AND
HEALTH DISPARITIES, ESPECIALLY
IMPACTING OUR JUSTICE INVOLVED
INDIVIDUALS, THE DEPARTMENT
BEGAN A WHOLE PERSON CARE MODEL
IN JANUARY OF 2020. WE ARE
CURRENTLY SERVING OVER 17,000
PERSONS ON MEDICAID AND ASSISTED
TREATMENT, 10,000 PARTICIPATING
IN OUR COGNITIVE, BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTIONS AND DEVELOPING A
PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST NETWORK
TO HELP WITH JOB PLACEMENTS
WHERE THEY CAN MAKE AN HONEST
LIVING AND TRANSITION INTO OUR
COMMUNITIES WITH OUR COMMUNITY
PARTNERS IN THAT SPACE, OUR
WHOLE PERSON CARE MODEL
SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED THE WAY
THAT WE ADDRESS SUBSTANCE USE
DISORDER, ENSURING THAT OUR
POPULATION HAD ACCESS TO
MEDICATED ASSISTED TREATMENT
BOTH WHILE THEY WERE
INCARCERATED AND ON RELEASE.
APPROXIMATELY 30,000 PERSONS
RELEASED FROM PRISON EACH YEAR
AND RETURN AS OUR NEIGHBORS CDCR
PROVIDES ALL RELEASING
INDIVIDUALS WITH MEDI-CAL
APPLICATION BENEFIT ASSISTANCE.
ENHANCED PRERELEASE SERVICES,
AND EVIDENCE BASED ASSESSMENTS.
PRE SCHEDULED MAT APPOINTMENTS
FOR APPROXIMATELY 90% OF THE
RELEASING POPULATION WHO ARE ON
MEDICAID ASSISTED TREATMENT. WE
HELP HELP OVER 900 RELEASES PER
MONTH, ATTAIN CLINIC TO CLINIC
SERVICES FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTH
AND ALL RELEASING INDIVIDUALS
WHO ARE WILLING RECEIVE 60 DAYS
OF MEDICATION, TWO DOSES OF
NALOXONE AND DURABLE MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT AND OTHER SERVICES
THAT TO TRANSITION TO OUR
COMMUNITY PARTNERS OVER THE PAST
YEAR. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT
THE DEPARTMENT HAS CONTINUED ITS
PARTNERSHIPS WITH DCS COUNTIES
AND COMMUNITY PROVIDERS UNDER
THE CAL-AIM INITIATIVE.
CURRENTLY CDCR IS WORKING ON THE
IT INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO
HELP A PROJECTED 2000 RELEASES
PER MONTH BECOME CAL-AIM
ELIGIBLE. THE DEPARTMENT IS
UTILIZING DCS PATH FUNDING TO
SUPPORT THIS IT INFRASTRUCTURE
AND BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN
BOTH OUR OWN NETWORKS AS WELL AS
THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY AND
COUNTIES. WE ARE BUILDING
SUPPORTS NECESSARY FOR CLAIMS
RECONCILING ACTIONS AS WELL. AS
OF JANUARY 1ST, OUR DIVISION OF
ADULT PAROLE OPERATIONS STARTED
LINKING OUR PAROLE POPULATIONS
DIRECTLY WITH THEIR CMS. ONCE
THEY WERE CONNECTED TO MANAGED
CARE PLANS, OUR DHCP TEAM IS
WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH THE STOP
PROVIDERS AS WELL AS OUR MSPS
AND K¾T RFPS, TO ENSURE THAT
DURING THE PHASE THREE OF THEIR
PROGRAMING, WHILE THEY'RE IN
THEIR COMMUNITY, REENTRY, THEY
ARE AGAIN, IDENTIFIED WITH THEIR
CMS AS WELL AS THEIR MEDI-CAL,
TO OBTAIN REIMBURSABLE SERVICES
IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THE COUNTY
INITIATIVE IS THE NEXT CRITICAL
STEP IN SUCCESSFULLY SUPPORTING
THE TRANSITION OF OUR JUSTICE
INVOLVED POPULATIONS RETURNING
TO OUR COMMUNITIES. AND WE ARE
EXCITED THAT ONCE IMPLEMENTED,
KELLY WILL HELP ADDRESS THE
HEALTH CARE AND SUPPORTIVE
SERVICES GAPS WE HAVE SEEN IN
REENTRY PROCESS FOR YEARS. AS
YOU'RE AWARE, OUR JUSTICE
INVOLVED POPULATIONS, AND
PARTICULARLY THOSE RELEASING
FROM PRISON, HAVE SIGNIFICANT
HEALTH AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
NEEDS WITH SIGNIFICANT COST TO
THE STATE. AGAIN, WE ARE HAPPY
TO PARTNER WITH DCS, OUR
COMMUNITY PARTNERS, ON THIS ONE
OF A KIND OPPORTUNITY FOR
CALIFORNIA TO STANDARDIZE DIRECT
LINKAGES TO CARE FOR THIS
UNDERSERVED POPULATION. THÀNH.
THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR
WAHAB, AND DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS
OF THE COMMITTEE. I'M MICHELLE
DE LA CALLE, COUNTY OF SANTA
CLARA OFFICE OF SYSTEM
INTEGRATION AND TRANSFORMATION
FOR THE HEALTH SYSTEM HEALTH
SYSTEM, MY ROLE INCLUDES ALL
THINGS CAL-AIM AND CURRENTLY
MOST EFFORTS ARE SUPPORTING THE
CUTTING EDGE. 1115 B MEDI-CAL
WAIVER AIMED TO GRANT MEDI-CAL
SERVICES AND BENEFITS TO PERSONS
IN THE 90 DAY PRE RELEASE PERIOD
WHILE INCARCERATED AT OUR COUNTY
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES. THE
COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA IS
ANTICIPATING A GO LIVE DATE IN
OCTOBER OF 2024. SANTA CLARA HAS
FOUR CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES,
TWO ADULT AND TWO JUVENILE. A
COMPREHENSIVE REENTRY PROGRAM,
STRONG BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND
PHYSICAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS THAT
SERVE NOT ONLY AS A SAFETY NET
FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT OUR KEY
PROVIDERS WITHIN THE
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
THEMSELVES. AS CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES ARE ABUNDANT
ACROSS OUR COUNTY, ACROSS THE
STATE AND NATION, AS WE ALL WORK
TO DECREASE THE RISK OF THOSE
EXITING INCARCERATION AND
ENTERING INTO COMMUNITY, THERE
IS NO DEBATE THAT THOSE EXITING
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES WITH
CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH,
MEDICAL OR SUBSTANCE USE
DISORDERS ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR
NEGATIVE HEALTH OUTCOMES.
RE-INCARCERATION ARREST AND A
SHORTENED LIFESPAN. THE STAKES
ARE HIGH AND THE CARE DELIVERY
IS COMPLEX TO SAY THE LEAST. THE
STIGMA OF INCARCERATION, MENTAL
HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE COMBINED
WITH FREQUENCY OF POVERTY,
HOMELESSNESS AND GAPS IN OTHER
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
MEANS THERE IS NO SILVER BULLET,
SOLUTION. IN ADDITION, THE VERY
AT RISK POPULATION SERVED HAS
VARIABLE INTEREST IN CONNECTING
TO SERVICE RELATED TO MENTAL
HEALTH AND, FOR MANY UNKNOWN
FACTORS AND EVEN KNOWN FACTORS.
SOLUTIONS ARE GOING TO TAKE
THOUGHTFUL AND INNOVATIVE
APPROACHES TO ADDRESS. ONE KEY
SHIFT THAT COUNTIES WILL NEED TO
ADDRESS IS THAT THE CARE AND
SERVICES FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE
AND SUPPORTIVE, WHILE
INCARCERATED NEED TO BE KNOWN
AND CONTINUED IN COMMUNITY WITH
EASE TO ACCESS THE KEY OBSTACLES
WE ARE FACING AND FOCUSED ON ARE
ONE. IDENTIFYING AND
COMMUNICATED, ANTICIPATED
RELEASE OR DISCHARGE DATES TO
CARE, COORDINATION AND DISCHARGE
PLANNING TEAMS. FOR COUNTIES,
THIS IS ESPECIALLY SIGNIFICANT
FOR THOSE IN THEIR FIRST DAY OR
DAYS AFTER ARREST. WHILE
AWAITING SENTENCING, AS THEIR
DISCHARGE CAN BE UNEXPECTED OR
SUDDEN WITH LITTLE TIME TO PLAN.
TWO ENSURING COMPLIANCE AND
PRIVACY WHILE SHARING NECESSARY
INFORMATION AND DATA BETWEEN THE
MYRIAD OF DEPARTMENTS WITH
MUTUAL GOALS. IN THE SUCCESSFUL
RELEASE FROM ANY CORRECTIONAL
FACILITIES. PARTNERS INCLUDE,
BUT AREN'T LIMITED TO, THE
SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND OTHER LOCAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
PROBATION. PUBLIC DEFENDER
DISTRICT ATTORNEY PREET TRIAL
RELEASE, COLLABORATIVE COURTS,
AND SUPERIOR COURTS AND ALL THE
COURTS, COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH,
MEDICAL CARE, MANAGED CARE PLANS
AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES.
THAT'S JUST TO NAME A FEW. AND
THREE, WE NEED EASE OF ACCESS TO
THE REQUIRED CARE FOR
POST-RELEASE CARE AND SERVICES
THAT ALLOW FOR THE MOST SUCCESS
AND MOST OPTIMAL CARE AND HEALTH
IN THE COMMUNITY. THE COUNTY OF
SANTA CLARA IS USING BEST
PRACTICES IDENTIFIED IN CURRENT
PROGRAMS, INCLUDING REENTRY
CENTERS, NETWORK WITH WALK IN
SERVICES FOR MENTAL HEALTH,
PHYSICAL HEALTH, EMPLOYMENT AND
SOCIAL SERVICE. AGENCY SUPPORT,
YOU HEARD MR. GUTIERREZ TALK
ABOUT THE INTENTIONAL REENTRY
PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS, THE
COLLABORATIVE COURTS THAT HAVE
BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE, WE HAVE
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES AND
HEALTH TEAMS, AND WE ALSO HAVE
CAL-AIM SERVICES LIKE ECM AND
COMMUNITY SUPPORTS THAT ARE
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR ELIGIBLE
INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE EXAMINING HOW WE CAN
USE ALL OF THOSE TO ADD
ADDITIONAL LAYERS OF SUPPORT AS
PEOPLE EXIT INTO COMMUNITY. WE,
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND THE
FEDERAL WAIVER TO ALLOW THE
MEDI-CAL BENEFITS IN THE 90 DAY
PRERELEASE PERIOD AND OTHER
CAL-AIM INITIATIVES ARE PUSHING
COUNTIES AND HEALTH CARE
DELIVERY MODEL DELIVERY SYSTEM
MODELS TO RETHINK AND REIMAGINE
CARE THAT WILL ALLOW FOR
INDIVIDUALS TO THRIVE AND MEET
AND MAINTAIN OPTIMAL HEALTH UPON
RELEASE AND MAINTAINING LIFE
WHILE IN COMMUNITY. THE COUNTY
OF SANTA CLARA'S APPROACH IS TO
LOOK AT IT FROM A ONE COUNTY
PERSPECTIVE AND CONSIDER HOW TO
ENGAGE ALL INVOLVED DEPARTMENTS
AND SUPPORT CROSS DEPARTMENTAL
ENGAGEMENT AND SOLVE FOR SOME OF
THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECTS OF
PROVIDING THE RIGHT CARE AT THE
RIGHT TIME, TO THE RIGHT PERSON,
IN THE RIGHT SETTING. I
APPRECIATE THE TIME AND THE AND
THE DISCUSSION AROUND THIS, AND
THIS IS POWERFUL AND IMPACTFUL
WORK THAT CAN REALLY SUPPORT THE
HEALTH OF ALL THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD
MORNING, AUTUMN BOYLAN WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE
SERVICES. I THINK MY JOB IS
ACTUALLY TAKE A STEP BACK AND
PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE
CLAIM. JUSTICE INVOLVED
INITIATIVE. SO THANK YOU TO THE
MEMBERS FOR INVITING US TO BE
HERE THIS MORNING. AS YOU'VE
HEARD TODAY OVER, YOU KNOW,
ABOUT THE NECESSARY, ATTENTION
ON REENTRY SERVICES, THAT'S
REALLY WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON AS
PART OF THE CLAIM JUSTICE
INVOLVED INITIATIVE STATEWIDE,
OVER 400,000 INDIVIDUALS ARE
RELEASED FROM CARCERAL SETTINGS
EACH YEAR, AND AT LEAST 80% OF
THOSE WE ESTIMATE TO BE ELIGIBLE
FOR THE MEDI-CAL PROGRAM. IN
JANUARY OF 2023, CALIFORNIA
BECAME THE FIRST STATE IN THE
NATION TO RECEIVE APPROVAL FROM
THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND
MEDICAID SERVICES TO OFFER A
TARGETED SET OF MEDICAID
SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS, ADULTS,
AND YOUTH WHO ARE INCARCERATED
IN STATE PRISONS, COUNTY JAILS,
AND YOUTH CORRECTIONAL
FACILITIES ACROSS THE STATE FOR
UP TO THE 90 DAY PERIOD PRIOR TO
THE INDIVIDUAL'S RELEASE AND
REENTRY BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
PRIOR TO THIS APPROVAL, THE
FEDERAL MEDICAID INMATE
EXCLUSION POLICY PROHIBITED THE
USE OF MEDICAID FUNDING IN
CARCERAL SETTINGS, AND, AND THIS
, CHANGE THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US
AS STATES ARE ADOPTING THESE
WAIVER PROGRAMS IS HISTORIC.
IT'S ALSO UNPRECEDENTED. AND SO
WE'RE LEARNING A LOT AS WE GO TO
IMPLEMENT THIS INITIATIVE. AND
AGAIN, LIKE LISA SHARED JUST A
MOMENT AGO, VERY EXCITED TO BE
PARTNERING WITH THE CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND
REHABILITATION, AS WELL AS OUR
COLLEAGUES IN SANTA CLARA
COUNTY. IN ALL, 58 COUNTIES TO
IMPLEMENT THIS INITIATIVE. THE
WAIVER IS JUST ONE COMPONENT OF
THE DEPARTMENT'S CLAIM JUSTICE
INVOLVED INITIATIVE, WHICH ALSO
INCLUDES REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE
EFFECTIVE IN JANUARY OF 2023 FOR
COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
AND COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES
DEPARTMENTS TO COLLABORATE TO
IMPLEMENT MANDATORY PRERELEASE
MEDI-CAL APPLICATION PROCESSES
TO HELP INDIVIDUALS GET ENROLLED
IN THE MEDI-CAL PROGRAM SO THAT
THEY'RE RECEIVING SERVICES WHILE
THEY ARE STILL IN CUSTODY, BUT
ALSO ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES
IMMEDIATELY UPON RELEASE. THE
DEMONSTRATION WAIVER INTENT IS
TO BUILD A BRIDGE FROM THE
CARCERAL SETTING TO COMMUNITY
BASED REENTRY FOR THE JUSTICE
INVOLVED. MEDI-CAL BENEFICIARIES
IN THE STATE, THIS OFFERS THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROVIDE
STABILIZING AND TREATMENT
SERVICES WHILE THE INDIVIDUAL IS
STILL IN CUSTODY. INFORM A
DETAILED REENTRY AND TRANSITION
PLAN, AND HELP TO FACILITATE A
REENTRY PROCESS THAT CONNECTS
THEM TO COMMUNITY CARE OPTIONS.
FUNDED THROUGH THE MEDI-CAL
MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATIONS, AS
WE'VE HEARD TODAY, PEOPLE WHO
ARE NOW OR HAVE SPENT TIME IN
JAILS AND PRISONS EXPERIENCED
DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGHER RATES
OF PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH DIAGNOSES. THEY'RE AT A
HIGHER RISK FOR INJURY AND
DEATH. AS A RESULT OF TRAUMA,
VIOLENCE, OVERDOSE, AND SUICIDE
THAN PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN
INCARCERATED. INCARCERATED
INDIVIDUALS ALSO HAVE A LIKELY A
MORE MORE PROBABILITY OF HAVING
A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISORDER AND
ARE MORE LIKELY, THAN THOSE
WITHOUT A DISORDER TO BE
HOMELESS IN THE YEAR PRIOR TO
THEIR INCARCERATION, LESS LIKELY
TO BE EMPLOYED PRIOR TO THEIR
ARREST, AND MORE LIKELY TO
REPORT A HISTORY OF PHYSICAL OR
SEXUAL ABUSE OF PEOPLE
INCARCERATED IN THE STATE AND
FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEM.
NATIONALLY. THE MORTALITY RATE
TWO WEEKS POST RELEASE FROM
PRISON HAS FOUND TO BE 12.7
TIMES HIGHER THAN THAN THE
NORMAL RATE MORTALITY RATE.
WELL, WHILE WE KNOW INCARCERATED
INDIVIDUALS FACE SIGNIFICANT
COMPLEX MEDICAL CONDITIONS, WE
ALSO KNOW THAT OVER THE PAST
DECADE, THE PROPORTION OF
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IN
CALIFORNIA JAILS WITH AN ACTIVE
MENTAL HEALTH CASE HAS RISEN BY
63, AND CALIFORNIA'S
CORRECTIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
DRUG OVERDOSE RATE FOR
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IS
THREE TIMES THE NATIONAL RATE.
IN ADDITION, THE ISSUE OF POOR
HEALTH OUTCOMES AND DEATH FOR
INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN
INCARCERATED IS A CRITICAL
HEALTH EQUITY ISSUE. AS WE ALL
KNOW AND HAVE HEARD TODAY,
INDIVIDUALS OF COLOR IN THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY INCARCERATED
COMPARED WITH ALL OTHER RACES
AND ETHNICITIES. OUR GOAL IS TO
PROVIDE APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL AND
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE
INTERVENTION AT EARLIER
OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE ACUTE
SERVICE UTILIZATION AND ADVERSE
HEALTH OUTCOMES, WHILE PROVIDING
A COORDINATED REENTRY INTO THE
COMMUNITY FOR INCARCERATED
INDIVIDUALS IN CALIFORNIA.
THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE,
INDIVIDUALS WILL RECEIVE A
TARGETED SET OF PRE RELEASE
SERVICES. THEY WILL HAVE A CARE
MANAGER HELPING THEM CONNECT TO
BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER
SERVICES, INCLUDING THE
PROVISION OF MEDICATION ASSISTED
TREATMENT OR MAT SERVICES. PRIOR
TO THEIR RELEASE AND IN THE
COMMUNITY POST RELEASE, THEY
WILL HAVE A WARM HANDOFF TO
COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
AGENCIES TO TREAT SERIOUS MENTAL
ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE USE
DISORDERS. A SUPPLY OF
MEDICATIONS AND DME, UPON
RELEASE AT DISCHARGE AND HELP
WITH ACCESSING OTHER HEALTH
RELATED AND COMMUNITY SUPPORTS
IN ADDITION TO HEALTH CARE WHEN
THEY REENTER THE COMMUNITY. THIS
ALSO INCLUDES ENSURING THAT ALL
PRERELEASE JUSTICE INVOLVED
INDIVIDUALS ARE AUTOMATICALLY
ELIGIBLE FOR THE ENHANCED CARE
MANAGEMENT BENEFIT. THAT'S ALSO
A PART OF THE CAL-AIM
INITIATIVE. IT'S AN INTENSIVE
CARE MANAGEMENT APPROACH THAT IS
BUILDING OFF OF THE WHOLE
PERSON. CARE PILOTS AND THE
MODEL THAT WAS DEVELOPED
PREVIOUSLY UNDER OUR WAIVER
PROGRAMS. IT PROVIDES WHOLE
PERSON WRAPAROUND SUPPORT TO
ENSURE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL'S
HEALTH NEEDS ARE MET ACROSS ALL
PROVIDERS, PRACTITIONERS AND
NEEDS, INCLUDING CONNECTING THEM
WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORTS THAT ARE
CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS, EXCUSE
ME, SUCCESS OF THE OF THE
REENTRY POPULATION, INCLUDING
RECOUP NATIVE CARE, HOUSING,
NAVIGATION SERVICES, HOUSING
DEPOSITS, HOUSING, TENANCY AND
SUSTAINING SERVICES AND
REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. WE'VE
ALREADY HEARD THAT, THE
PRERELEASE SERVICES PROVISION
WILL BEGIN STARTING IN OCTOBER
OF 2024. CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
WILL HAVE UP TO 24 MONTHS TO GO
LIVE ON A QUARTERLY BASIS,
STARTING IN OCTOBER. THE WAIVER
ALSO AUTHORIZES THE PATH PROGRAM
OR PROVIDING ACCESS TO
TRANSFORMING HEALTH, WHICH
PROVIDES CRITICAL INVESTMENTS TO
THE. OUR COLLEAGUES AT CDCR, OUR
COUNTY PARTNERS FOR COUNTY JAILS
AND YOUTH CORRECTIONAL
FACILITIES TO INVEST IN THE
NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE TO
STAND UP. THIS PROGRAM, AND I
WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS
GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME. WE'RE
WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND
COUNTY PARTNERS TO PROVIDE
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND
IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT. WE HAVE
A JUSTICE INVOLVED ADVISORY
GROUP MADE UP OF IMPLEMENTATION
PARTNERS, WHO HAS ADVISED US ON
ALL ASPECTS OF THE POLICY,
INCLUDING THE ROLLOUT OF THIS
INITIATIVE, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
GET IT RIGHT. AND IN OCTOBER OF
THIS YEAR, WE'VE RELEASED THE
POLICY AND OPERATIONAL GUIDE FOR
PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING THE
CHALUM JUSTICE INVOLVED
INITIATIVE, WHICH IS A DETAILED
GUIDE THAT INCLUDES ALL
REQUIREMENTS, AND OUTLINES THE
PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTING THE WAIVER
, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THE
DEPARTMENT HAS HEARD MOST
FREQUENTLY FROM COUNTY JAIL
PARTNERS IS THE NEED FOR
FLEXIBILITY. WE JUST HEARD THIS
FROM OUR COLLEAGUES AT SANTA
CLARA COUNTY. BECAUSE OF THE
UNPREDICTABILITY OF RELEASE
DATES AND THE LARGE PROPORTION
OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE
INCARCERATED AND RELEASED WITHIN
THE FIRST 72 HOURS IN COUNTY
JAILS. AND IN THE GUIDE, WE'VE
OUTLINED A SHORT TUM MODEL FOR
COUNTY JAILS THAT INCLUDES BEST
PRACTICES FOR THE FIRST SEVEN
DAYS OF INCARCERATION, WITH
EXPECTATIONS OF SPECIFIC ACTIONS
THAT ARE COUNTY JAIL PARTNERS
WILL TAKE, STARTING WITH THE
EIGHTH DAY OF INCARCERATION TO
HELP CONNECT USERS TO CARE
MANAGERS AND ALL OF THESE
SERVICES. UNDER THE PRERELEASE
SERVICES PROGRAM, THIS IS AN
IMMENSELY COMPLEX INITIATIVE,
THERE'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF
INVESTMENT IN TERMS OF
INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE ARE
WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH OUR
STATE AND COUNTY PARTNERS WHO
HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY HAD THE
INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO
BUILD THE MEDICAID PROGRAM. SO
WE'RE WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT
THIS OPPORTUNITY. IT'S A BIG
LIFT FOR THE STATE, FOR OUR
COUNTY PARTNERS, FOR OUR
COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT THE LIFT IS WORTH IT. WE
KNOW THAT THIS JUSTICE INVOLVED
INITIATIVE WILL RESULT IN GAPS,
REDUCED GAPS IN CARE, IMPROVED
HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND PREVENTION
OF UNNECESSARY ADMISSIONS TO
INPATIENT HOSPITALS, PSYCHIATRIC
HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES AND
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL
AS REDUCING OVERDOSE, SUICIDE,
HOMELESSNESS AND RECIDIVISM.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I KNOW
YOUR SPEED READING AT THE END,
SO APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY, WE
HAVE TWO PANELS I KNOW IN TWO
SETS. SO I'M GOING TO ASK THE
OTHER PANELISTS TO COME TO THE
LECTERN OR, YOU KNOW, THE MIC UP
THERE. BUT I WILL START WITH
SENATOR SARDO, IF YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS,
FOR BOTH PANELS, OF COURSE.
WE'RE THE OTHER PANEL. PLEASE
ALL RIGHT. SO EVERYBODY'S MADE A
GREAT CASE FOR WHY WE NEED TO
CONTINUE TO NOT ONLY PUT FUNDING
IN, BUT INCREASE FUNDING, AS YOU
KNOW, OUR BUDGET IS PRETTY UGLY
THIS YEAR, IN THE COURT SYSTEM
THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, ALL
THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, ARE
THERE HEARING DELAYS DUE TO LACK
OF AVAILABILITY OF JUDGES,
COURTROOMS OR ANYTHING LIKE
THAT, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT
OF PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE HANDED
DOWN. I DON'T KNOW IF WE ARE
HANDING DOWN THE RIGHT RESOURCES
TO BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT THE
DUTIES, BECAUSE THE DUTIES
CERTAINLY ARE LAUDABLE. THE
OUTCOMES ARE DEPEND ON OUR
ABILITY TO ACTUALLY GET THEM
DONE. SO A SHORT ANSWER WOULD BE
YES, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE
DELAYS WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
RESOURCES, WHICH WE'RE ALWAYS IN
NEED OF MORE RESOURCES AND THIS
IS I THINK YOU'VE HEARD A VERY
INTENSIVE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
SUPERVISION AND INVOLVED HOW
MANY APPEARANCE REYES SHOULD BE
MADE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES
AND BEST PRACTICES. SO YES, ARE
THERE DELAYS? BUT DO WE WORK
OVERTIME TO ADDRESS AND BE AS
FLEXIBLE AS WE CAN TO ADDRESS
THOSE NEEDS? AS I THINK WE WOULD
ALL EXPAND IN EVERY SINGLE 58 OF
THE 58 COUNTIES, WE WOULD EXPAND
OUR COLLABORATIVE TREATMENT
COURTS. HAD WE HAVE THE
RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO SO.
AND THAT MEANS STAFFING
PARTNERS, WRAPAROUND SERVICES AS
WELL AS THE COURT ESSENTIAL. BUT
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ELSE
FROM THE EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE.
YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO THE
APPROPRIATION THAT WE GET, THE
JUDICIAL COUNCIL, GET GETS
RECEIVES FROM THE LEGISLATURE,
IS PASSED OUT THROUGH A
PARTICULAR FORMULA. THAT THE
FORMULA IS, MEASURES HOW LONG IT
TAKES TO PROCESS A TYPICAL CASE.
BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE
HAVE SEEN ARE POST DISPOSITION
HEARINGS THAT WE ADDITIONALLY
HAVE TO TAKE, TAKE ON. AND THAT
HAS TAXED A LOT OF THE RESOURCES
THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE IT'S MORE
FOCUSED ON THE FILING AND THE
DISPOSITION OF THE MATTERS. BUT
AS MORE RESPONSE ABILITIES ARE
PASSED ON TO THE COURTS, WE HAVE
TO JUGGLE SOME OF THE RESOURCES
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROCESS
THE CASES TIMELY. SO I GUESS THE
SIMPLE ANSWER IS YES, IT DOES
DEFINITELY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE
COURTS. OKAY THIS ALSO IMPACTS,
I THINK, ANOTHER DEPARTMENT AND
I THINK ANYBODY HERE CAN ANSWER
OR HELP ANSWER THIS QUESTION A
LITTLE BIT, IN ORDER TO ENSURE
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PEOPLE THAT
ARE MAKING THIS TRANSITION,
THERE ARE CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS,
PROBATION DEPARTMENT BEING ONE
OF THEM, THAT I WOULD IMAGINE
ARE PRETTY CRITICAL IN ENSURING
THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET TO THE
COURTROOM OR THAT THEY'RE
FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM THAT
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE
RELEASING, BECAUSE THAT'S
ANOTHER YOU KNOW, THIS IS VERY
EXPENSIVE. AND THEN THAT LEADS
TO ANOTHER VERY EXPENSIVE,
PROGRAM. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT
ALL WORKS, IN ORDER FOR ANY OF
IT TO. SO WHAT ROLE DO THEY PLAY
IN PROBATION IS KEY FOR US, I
WOULD SAY, IN EVERY SINGLE ONE
OF OUR TREATMENT COURTS, WHETHER
WE'RE SPEAKING IN THE JUVENILE
SETTING, WHICH THEY ARE
INSTRUMENTAL IN A JUVENILE
SETTING FOR SUPERVISION, BUT THE
INTENSIVE SUPERVISION THAT
OCCURS IN TREATMENT AND
COLLABORATIVE COURTS, PROBATION
IS A KEY ROLE ON THAT. AS FAR AS
WHAT IS HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THE
COURTROOM, OF COURSE, THEIR
INPUT, WHEN WE ALL SIT DOWN AT
THE TABLE AND DO A STAFFING TO
DISCUSS PARTICULAR PARTICIPANTS,
IS VERY INFORMATIVE. BUT SO MORE
IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING
OUT IN THE FIELD. AND AGAIN,
SUPERVISION, INTERACTING WITH
THE SERVICE PARTNERS TO MAKE
SURE THAT THAT PARTICIPANT IS IN
COMPLIANCE AND AVAILING
THEMSELVES TO THE RESOURCES THAT
WE ARE PUTTING IN PLACE IN THE
TREATMENT PLAN. THANK YOU.
ANYBODY HERE? IMPORTANCE OF THAT
BRIDGE OR PEOPLE TO HELP PEOPLE
OVER THAT BRIDGE. BECAUSE IN THE
NON INCARCERATED POPULATION IT'S
HARD ENOUGH TO GET PEOPLE TO GO
GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED, AND
IN THE INCARCERATED POPULATION
THAT IS BEING RELEASED, I, I
WOULD THINK IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR US TO ENSURE THAT
THEY DON'T DO THE SAME THING, SO
I'LL SAY IT'S A COLLABORATIVE
EFFORT. WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH PAROLE AND PROBATION. WE'RE
CURRENTLY WORKING ON CONTRACTS
IN 32 COUNTIES WITH MANAGED CARE
PLANS. WE'RE ALSO CO-LOCATED IN
MANY OF THE PAROLE AND PROBATION
OFFICES. IT IS A PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE
HAVE WITH BOTH LEARNED AND LIVED
EXPERIENCE, TO WORK SIDE BY SIDE
WITH PAROLE AND PROBATION, TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN BE AN
EFFECTIVE TOOL SO THEY'RE NOT
RESPONDING TO SOME OF THE
SERVICE NEEDS THAT INDIVIDUALS
NEED IN THE COMMUNITY. I WILL
SAY FROM A PERSONAL BASIS, I
SPENT YEARS IN FOSTER CARE. BOTH
MY PARENTS WERE INCARCERATED,
AND I WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE
ORGANIZATION THAT I NOW RUN
BECAUSE OF A JUDGE THAT BELIEVED
IN MY FATHER, THE ORGANIZATION
GOT HIM OUT OF OR THE JUDGE GOT
HIM OUT, PUT HIM AT AMITY
FOUNDATION. MY PAROLE OR HIS
PAROLE OFFICER WAS MY BASEBALL
COACH, AND THE ORGANIZATION, THE
JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND PAROLE ALL
WORKED TOGETHER. SO I CAN SAY
FROM PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE IS
THAT YOU REALLY NEED
COLLABORATION TO MAKE SURE THAT
COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS, THE
OUTCOMES OF THAT INVESTMENT 30
YEARS LATER NOW MEANS THAT MY
CHILDREN WON'T BE IN THE SAME
SITUATION THAT I WAS IN AND SO
ON. AND SO FORTH. THE Ó DID YOU
WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT? I'M
SORRY. NO, I'M FINE. I ALSO WANT
TO JUST MENTION THAT THE
DIVISION OF ADULT PAROLE
OPERATION IS EMBEDDED IN THE MCC
IN THE KSTP'S. THANK YOU, THANK
YOU, ALL OF YOU MENTIONED,
EMPLOYMENT BEING A SUPER KEY TO
THIS, BUT WE HAVE LOTS OF
EMPLOYMENT OUT THERE. BUT WE
HAVE A LOT OF ITS PART TIME
EMPLOYMENT, VERY LOW PAYING, AND
NOT BECAUSE IT'S NECESSARILY LOW
PAYING. IT'S BECAUSE THAT'S THE
JOB SKILL LEVEL THAT THAT THOSE
TYPE OF EMPLOYMENTS OFFER, WHAT
KIND OF EMPLOYMENT BRIDGES DO WE
NEED TO HAVE TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO
HAVE THE KIND OF MEANINGFUL
EMPLOYMENT, NOT JUST A PAY, YOU
KNOW, HOURLY PAY EMPLOYMENT, BUT
I'M TALKING MEANINGFUL
EMPLOYMENT TO KEEP THEM FROM
RECIDIVISM. SO WE HAVE AN ENTIRE
DEPARTMENT THAT'S FOCUSED
ENTIRELY ON, REENTRY EMPLOYMENT
SERVICES AND GROWTH SECTOR
INDUSTRIES FOR INDIVIDUALS. AS A
COMMUNITY, WE LOOK AT GROWTH
SECTOR INDUSTRIES. WE HAVE TO
LOOK AT THIS FOR FOLKS THAT ARE
RETURNING HOME. A LOT OF THE
HOUSING STOCK THAT'S BEING BUILT
RIGHT NOW FOR HOMELESSNESS IS
BEING BUILT BY PEOPLE THAT ARE
COMING HOME FROM INCARCERATION.
THEY'RE STARTING OUT IN THE MID
40S AND GOING UP TO 90 AN HOUR.
LEAVING WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS. I WILL SAY THE
CHALUM INITIATIVE IS ANOTHER.
WE'RE WORKING WITH COMMUNITY
COLLEGES TO TRAIN SOME ABUSE
COUNSELORS THAT ARE FORMERLY
INCARCERATED TO PROVIDE SOME
ABUSE TREATMENT FOR THOSE THAT
ARE ACTUALLY IN NEED IN THE
COMMUNITY OR INCARCERATION. AND
WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING CASE
MANAGEMENT TRAINING THAT ARE
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE
TO NAVIGATE AND DO THE ENHANCED
CARE MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR
PEOPLE AS THAT PART OF THE
MEDICAID BENEFIT. AND SO WE NEED
TO LOOK AT IT HOLISTICALLY OF
HOW CAN PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING
HOME BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AND
PART OF THE WORKFORCE AND MAKE
SURE THAT THEY HAVE FAMILY,
SUSTAINABLE WAGES, NOT JUST
LIVABLE WAGES. RIGHT, AND THAT'S
TO ME, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
RIGHT NOW IN CALIFORNIA, WE'RE
STRUGGLING A LITTLE BIT WITH OUR
EMPLOYMENT SECTORS. AND SO IT'S
THIS IT'S THE SECTORS THAT I'M
CONCERNED ABOUT, WHICH SECTORS
ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTORS
FOR US TO BE, I WOULD SAY
ENCOURAGING IN CALIFORNIA. YEAH,
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION,
SENATOR. I WOULD SAY HEALTH
CARE. WE ALSO NEED TO REDUCE
BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE
FORMERLY INCARCERATED, SO THEY
CAN ACTUALLY CLEAR AND WORK IN
THE HEALTH CARE FIELDS AS WELL,
THERE ARE MULTIPLE SECTORS THAT
WE LOOK TO THAT WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITIES IN TECH, THERE'S A
LOT WITH EPA RIGHT NOW THAT
WE'RE WORKING ON WITH THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS
THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. I THINK
THERE ARE MANY GROWTH SECTOR
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO
FOCUS ON. AND I WILL SAY, AS
SOMEBODY THAT'S BEEN IN NORWAY,
FINLAND AND MANY PLACES AROUND
THE WORLD, WE ARE FAR MORE
INNOVATIVE IN OUR EMPLOYMENT
SERVICES APPROACH AND LOOKING AT
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR
THOSE THAT ARE FORMERLY
INCARCERATED. GREAT. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH, SENATOR. NOTHING,
SENATOR NEWMAN, NOTHING. ALL
RIGHT, I DO JUST WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE THINGS. ONE,
I REALLY DO APPRECIATE SANTA
CLARA COUNTY BEING PRESENT,
IT'S, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE
COUNTIES THAT I REPRESENT, AND
CONSISTENTLY, THEY HAVE BEEN
VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON REENTRY. SO
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AS A
WHOLE, I AGAIN, IT KIND OF
TOUCHES BACK ON THE PIECES THAT
I'VE MENTIONED IN THE LAST PANEL
OR THE LAST, ISSUE AREA WHERE
WHERE I THINK THAT CDCR CAN DO A
LOT MORE, EITHER MORE
SPECIFICALLY MAKING SURE THAT,
YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS BEFORE
THEY ARE RELEASED ARE ALREADY
SCHEDULED AND THE PAPERWORK IS
DONE AND THEY ARE ON SERVICES BY
THE TIME THAT THEY GET RELEASED.
I THINK THAT A LOT MORE
COORDINATION SHOULD AND HAPPEN
AND CAN HAPPEN, I KNOW CAL AIM
IS A BIG EFFORT THERE, BUT I
JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S
TAKING THIS LONG. SOMETIMES
RIGHT? I'VE SAID THIS A MILLION
TIMES, I ALSO THINK THAT, YOU
KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT
HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING, AND WE
KNOW THAT THERE ARE BARRIERS,
SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO FOLKS
THAT ARE TRYING TO REENTER
SOCIETY AND ARE UNABLE TO RENT
BECAUSE OF THEIR BACKGROUND, AND
I KNOW THAT THERE THERE ARE
EFFORTS TO KIND OF CHANGE THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE DONE
YOUR TIME, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO
VERY EASILY REENTER SOCIETY. BUT
WE HAVE BEEN MAKING IT HARDER
AND HARDER. SO I REALLY WANT US
TO FOCUS ON THAT AS WELL, AND I
KNOW IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY VERY
SPECIFICALLY, THERE ARE EFFORTS
AROUND THAT, BUT STILL, YOU
KNOW, NOT IN THE TOTAL 58
COUNTIES, AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY
LABOR SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW,
FOR EXAMPLE, THE CARPENTERS,
THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, MIDDLE
INCOME TYPES OF JOBS. OBVIOUSLY,
IT IS A PHYSICAL JOB, IF YOU
WILL. BUT LABOR LARGELY PROVIDES
A VERY STABLE INCOME, A LOT OF
BENEFITS AND, AND, AND MUCH
MORE. AND THEY AREN'T AS STRICT
ON BACKGROUND CHECKS UNLESS IT'S
A SPECIFIC PROJECT. RIGHT. THAT
REQUIRES SOME SOME EXTRA EFFORT
THERE. BUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE REALLY
FOCUSING ON GOOD QUALITY JOBS
FOR INDIVIDUALS, REGARDLESS OF
THEIR BACKGROUND, HIGH PAYING
JOBS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,
BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT THE
ROOT OF A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS
THAT WE SEE IN THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE INCARCERATED IS POVERTY,
RIGHT? THAT'S FIRST AND FOREMOST
ON TOP OF ANY OTHER PERSONAL
ISSUE, WHETHER IT'S SUBSTANCE
ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHER
THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I DO JUST
WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS MUCH
AS POSSIBLE. I STILL WOULD LIKE
TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE
TRANSPARENCY IN SOME OF THE
PROGRAMS AND OVERSIGHT IN THE
PROGRAMS. I THINK CDCR IN THE
PAST, YOU KNOW, PRESENTATIONS ON
PREVIOUS DAYS, THEY STATED THAT
THEY HAVE 12 PROGRAMS THAT WITH
700 SUBCONTRACTORS FOR THESE
TYPES OF PROGRAMS FOR REENTRY
AND MUCH MORE, I THINK THAT'S
PROBLEMATIC. RIGHT. SO AS MUCH
AS WE CAN KIND OF NARROW A
LITTLE BIT OF, OF THE SCOPE AND
WHO WE'RE WORKING WITH AND SOME
REAL RIGOROUS AUDITING OF THE
EFFICACY OF THE PROGRAMS, RIGHT
TO SEE THAT THESE PROGRAMS
ACTUALLY DO WORK. WHAT IS THE
TRACK RECORD WHEN A PERSON IS
RELEASED, IF THEY RECIDIVATE,
HOW QUICKLY DO THEY RECIDIVATE.
WHY DO THEY RECIDIVATE. IF THERE
ARE SURVEYS, PRERELEASE AND POST
RELEASE AND EVEN A YEAR LATER TO
SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT OTHER
MODELS, WHAT SUCCESSES CAN BE
MEASURED AND IF YOU CAN'T
MEASURE IT, IT'S A PROBLEM TOO.
RIGHT. AND I KNOW THAT THAT IS
MORE ADMINISTRATIVE AND SO
FORTH. BUT IF WE CAN'T SAY THAT
THESE PROGRAMS WORK BECAUSE OF
THIS, OR WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY
IMPROVING IT, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD
IN THE PREVIOUS ITEM, ALMOST $1
BILLION HAS BEEN SAVED BECAUSE
OF PROP 47 AND SO FORTH. RIGHT.
BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THAT?
YOU KNOW, IF THE MONEY IS GOING
SOMEWHERE AGAIN, IS THERE A
SUCCESSFUL MODEL? RIGHT. WE'VE
SEEN ALSO THE HOMELESS AUDIT
THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST WAS
RELEASED RIGHT. LOTS OF MONEY IS
BEING SPENT. BUT ARE WE SEEING
ANY PROGRESS. RIGHT. AND SO
CLEARLY WE CAN VISIBLY SEE SOME
PROBLEMS. RIGHT. AND OTHER
PROBLEMS WE CAN'T SEE AS MUCH OR
IT'S NOT HIGHLIGHTED OR GIVEN
ENOUGH TIME. SO I REALLY JUST
WANT EVERYBODY HERE THAT
PRESENTED. I WANT TO THANK YOU
GUYS FOR YOUR WORK, YOUR
COMMENTARY AND YOUR TESTIMONY
HERE. BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO
SEE A LOT MORE WORK. AND I AND
THE REASON WHY I'M HIGHLIGHTING
THIS IS BECAUSE AS WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET AND
YEAH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE
BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR THAT'S IN
FRONT OF US. WE HAVE TO BE
LOOKING AT THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR TO
EVERYBODY THAT WE ARE SEEING
SIGNIFICANT HARM TO OUR BUDGET,
YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD. AND SO
IF WE HAVE THESE SUCCESSFUL
PROGRAMS, WE WANT TO PROMOTE THE
SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS, RIGHT? NOT
NECESSARILY JUST A PROGRAM
BECAUSE IT'S A PROGRAM, AND
WE'VE DONE IT FOREVER. RIGHT?
THAT'S STATUS QUO. NOBODY WANTS
THAT, RIGHT? WE NEED TO SEE AND
MEASURE THESE SUCCESSES BECAUSE
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE HARSHER CUTS
IN THE YEARS TO COME. AND SO I'M
FOREWARNING EVERYBODY, BECAUSE
THAT'S THE MENTALITY THAT WE
SHOULD BE HAVING. NOT THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE TO THINK NEXT YEAR, THE
YEAR AFTER. AND JUST OVERALL
BETTERING PROGRAMS AND SO FORTH
AND THE SERVICE TO THE
COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU GUYS.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ISSUE
NUMBER THREE. MADAM CHAIR, IF I
COULD JUST YES. NO, I JUST WANT
TO, APPRECIATE I REALLY
APPRECIATE YOUR LAST COMMENTS
AND, ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER,
FINDING THE RIGHT, SUCCESSFUL
PROGRAMS. I JUST WANT TO, THANK
YOU FOR THOSE FOR THOSE
COMMENTS. AND I KNOW WITH AMARI,
I VISITED WITH THE PROGRAMS AND
ALSO WITH MISS HOLLINS, ARC
THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT
DON'T THAT ARE NOT JUST TO
THEMSELVES, BUT THEY ACTUALLY
REACH OUT AND CREATE NOT ONLY
PARTNERSHIPS, BUT HELP EACH
OTHER HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND
I JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU GUYS.
I DIDN'T ASK ABOUT THE TEETH.
DID YOU NOTICE THAT? YOU SHOULD
BE VERY PROUD OF ME, BUT I HELD
BACK. ALL RIGHT. AS WE HEARD IN
THE PREVIOUS ITEM, PROVIDING
STABILITY AND ONGOING SERVICES
CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
ON THE COMMUNITY, THIS ITEM IS
CALLED SUPPORTING SURVIVORS OF
CRIME. THIS ITEM WILL ALSO BE
PRESENTED IN TWO SUB PANELS.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS CAN ASK
CLARIFYING QUESTIONS AFTER THE
PANELS, BUT PLEASE SAVE
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR, YOU
KNOW, THE TOTAL. FIRST WE'RE
GOING TO HEAR AND I'M JUST GOING
TO GO ACROSS THE BOARD, FROM THE
LÀ Ó, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
SERVICES AND THE VICTIM
COMPENSATION BOARD, WHICH WE
WILL HAVE JARED SIPPEL AND I
APOLOGIZE IF I MISSED YOUR LAST
NAME FROM THE LEGISLATIVE
ANALYST'S OFFICE. WE'RE ALSO
GOING TO HEAR FROM LINDA
GLEDHILL, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF CALIFORNIA VICTIM
COMPENSATION BOARD, AND GINA BèC
HARRINGTON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
FOR GRANTS MANAGEMENT, OFFICE OF
EMERGENCY SERVICES. THANK YOU.
WE CAN START FROM THE LEFT OR LÀ
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, THANK YOU,
CHAIR WAHAB. AND MEMBERS OF THE
SUBCOMMITTEE. MY NAME IS JARED
SIPPEL, AND I'M WITH THE LÀ Þ.
I'M HERE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A
SUMMARY OF A REPORT THAT OUR
OFFICE DID BACK IN 20 1516 ON
IMPROVING THE STATE'S VICTIM
PROGRAMS, AS SOME OF THE
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT REPORT
RELATE TO KIND OF ONGOING
EFFORTS AND INTEREST TO
CONSOLIDATE VICTIM PROGRAMS INTO
A SINGLE AGENCY. AND BEFORE I
JUMP INTO THE, SUMMARIZING THE
REPORT, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE
KIND OF LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF
CONTEXT FOR SOME OF THE
TERMINOLOGY FROM OUR REPORT AT
THAT TIME. SO THE STATE FUNDS
VICTIM SERVICES THROUGH NUMEROUS
PROGRAMS, TODAY, THOSE ARE
PRIMARILY ADMINISTERED BY THE
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND
THE VICTIM COMPENSATION BOARD.
BOTH OF WHOM HAVE
REPRESENTATIVES HERE AND WHO
WILL BE TALKING IN MORE DETAIL
ABOUT THEIR RESPECTIVE PROGRAMS.
SO AT THE TIME OF OUR REPORT,
VCP WAS REFERRED. VQB WAS
REFERRED TO THE VICTIM
COMPENSATION AND GOVERNMENT
CLAIMS BOARD. AND THEN IN 2016,
ITS GOVERNMENT CLAIMS FUNCTION
WAS SHIFTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
GENERAL SERVICES. SO THIS
TRANSFER OCCURRED AFTER THE TIME
THAT OUR REPORT WAS WRITTEN, AND
SO JUST FOR EASE AND SIMPLICITY
TODAY, I'M JUST GOING TO REFER
TO IT AS THE BOARD. SO OUR PRIOR
REVIEW OF THE STATE'S VICTIM
PROGRAMS FOUND THAT THE STATE
LACKED A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY
FOR ASSISTING CRIME VICTIMS,
PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE STATE
LACKED A LEAD AGENCY FOR
COORDINATING THE STATE'S EFFORTS
TO ASSIST VICTIMS. SPECIFICALLY,
OUR ASSESSMENT HAD A FEW KEY
FINDINGS. THE FIRST WAS THAT
VICTIM PROGRAMS AT THE TIME
LACKED COORDINATION. SO, FOR
EXAMPLE, AT THE TIME, STAFF AT,
AT THE BOARD AND OHS INDICATED
THAT THEY GENERALLY DID NOT
COLLABORATE ON SOME OF THE
STATE'S LARGER VICTIM PROGRAMS.
SECOND, MANY OF THE STATE VICTIM
GRANT PROGRAMS WERE SMALL AND
APPEARED DUPLICATIVE. AND
FINALLY, MANY OF THE GRANT OR
SEVERAL OF THE GRANT PROGRAMS
WERE NARROWLY TARGETED, WHICH
UNDERMINED PRIORITIZATION
BECAUSE IT LIMITED THE TYPES OF
POTENTIAL APPLICANTS THAT COULD
APPLY FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. SO TO
ADDRESS THESE FINDINGS, WE MADE
A FEW KEY RECOMMENDATIONS. THE
FIRST, WE RECOMMENDED THAT THE
LEGISLATURE RESTRUCTURE THE
BOARD TO BETTER FOCUS ON VICTIM
PROGRAMS. SO AS PART OF THAT,
WE, RECOMMEND APPROVING THE
GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL TO MOVE THE
GOVERNMENT CLAIMS FUNCTION OUT
OF THE BOARD INTO DGS, WHICH I
MENTIONED EARLIER, WAS DONE IN
2016. WE ALSO RECOMMENDED
CHANGING THE BOARD'S MEMBERSHIP
TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL EXPERTISE
IN VICTIMS ISSUES. AND THEN
SECOND, WE RECOMMENDED SHIFTING
ALL OF THE MAJOR VICTIM PROGRAMS
FROM OHS TO THE RESTRUCTURED
BOARD. AND THEN FINALLY, WE
RECOMMENDED THAT THE RESTRUCTURE
BOARD ISSUE A COMPREHENSIVE
STRATEGY, AND WE RECOMMENDED
THAT THAT STRATEGY INCLUDE AN
ASSESSMENT OF THE APPROPRIATE
NUMBER, SCOPE, AND PRIORITY OF
VICTIM GRANT PROGRAMS, THAT IT
ENSURES THAT THE STATE IS
APPLYING FOR AND RECEIVING ALL
ELIGIBLE FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS,
AND THEN FINALLY, THAT IT
ESTABLISHES A PROCESS FOR
PERIODIC EVALUATIONS OF THE
STATE'S VICTIM PROGRAMS AND
WHILE WE HAVEN'T CONDUCTED A
COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE
STATUS OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
SINCE THAT REPORT, WE DO KNOW
THAT OHS AND THE BOARD HAVE
TAKEN SOME STEPS TO, TO ADDRESS
THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. SO, FOR
EXAMPLE, OHS AND THE BOARD HAVE
PUBLISHED A STRATEGIC PLAN ON
VICTIM SERVICES, WHICH IS A
PROMISING FROM A COLLABORATION
AND COORDINATION PERSPECTIVE.
HOWEVER, ONE OF THE KEY
RECOMMENDATIONS DOES REMAIN
UNIMPLEMENTED, WHICH IS TO SHIFT
ALL OF THE MAJOR VICTIM PROGRAMS
FROM OHS TO THE BOARD. OHS AND
VQB HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO LOOK AT
WHAT SUCH A TRANSITION WOULD
LOOK LIKE, AND AS PART OF THE
1920 BUDGET, THE GOVERNOR AND
THE LEGISLATURE AGREED IN
CONCEPT TO CONSOLIDATING THE
VICTIM PROGRAMS FROM OHS AND THE
BOARD INTO A NEW DEPARTMENT.
UNDER THE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
AGENCY. HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO
ALLOW THE ADMINISTRATION MORE
TIME TO WORK OUT THE DETAILS OF
THAT CONSOLIDATION, THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS NEW
DEPARTMENT WAS DEFERRED TO THE
2021 BUDGET, AT WHICH TIME THE
ADMINISTRATION SAID THEY WOULD
BRING FORWARD A MORE DETAILED
PROPOSAL. HOWEVER, TODAY THAT
PROPOSAL HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED.
WE CONTINUE TO THINK THAT
HOUSING ALL OF THE VICTIM
PROGRAMS UNDER A SINGLE
DEPARTMENT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT
STEP IN IMPROVING THE STATE'S
VICTIM PROGRAMS AND AGAIN, WE
LOOK FORWARD TO THE
ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSAL FOR
DOING SO IN THE FUTURE. AND WITH
THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS AT THE APPROPRIATE
TIME. THANKS. THANK YOU. WE'LL
GO TO LINDA. GOOD MORNING. THANK
YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS,
THE CALIFORNIA VICTIM
COMPENSATION BOARD REIMBURSES
VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME FOR
CRIME RELATED EXPENSES. WE
PROVIDE COMPENSATION WHEN COSTS
ARE NOT COVERED BY OTHER SOURCES
AND HAVE A 75,000 70,000 MAXIMUM
REIMBURSEMENT WITH TRADITIONAL
LIMITS IN CERTAIN KEY CATEGORIES
. IN THE FISCAL YEAR OF 20 2223,
WE RECEIVED 39,000 APPLICATIONS,
PAID OUT $46.7 MILLION IN
COMPENSATION, AND HAD AN 85%
APPROVAL RATE. OUR LARGEST
COMPENSATION CATEGORIES WERE
FUNERAL AND BURIAL COSTS, INCOME
LOSS, AND MENTAL HEALTH BILLS.
CALVCB IS FUNDED THROUGH A
VARIETY OF SOURCES WE RECEIVED
IN THE 20 2223 FISCAL YEAR, $58
MILLION CAME FROM THE
RESTITUTION FUND, WHICH IS MADE
UP OF FINES AND PENALTIES
ASSESSMENTS LEVIED ON PERSONS
CONVICTED OF CRIME. 39.5 MILLION
IN GENERAL FUND TRANSFERS AND
20.2 MILLION IN FROM THE FEDERAL
VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT GRANT. AS
YOU KNOW, THE VOCA FEDERAL GRANT
PROVIDES GRANTS FOR BOTH THE
COMPENSATION SIDE AND THE VICTIM
ASSISTANCE SIDE. AND I DO WANT
TO NOTE THAT NO ANTICIPATED
CHANGE, ANTICIPATED CHANGES IN
FUNDING LEVELS ARE EXPECTED. ON
THE COMPENSATION SIDE, 12-1 ALSO
RUNS THE TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERS
. THIS IS A GRANT BASED PROGRAM.
ORGANIZATIONS APPLY TO BE TRCS
AND CALVCB AWARDS MONEY BASED ON
THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS AND
FUNDING AVAILABLE. THE CALVCB
CURRENTLY FUNDS 22 TRCS
THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THIS YEAR,
THERE'S AN ESTIMATED $12.9
MILLION IN FUNDING. THE TRC
FUNDING COMES FROM THE
RESTITUTION FUND, WHICH HAS 2
MILLION GUARANTEED FOR THE TRC
PROGRAM, 2.2 MILLION IN GENERAL
FUND THAT WAS INCORPORATED IN
THE BUDGET ACT OF 2022, AND THE
REST IS FROM THE SAFE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND SCHOOLS FUND.
THIS IS A VARIABLE AMOUNT, THIS
YEAR IT'S ESTIMATED TO BE $8.7
MILLION. AS IN 20 2223 IT WAS
$16 MILLION. SO AS YOU CAN SEE,
THAT NUMBER VARIES AND IT
IMPACTS THE NUMBER AMOUNT OF
MONEY AVAILABLE FOR THE TRC
GRANT PROGRAM. IN THE BUDGET ACT
OF 2022, CALVCB CALVCB RECEIVED
$23 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL
FUND, AND THIS MONEY WAS USED TO
PROVIDE MINIMUM FUNDING TO ALL
OF THE THEN CURRENT TRCS
ESTABLISHED PILOT PROGRAMS IN
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
PROVIDE EMERGENCY CASH
ASSISTANCE, AND CREATE A
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. OF
THE 23 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL
FUNDING PROVIDED TO TRCS IN THE
2022 BUDGET, 17.7 HAS BEEN
EITHER EXPENDED OR ENCUMBERED,
AND CALVCB RUNS A FEW OTHER
PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE
ERRONEOUSLY CONVICTED PERSONS
PROGRAM, WHICH PROCESSES CLAIMS
FROM PERSONS SEEKING
COMPENSATION AS AN ERRONEOUSLY
CONVICTED FELON. THAT RATE IS
SET AT $140 PER DAY FOR EVERY
DAY OF WRONGFUL CONVICTION.
THERE'S CURRENTLY A $7 MILLION
GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATION FOR
THAT PROGRAM, BUT THE AMOUNT CAN
INCREASE IF NECESSARY BASED ON
THE AMOUNT OF CLAIMS THAT WE
RECEIVE AND APPROVED BY THE
BOARD OVER THE OVERAGE. THIS
YEAR IN THIS CURRENT BUDGET YEAR
IS EXPECTED TO BE $3.3 MILLION.
WE'RE ALSO LAUNCHING A $3
MILLION PUBLIC AWARENESS
CAMPAIGN WITH FUNDING FROM THE
BUDGET ACT OF 2022. THE AIM OF
THIS CAMPAIGN IS TO INCREASE
AWARENESS OF CALVCB SERVICES
AMONG CALIFORNIANS, PARTICULARLY
THOSE FROM UNDERSERVED
COMMUNITIES. FINALLY, AS THE LÀ
MENTIONED, THERE HAS PREVIOUSLY
BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT
CONSOLIDATION BETWEEN CALOES AND
CALVCB. THE LAST TIME THIS WAS
DISTRESSED, WE HAD TO PUT IT ON
PAUSE DUE TO COVID 19, AND THE
STATE IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING TO
RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC AS A
WHOLE. NOW, GIVEN THE CURRENT
BUDGET SITUATION, WE ARE NOT IN
A POSITION TO START LOOKING AT
CONSOLIDATION BECAUSE A REWARD
WOULD LIKELY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL
POSITION AND COSTS. I WILL SAY,
HOWEVER, THAT CALVCB HAS LED AN
EFFORT TO COORDINATE BETWEEN ALL
STATE ENTITIES, INCLUDING CAL
OES, BUT OTHER STATE ENTITIES,
BOTH IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE
BRANCH BUT ALSO IN
CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES THAT HELP
VICTIMS OF CRIME. WE HAVE MET
OFTEN TO COORDINATE OUTREACH
EFFORTS, COORDINATE MATERIALS,
AND LEARN WHAT EVERYONE IN THE
STATE DOES TO HELP VICTIMS OF
CRIME. IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE,
SPREAD OUT THROUGHOUT DIFFERENT
STATE ENTITIES. AND THESE
ENTITIES HAVE FOUND THESE
DISCUSSIONS BENEFICIAL. AND WE
CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE AS
COLLEAGUES, AS WE ALL ARE TRYING
TO DO THE SAME THING, WHICH IS
HELP VICTIMS OF CRIME RESTORE
THEIR LIVES. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO
MOVE ON TO GINA. GOOD MORNING.
I'M GINA BECERRA HARRINGTON. I'M
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF GRANTS
MANAGEMENT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES. IN
GRANTS MANAGEMENT, WE HAVE 106
PROGRAMS WITH 45 SEPARATE FUND
SOURCES. 80 OF THOSE PROGRAMS
SUPPORT VICTIM SERVICES IN
CALIFORNIA. OF THOSE 80
PROGRAMS, 38 VICTIM SERVICES
PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED WITH THE
VICTIMS OF CRIME VICTIMS
ASSISTANCE FORMULA GRANT PROGRAM
, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS VOCA. ONE
OF THE TOPICS IN DISCUSSION
TODAY IS CONCERNING THE DECLINE
OF THE VOCA FUNDS OVER THE
RECENT YEARS. THE LARGEST AWARD
CALIFORNIA RECEIVED WAS $396.6
MILLION IN FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR
2028, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING
DECREASED EACH YEAR SINCE THEN.
IN IN STATE FISCAL YEAR 21, 22,
CAL OES RECEIVED AN APPROPRIATED
100, WAS APPROPRIATED $100
MILLION, AND WITH THAT
ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WE WERE ABLE
TO STABILIZE THE FUNDING. THE
VOCA FUNDING FOR THREE YEARS
LAST YEAR, WE ANTICIPATED A
POSSIBLE 30% REDUCTION. AT THAT
TIME, WE BEGAN ALERTING OUR SUB
RECIPIENTS OF THE POSSIBLE
REDUCTIONS AND WORKED WITH THE
VOCA ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THIS
COMMITTEE IS COMPRISED OF 16
MEMBERS OF THE VICTIM SERVICES
FIELD, INCLUDING COUNSEL FROM
THE SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE. THIS COMMITTEE
ASSISTED US IN PROVIDING
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUNDING
REDUCTIONS FOR ALL PROGRAMS WITH
APPROVAL. CAL OES BEGAN TAKING
STEPS TO START REDUCTION PLANS
SINCE THEN, NEW INFORMATION HAS
RESULTED IN A 43.4% REDUCTION
FOR FISCAL YEAR FROM FISCAL YEAR
2023 TO FISCAL YEAR. FEDERAL
FISCAL YEAR 2024 CALIFORNIA
SHARE IS BEING REDUCED FROM $153
MILLION TO $87 MILLION. WITH
THIS, OUR SUBRECIPIENTS WILL
EXPERIENCE AN EVEN GREATER
REDUCTION IN FUNDING. CAL OS IS
IN IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS
OF DETERMINING THE FUTURE
ALLOCATION FOR ALL OF THESE
PROGRAMS. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT
THREE OF OUR LARGEST VICTIM
SERVICES PROGRAMS, ONE OF THEM
BEING THE VICTIM WITNESS
PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES, ALL 58
COUNTIES, FUNDING FOR
COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES TO ASSIST
VICTIMS AND WITNESSES OF ALL
TYPES OF VIOLENT CRIME.
SECONDLY, OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH
PROVIDES FUNDING TO 104 CENTERS
AND SHELTERS FOR COMPREHENSIVE
SUPPORT SERVICES TO DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE VICTIMS AND THEIR
CHILDREN, INCLUDING EMERGENCY
SHELTER, COUNSELING, COURT
ACCOMPANIMENT AND ADVOCACY.
THIRDLY OUR RAPE CRISIS
PROGRAMS, WHICH PROVIDES FUNDING
TO 84 RAPE CRISIS CENTERS FOR
COMPREHENSIVE INTERVENTION AND
SUPPORT SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF
SEXUAL ASSAULT. I'M HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM
THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS? SENATOR
NEWMAN, I DO APPRECIATE THE
PRESENTATION. I HAVE A QUESTION,
BUT WHAT'S WHAT'S THE NEXUS
BETWEEN VICTIM COMPENSATION AND
RESTITUTION, YOU KNOW, WE'VE MET
RECENTLY WITH LOTS OF INMATES,
WHO, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO APPLY THE
RESTITUTION AGAINST, HOURLY
WAGES THAT ARE INCREDIBLY LOW,
SO IS THERE ANY RELATIONSHIP AT
ALL? HOW DO THOSE TWO THINGS FIT
TOGETHER? YEAH, AND I'M GLAD
THAT WE CAN. MR. SODERBERGH'S
COMING UP. APPRECIATE THAT.
SURE. SO LEGISLATIVE ANALYST
OFFICE. SO THERE IS A
CONNECTION. THERE CAN BE A
COUPLE DIFFERENT CONNECTIONS.
SO, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
CONVICTED OF CRIME CAN EITHER
RECEIVE A RESTITUTION ORDER,
WHICH IS AN ORDER TO DIRECTLY
PAY RESTITUTION TO THEIR VICTIM.
THEY CAN ALSO BE SUBJECT TO
RESTITUTION, FINES, WHICH ARE
GENERALLY APPLIED TO CRIMINAL
CONVICTIONS. AND THOSE
RESTITUTION FINES ARE DEPOSITED
IN THE RESTITUTION FUND, WHICH
SUPPORTS THE VICTIM COMPENSATION
PROGRAM. BUT BUT SO, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S NO DIRECT RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN AN AWARD A VICTIM MIGHT
RECEIVE. IT WOULDN'T BE IT
WOULDN'T BE DEBITED AGAINST THE
RESTITUTION OBLIGATION. RIGHT.
AT SOME POINT THERE, THEY'RE
DISCONNECTED. SO WHAT CAN END UP
HAPPENING IS A, A PERSON WHO IS
OWED, RESTITUTION, BY, SOMEBODY
WHO'S IN PRISON CAN INSTEAD
RECEIVE IT FROM THE BOARD. AND
THEN THE BOARD WILL THEN ATTEMPT
TO COLLECT IT. SO THEY'LL
ESSENTIALLY GET IT UP FRONT SO
THAT THEY DON'T NEED TO WAIT FOR
THOSE INMATE FEES TO, TO
ACCUMULATE. AND THEN THE BOARD
WILL SEEK TO COLLECT THAT FROM
THE PERSON WHO'S IN PRISON OVER
TIME. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK
YOU. HELPFUL FOLLOW UP, SENATOR.
SENATOR. YES. SO WHAT ABOUT
PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT
INCARCERATED? THEY HAVE A
JUDGMENT AGAINST THEM AND
THEY'RE OWED RESTITUTION. BUT
THEY ARE NEVER, EVER ABLE TO
COLLECT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T CHASE
DOWN THE PERSON THAT OWES THEM.
RIGHT? SO THOSE THOSE ELIGIBLE
FOR THAT ALSO CORRECT. THOSE
FOLKS CAN GO TO THE BOARD. I
THINK, THE VICTIMS COMPENSATION
BOARD CAN SPEAK TO THAT MORE
DIRECTLY, THOUGH. RIGHT. THANK
YOU, VICTIMS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR.
SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS,
RIGHT. WE THE RESTITUTION FUND
IS THE POT OF MONEY THAT WE PAY
COMPENSATION OUT OF. VICTIMS ARE
, APPLY TO OUR PROGRAM IF THEY
HAVE BILLS THAT ARE RELATED TO
THE CRIME THAT THEY CAN'T PAY IN
SOME OTHER WAY. AND THEN WE WILL
HELP THEM BY REIMBURSING THOSE
BILLS, IF THE. SO THE
RESTITUTION FUND IS ARE A POT OF
MONEY. OCCASIONALLY WE DO DO A
VICTIM PASS THROUGH WHERE WE'LL
COLLECT THE MONEY AND THEN
DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE VICTIM, IN
IF THEY HAVE, IF THEY WANT TO
RECEIVE IT AND PERHAPS LIKE A
LARGER LUMP SUM THAN A LITTLE
BIT EACH DAY. RIGHT. BECAUSE
THAT MAKES MORE SENSE FOR
VICTIMS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND THEN THE FUND COLLECT FROM
THE PERSON THAT OWES THEM,
BECAUSE THAT WAY THEY DON'T EVER
HAVE TO INTERACT WITH THEM.
CORRECT. WE RECEIVE WE WORKED
WITH CDCR AND HAVE THAT, THAT
THAT SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN
BUNDLE THE, YOU KNOW, OFTEN THE
MONEY MIGHT COME IN SMALL
INCREMENTS, AND THEN WE WOULD
BUNDLE IT AT THE REQUEST OF THE
VICTIM, WHATEVER FREQUENCY THEY
WOULD PREFER. AND WE SEND THEM
THAT MONEY. RIGHT. BECAUSE
THERE'S SOME, SOME I THINK SOME
INSTANCES WHERE PEOPLE ARE,
PRETTY MUCH DISABLED, BY, BY THE
ACT AND THEY'RE WAITING FOR
THESE PAYMENTS TO DRIBBLE IN, IN
THE MEANWHILE, THEIR FINANCES
GOING SOUTH AND SO THAT
HOPEFULLY WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT
HELP THAT. THANK YOU. JUST REAL
QUICK FOLLOW UP JUST ON THE
MECHANICS OF THIS. SO, SO WHERE
THE VQB ASSUMES THE
RESPONSIBILITY AND THE, YOU
KNOW, ESSENTIALLY WILL COLLECT
OR RECEIVE THAT RESTITUTION FROM
THE INCARCERATED PERSON, HOW DO
YOU DO YOU DO YOU TRACK THAT
SORT OF VERY RARELY, I WOULD
ASSUME. DO THEY EVER SORT OF PAY
IT OFF? RIGHT? I MEAN, MY
UNDERSTANDING IS THE VAST
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE EARNING
RESTITUTION DON'T MAKE FULL
PAYMENT IS THAT CORRECT? AND IF
SO, DO YOU DO YOU CARRY THAT AS
DEBT OR HOW HOW DO YOU HOW DO
YOU REFLECT THAT WITH WITH THE
VQB ACCOUNTING. AND SO I CAN
PROVIDE WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU
WITH MORE DETAIL ABOUT HOW THAT
VICTIM PASS THROUGH WORKS. BUT
YES, I MEAN, THERE ARE TIMES
WHERE WE DON'T COLLECT
EVERYTHING FROM THE, FROM THE
INMATE, AND SO THOSE RESTITUTION
ORDERS ARE REMAIN OUTSTANDING,
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT
THERE'S A DIFFERENT WAY. BUT
VICTIMS WHO NEED ASSISTANCE FROM
US FOR REIMBURSING BILLS KIND OF
IS A SEPARATE THING. WE WILL PAY
THAT. WE HAVE SOURCES OF FUNDING
THAT GENERAL FUND. THAT'S OTHER
THAT'S NOT RELATED TO THE
RESTITUTION ORDER DIRECTLY. YEAH
YOU KNOW, JUST FOR FUTURE
REFERENCE, FOR ME, ANYWAY, YOU
KNOW, THE ISSUE IS, THE FAIRLY
MINIMAL PAY THAT YOU RECEIVE IN,
IN PRISON AND THE FACT THAT ONE,
YOU KNOW, THE, THE HARMED PARTY
REALLY GETS FULLY REIMBURSED,
BUT TWO, THAT, THAT, THAT INMATE
POST PRISON CARRIES A DEBT
THAT'S OFTEN REALLY HARD TO
RETIRE. IT HAS A HAS A HUGE
IMPACT ON THEIR POST PRISON
EXPERIENCE. AND SO IT'S
SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO THINK
ABOUT. BUT I'M GLAD FOR THE
EXPLANATION ABOUT HOW THE
MECHANICS WORK RIGHT NOW. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU, SENATOR DURAZZO.
THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR, WITH, THIS IS FOR,
I THINK, MISS GLEDHILL. THE
PERCENTAGE OF CLAIM DENIALS IS,
THE NUMBER OF CLAIM DENIALS AND
THE PERCENTAGE SEEMS SO. 85%
APPROVAL RATE. SO SO, 15% DENIAL
RATE. SOME OF THOSE ARE
DUPLICATE APPLICATIONS. WE DO
RECEIVE THOSE AS WELL, AND WHAT
IS WHAT DO YOU FIND TO BE THE
BIGGEST PROBLEM FOR THOSE WHOSE
CLAIMS ARE DENIED, IT COULD BE
THE LACK OF PROOF THAT A CRIME
OCCURRED, EITHER THROUGH A CRIME
REPORT OR SOME OTHER MEANS,
DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF CRIME
IT IS. IT COULD ALSO BE, IN
INVOLVEMENT IN THE CRIME, OR IT
COULD BE AGAIN, IT COULD BE A
DUPLICATE APPLICATION THAT OFTEN
IS THAT OFTEN HAPPENS AS WELL,
AND WITH REGARDS TO, THERE WAS
AN AP INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT
BLACK APPLICANTS, REPRESENTED A
HIGHER THAN WHAT SHOULD HAVE
BEEN, DENIAL, ARE THERE ANY
CHANGES THAT YOU HAVE CONSIDERED
EITHER IN POLICY OR REGULATION
THAT WOULD HELP ADDRESS THE
RACIAL DISPARITY? Kò. SO IN OUR
APPLICATION PROCESS, THAT KIND
OF INFORMATION IS OPTIONAL. SO
WE DON'T HAVE COMPLETE RECORDS
IN TERMS OF, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF
OUR CLAIMANTS, EITHER FOR
APPROVAL OR DENIAL, BECAUSE THAT
IS OPTIONAL INFORMATION, I WOULD
SAY THAT THERE HAVE BEEN
STATUTORY CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN
PROPOSED, WHETHER OR NOT THOSE
WOULD MAKE A SIGNIFICANT
DIFFERENCE. I THINK, TO
SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT
AND SEE AND MEASURE TO THE
EXTENT THAT WE COULD GIVEN OUR
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION. OKAY
I'M GOING TO JUST ASK YOU A
VERY, VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION
ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN, ARE
THERE ANY GAPS IN HELP FOR
VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILY IF THE
VICTIM RECENTLY LOST A JOB, IS
UNEMPLOYED AT THE TIME OF THEIR
VICTIMIZATION? YOU KNOW, WOULD
THEY BE, WOULD THE FAMILY
INELIGIBLE FOR HELP JUST SO
SPECIFIC EXAMPLE. YEAH. AND
WE'RE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOUR
OFFICE MORE DIRECTLY ON THAT. I
MEAN, INCOME LOSS IS BASED ON
THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S TAX RETURN.
SO IF THEY WERE JUST RECENTLY
UNEMPLOYED. NOT NECESSARILY.
ALTHOUGH YOU DO NEED TO BE
UNEMPLOYED AT THE TIME OF THE
CRIME. SO THAT MIGHT BE THE
DIFFERENCE IF THEY WERE
UNEMPLOYED AT THE TIME OF THE
CRIME ITSELF. IF, THAT IS ONE OF
THE RULES SURROUNDING INCOME
LOSS. BUT AGAIN, HAPPY TO WORK
WITH YOUR OFFICE ON THAT MATTER
SPECIFICALLY. GREAT. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. AND THEN A QUESTION
FOR MISS, BèC. HARRINGTON THIS
IS WITH REGARDS TO THE FUNDING
THAT WE'RE LOSING RIGHT, FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, IS IT
CORRECT? ABOUT $200 MILLION.
SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES THAT
WE COULD BE SOME. LAST YEAR, WE
RECEIVED 153 MILLION TO THIS
YEAR, 87 MILLION. SO IT'S OVER
200 COMPARING A YEAR TO LAST
YEAR TO THIS YEAR. AND SO HOW
MUCH IS THAT DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR,
HOW MUCH THE MONEY THAT WE, THE
STATE WOULD HAVE TO BACKFILL, TO
MAKE UP FOR THAT FROM THE CUT
RIGHT NOW TO STABILIZE THE
FUNDING. YEAH. WITH NO CUTS TO
THE FIELD. IT'S APPROXIMATELY
100 MILLION, 100 MILLION. SO
THAT'S MORE OR LESS WHAT IT
WOULD TAKE TO STABILIZE. YES AND
I KNOW WE'RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT
THE IMPACT THAT ALL THIS IS
HAVING ON ON THE VICTIMS
THEMSELVES. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT
THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TERMS
OF WHAT YOU SEE, THE IMPACT IT
WILL HAVE ON DOESN'T, ESPECIALLY
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILD ABUSE?
ABSOLUTELY THE IMPACT IS JUST A
REDUCTION TO THOSE PARTICULAR
SUB RECIPIENTS TO BE ABLE TO PAY
FOR PERSONNEL TO, PROVIDE THE
ADVOCACY NEEDED. AND THE
WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT THOSE
AGENCIES DO, PLUS THE SHELTER.
SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE AN OVERALL
IMPACT. WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY
WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE YET,
BUT, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE KNOW
THAT WE WERE STARTING AT 30%
LAST YEAR, ALERTING THE FIELD OF
THAT, AND NOW IT'S, KNOWING TO
THE FEDS IT'S GOING TO BE THE
IMPACT IS GOING TO BE A LOT
LARGER THAN THAT. WE'RE JUST NOW
LOOKING AND ANALYZING HOW THAT'S
GOING TO. OKAY. AND I KNOW WE
HAD, SECURED FUNDING FOR THE
FLEXIBLE ASSISTANCE FOR
SURVIVORS, AND THAT'S BEING
PROPOSED FOR, FOR DELAY, HOW
WOULD THAT GRANT PROGRAM HELP
AND MEET THE NEEDS OF CRIME
VICTIMS? THAT PROGRAM IS
SPECIFICALLY CASH FOR THOSE
VICTIMS DIFFERENT THAN OUR OTHER
PROGRAMS. OUR OTHER PROGRAMS
ALLOW FOR CASH ASSISTANCE. BUT
IT'S NOT THE WHOLE PROGRAM. IT,
FOR THE FLEXIBLE ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM, IT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR
VICTIMS AND FOR CASH FOR THOSE
VICTIMS. OKAY AND SO ARE THERE.
GIVE ME EXAMPLE. THERE ARE IT'S
WHERE CASH IS GIVEN. AND VERSUS
WHAT LIKE A WHAT'S THE OTHER WAY
OF GETTING. WELL THE IN THE
PROGRAMS WE HAVE NOW THEY ARE
ALLOWED TO CHOOSE CASH OR
SERVICES FOR VICTIMS. WHICH IS
AND WE ALSO PROVIDE ADVOCACY
WHICH IS PERSONNEL TO PROVIDE
THAT THE FLEXIBLE ASSISTANCE IS
ONLY OUR COMMUNITY BASED
ORGANIZATIONS CAN APPLY FOR A
GRANT THAT WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY
ONLY FOR CASH TO THE, VICTIMS.
OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT PANEL,
OUR NEXT PANEL WILL BE GRACE
GLAZIER FROM PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND
POLICY MANAGER OF VALOR OR
VALOR, I'M ASSUMING, AND DOCTOR
GINA CASTRO RODRIGUEZ, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF
TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERS, AND
ALSO ANTHONY DEMARTINO,
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR,
CALIFORNIANS FOR SAFETY AND
JUSTICE. AND WE'LL START WITH
MISS GLAZIER AND MOVE ON TO
DOCTOR GINA CASTRO RODRIGUEZ AND
THEN ANTHONY. GOOD AFTERNOON,
CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. I'M
GRACE GLASER, AND I'M THE PUBLIC
AFFAIRS AND POLICY MANAGER AT
VALOR, A NATIONAL ANTI-SEXUAL
VIOLENCE ORGANIZATION AND
CALIFORNIA SEXUAL ASSAULT
COALITION. REPRESENT THE 84 RAPE
CRISIS CENTER PROGRAMS ACROSS
THE STATE THAT SUPPORT SURVIVORS
OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE. DAILY VALOR
IS ONE OF MANY ORGANIZATIONS
THAT MAKE UP THE CALIFORNIA VOCA
ADVOCACY ALLIANCE, A STATEWIDE
COALITION DEDICATED TO
SUPPORTING SURVIVORS OF CRIME
ADVOCATES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.
OUR LARGE COALITION REPRESENTS
400 PROGRAMS ACROSS THE STATE.
THE VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT, WIDELY
REFERRED TO AS VOCA, WAS
ESTABLISHED IN 1984 BY CONGRESS
AND CREATED THE CRIME VICTIMS
FUND, THE NATION'S LARGEST
FUNDING SOURCE FOR CRIME VICTIM
SERVICES, SUPPORTING HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF SURVIVORS ANNUALLY.
VOCA IS THE ONLY FUNDING STREAM
IN CALIFORNIA AND NATIONWIDE
THAT SUPPORTS COMPREHENSIVE
SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS OF CRIME.
DUE TO SHIFTING PROSECUTION
STYLES AND PAYOUTS NEEDED TO
SUPPORT SERVICES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, THIS FUNDING SOURCE HAS
SLOWLY DEPLETED, LEAVING US IN A
CRISIS TO ADDRESS HOW TO FUND
THESE PROGRAMS. AS A RESULT, CAL
OES, WHICH ADMINISTERS THESE
FUNDS, ALERTED ADVOCATES IN
AUGUST 2023 OF ANTICIPATED
FUNDING CUTS TO VOCA. LAST WEEK,
THE OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME
RELEASED THEIR STATE ALLOCATIONS
ONLY, INCLUDING 87 MILLION FOR
CALIFORNIA CRIME SERVICES FOR
FISCAL YEAR 24. THIS EQUATES TO
A 43% REDUCTION FROM THE 153.8
MILLION ALLOCATION LAST YEAR.
THESE FUNDS SUPPORT SURVIVORS OF
CHILD ABUSE, ELDER ABUSE, HUMAN
TRAFFICKING, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND SO MUCH
MORE. THEY FUND NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS
GOVERNMENT BASED APPROACHES SUCH
AS THE DA VICTIM WITNESS
PROGRAMS. THESE ORGANIZATIONS
PROVIDE HOUSING SERVICES
CULTURALLY SPECIFIC THERAPY,
CRISIS RESPONSE SUPPORT WITH
APPLYING FOR VICTIMS,
COMPENSATION, AND DIRECT LEGAL
SERVICES, ALONG WITH CONNECTING
SURVIVORS TO OTHER COMMUNITY
BASED ORGANIZATIONS. THEY ARE A
DEEPLY EMBEDDED PART OF OUR
STATE'S SAFETY NET FOR
SURVIVORS. IF THE STATE DOES NOT
STEP UP TO SUPPORT THESE
PROGRAMS, AN ENTIRE CONTINUUM OF
CARE WILL BE DEVASTATED. THESE
PROGRAMS ARE THE FIRST
RESPONDERS FOR SURVIVORS. THE
CALL TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
HOTLINE IS OFTEN THE FIRST CALL
WHEN A SURVIVOR IS LOOKING FOR A
WAY TO LEAVE AND FIND A SAFE
PLACE, LONG BEFORE THE SURVIVOR
EVEN CONSIDERS LAW ENFORCEMENT
OR SEEKING A RESTRAINING ORDER.
ADVOCATES AT A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
PROGRAM WILL HELP THE SURVIVOR
NAVIGATE THROUGH THESE PROCESSES
. IN ADDITION TO HELPING WITH
HOUSING, COUNSELING AND SERVICES
FOR THEIR CHILDREN, THE RAPE
CRISIS CENTER HOTLINE IS OFTEN
THE FIRST CALL A SURVIVOR MAKES
AFTER EXPERIENCING SEXUAL
ASSAULT. RAPE CRISIS CENTER
ADVOCATES ARE CALLED OUT TO
HOSPITALS TO BE A SURVIVOR, TO
MEET A SURVIVOR THROUGH A SEXUAL
ASSAULT FORENSIC EXAM, AND
INTRUSIVE AND INVASIVE EXAM. IN
THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF AN
ASSAULT. THESE PROGRAMS ARE NOT
A SUPPLEMENT TO OUR STATE'S
RESPONSE TO SURVIVORS. THEY ARE.
THE RESPONSE SHOULD THESE CUTS
BE ROLLED OUT WITHOUT STATE
ASSISTANCE TO BACKFILL THIS
STEEP REDUCTION, RAPE CRISIS
CENTERS WILL HAVE TO TURN AWAY
AT LEAST 20,000 SURVIVORS FROM
SEXUAL ASSAULT, FORENSIC EXAMS
AND COUNSELING 7000 FEWER
CHILDREN WHO ARE SURVIVORS OF
CHILD ABUSE WILL NOT RECEIVE
SUPPORT THROUGH TRAUMA INFORMED
FORENSIC INTERVIEWS AND
ADVOCACY. LOCAL PROGRAMS WILL
HAVE TO REDUCE THEIR STAFF BY
50, LEADING TO INCREASED WAIT
TIMES TO ACCESS THESE VITAL
SERVICES. AND SOME PROGRAMS ARE
FACING THE WORST DECISION,
CLOSING THEIR DOORS ENTIRELY TO
THEIR COMMUNITIES TO AVERT THESE
CUTS AND DEADLY OUTCOMES. IN THE
IMMEDIATE TERMS, THE ONLY OPTION
IS FOR THE STATE TO ALLOCATE
FUNDING IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
IT WILL BE MONTHS, IF NOT
ANOTHER YEAR, BEFORE CONGRESS
FINALIZES THEIR FY 25 BUDGET AND
CAL OES WILL BEGIN IMPLEMENTING
CUTS LONG BEFORE THAT. SERVICE
PROVIDERS AND SURVIVORS SEEKING
HELP CANNOT WAIT THAT LONG.
THERE ARE NO OTHER STATE, COUNTY
OR CIVIL CITY LEVEL FUNDING
SOURCES THAT CAN STEP INTO THIS
GAP OR THAT FUND SUCH A WIDE
RANGE OF VICTIM SERVICES. THE
MAGNITUDE OF VOCA AS A FUNDING
SOURCE AND THE SIZE OF THE CUTS,
MEANS THERE ARE NO SMALL TWEAKS
PROGRAMS CAN MAKE TO ADJUST
WITHOUT SURVIVORS FEELING
DRAMATIC IMPACTS. THESE
ORGANIZATIONS ALREADY RUN ON
TIGHT BUDGETS. THERE IS NO WAY
TO ABSORB THESE CUTS WITHOUT
MASSIVE AND SEVERE CONSEQUENCES.
THAT IS WHY ASSEMBLY MEMBER
REYES IS LEADING OUR BUDGET
REQUEST, AND WE HAVE A
BIPARTISAN GROUP OF 23 ASSEMBLY
MEMBERS WHO HAVE JOINED THE REST
IN THE LONG TERME. WE ARE
CO-SPONSORING AB 2432 BY
ASSEMBLY MEMBER GABRIEL TO
ESTABLISH A NEW FUNDING STREAM
THROUGH PENALTIES ON CORPORATE
BAD ACTORS. BUT EVEN IF IT'S
SIGNED INTO LAW, IT WILL TAKE
TIME FOR THOSE PENALTIES TO BE
ASSESSED, COLLECTED AND
DISTRIBUTED. PROGRAMS AND
SURVIVORS CANNOT WAIT THAT LONG
WITHOUT IMMEDIATE BUDGET ACTION.
THE SURVIVOR, WHO IS CURRENTLY
CALLING RIGHT NOW REQUESTING TO
BE CONNECTED TO AN ADVOCATE AS
WE MEET DURING THIS REALLY
IMPORTANT HEARING, DESERVES TO
KNOW THAT THAT CALL WILL BE
ANSWERED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME AND ATTENTION TO THIS
URGENT FUNDING CRISIS. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR WAHAB AND
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND THANK YOU
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS
THE COMMITTEE TODAY. I'M THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF TRAUMA
RECOVERY CENTERS. WE HAVE 22
TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERS HERE IN
CALIFORNIA AND 30 ACROSS THE
UNITED STATES. WE'RE IN EVIDENCE
BASED TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR
VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE AND TRAUMA.
WE TREAT ALL FORMS OF
INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE AND
PARTICULARLY PROUD OF OUR WORK
WITH FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES OF
HOMICIDE VICTIMS, BECAUSE THAT
IS A SERVICE THAT'S NOT READILY
AVAILABLE IN CALIFORNIA. THE
MISSION OF THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE
OF TRAVEL TRAUMA RECOVERY
CENTERS IS TO ADVOCATE AND
INCREASE ACCESS TO TRAUMA
INFORMED CARE FOR VULNERABLE AND
MARGINALIZED SURVIVORS WHO ARE
IMPACTED BY VIOLENCE AND
SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES. WE STRIVE
TO CREATE A WORLD WHERE EVERY
SURVIVOR OF VIOLENCE GETS THE
HELP THAT THE HELP THAT THEY
NEED TO HEAL. WHEN WE TREAT
TRAUMA, WE NOT ONLY HELP THAT
PERSON, WE HELP THEIR FAMILY AND
THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. AND
TREATING TRAUMA PREVENTS FUTURE
VICTIMIZATION FOR THAT PERSON
AND THEIR FAMILY, AS WELL AS
FUTURE VIOLENCE. BY TREATING THE
MENTAL HEALTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE
AND TRAUMA ISSUES THAT WERE
CAUSED BY VIOLENCE, UCSF
DEVELOPED THIS TRAUMA RECOVERY
CENTER MODEL IN 2001, AND IN
2005. WE ARE PART OF A
RANDOMIZED TREATMENT TRIAL THAT
FOUND SIGNIFICANT CLINICAL AND
COST EFFECTIVENESS IN THE MODEL.
WE HAVE HIGHER RATES OF
ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICES 82%
EFFECTIVELY LINKED TO COMMUNITY
SERVICES. AND WE ALSO HAVE AN
INCREASE IN SEXUAL ASSAULT
SURVIVORS RECEIVING RECEIVING
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. SO WE
WENT FROM A BASELINE OF 6% TO A
STANDARD 72% OF INTERACTION IN
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR OUR
SURVIVORS. WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER
OUTCOME THAT WE DIDN'T
ANTICIPATE, BUT WE ALSO PROVIDE
OUR WORK PROVIDES INCREASED
NUMBER OF POLICE REPORTS THAT
SURVIVORS FILE BECAUSE THEY HAVE
A LOT OF SUPPORT AND THEY HAVE
TREATMENT, AND THEY HAVE SOMEONE
THERE TO HELP THEM WITH IT. SO
WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THAT.
ALSO WE ALSO SHOW SIGNIFICANT
IMPROVEMENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH
AND DAILY FUNCTIONING. WE HAVE A
44% DECREASE IN PTSD SYMPTOMS,
43% DECREASE IN DEPRESSION
SYMPTOMS, AND 96% OF OUR
SURVIVORS SAID THEY FEEL BETTER
EMOTIONALLY. WE'RE ALSO COST
EFFECTIVE. WE COST 34% LESS THAN
SERVICE AS USUAL FEE BASED
SERVICE. SOMEONE GOING TO AN
INDIVIDUAL THERAPIST OR
TREATMENT CENTER AND PAYING FOR
THERAPY. THE MODEL WAS CODIFIED
IN CALIFORNIA LEGISLATION IN
2013. AND THAT'S WHEN WE BEGAN
TO REPLICATE THE MODEL. AND IN
2017, WE DID WE WORKED ON
SECONDARY LEGISLATION TO HELP
DEFINE THE STANDARDS AND MINIMUM
REQUIREMENTS AND BEST PRACTICES
FOR THE MODEL. SO THE MODEL HAS
A FORMAT WHICH, IF USED WITH
FIDELITY, THEN WE CAN GET TO THE
OUTCOMES THAT I JUST DISCUSSED.
WE'VE REPLICATED ACROSS
CALIFORNIA. AS I SAID, WE NOW
HAVE 22. AND WE HAVE 30 MORE IN
12 STATES ACROSS THE US, PART OF
THE WORK THAT I DO AT THE
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF TRAUMA
RECOVERY CENTERS IS OVERSEE THE
COMMITTEE THAT THAT RUNS THE 52
TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERS ACROSS
THE US. WE WORK TO CREATE A
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT TO HELP
SHARE BEST PRACTICES, AND THEN
ALSO TO HELP REPLICATE THE
MODEL. SO WE HAVE 4 TO 6 NEW
TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERS COMING
ON THIS YEAR. AND WE WORK VERY
CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE
ALLIANCE FOR SAFETY AND JUSTICE
TO REACH COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS
TO TRAUMA TREATMENT. THE MODEL
IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT IS WELL
DEVELOPED AND UNDERSTANDING THE
REACTIONS OF PEOPLE WHO
EXPERIENCE TRAUMA. SO WE HAVE A
VERY SURVIVOR CENTERED SERVICE.
WE IDENTIFY THE KINDS OF
BARRIERS LIKE STIGMA OR
AVOIDANCE OR FEAR, THAT ARE VERY
COMMON FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE
EXPERIENCED BEING A VICTIM OF
CRIME. WE PROVIDE COORDINATION
ACROSS SYSTEMS THAT CRIME
VICTIMS TOUCH. SO THE LEGAL
SYSTEM, THE HEALTH SYSTEM, THE
FINANCIAL SYSTEMS AND HOUSING,
AND WE ARE INCLUSIVE IN OUR
TREATMENT. SO THE SURVIVOR JUST
HAS TO GO TO ONE PLACE TO
RECEIVE SERVICES INSTEAD OF
BEING SILOED IN DIFFERENT
SERVICES. ANY SURVIVOR CAN BE
TREATED WITH COMPREHENSIVE CASE
MANAGEMENT, MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES, GROUP THERAPY AND
ADVOCACY IN ONE SPOT. WE ALSO
FOCUS ON UNDERSERVED
COMMUNITIES. WE KNOW THAT
COMMUNITIES THAT LIVE IN POVERTY
, THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SYSTEMIC
INEQUITIES, THAT SUFFER WITH
CHALLENGES THAT COME FROM THEIR,
COMMUNITIES THEMSELVES, LIKE
IMMIGRATION CHALLENGES OR
LANGUAGE BARRIERS OR HIGH CRIME
AREAS, ARE THE LEAST SERVED IN
OUR PUBLIC SYSTEMS. AND SO WE
ACTUALLY OUTREACH AND TARGET
THOSE COMMUNITIES SO THAT WE CAN
GET TO THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF
VIOLENCE AND HELP TO AFFECT
THOSE. WE'RE ALSO CLINICALLY
COST EFFECTIVE AND HAVE HIGH,
POSITIVE RESULTS. THANK YOU. BUT
CAN I JUST SAY SORRY. THE LAST
THING IS ABOUT THE FUNDING. SO
WE'RE FUNDED THROUGH THE SAFE
NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS ACT, THE
RESTITUTION FUND AND THE GENERAL
FUND. AND OF COURSE, AS WE'VE
BEEN DISCUSSING, WE ARE FACING
BIG CUTS ACROSS THE TRAUMA
RECOVERY CENTERS IN CALIFORNIA,
SO THIS YEAR, WE HAD SEVEN
TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERS UP FOR
RENEWAL, AND THEY GOT AN AVERAGE
OF 46% CUT TO EACH OF THOSE
CENTERS. SO, THAT'S EXTREMELY
CHALLENGING FOR US TO CONTINUE
TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THOSE
SERVICES AND FOR SURVIVORS TO
CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT AS A
RESOURCE, BUT ALSO IT'S GOING TO
RESULT IN LAYING OFF STAFF
MEMBERS. IT'S GOING TO RESULT IN
ENDING TREATMENT FOR SURVIVORS,
AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE AWAY
SERVICES FROM OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO WE'RE WE'RE VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT THAT. AND PART OF IT IS
THAT THE MODEL THAT WE'RE FUNDED
UNDER IS A CONTRACT SYSTEM. SO
EVERY YEAR ANYONE CAN APPLY TO
BE A TRC AND IT DOES NOT TAKE
INTO CONSIDERATION THE EXISTING
SERVICES AND CONTINUING TO FUND
THOSE. SO THE POT IS SPREAD OUT
FOR INSTANCE, THOSE SEVEN
ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE EXISTING
WERE CUT 46% THIS YEAR, BUT TWO
NEW TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERS WERE
FUNDED AT A VERY SMALL AMOUNT,
AND THEY WILL NONE OF THE TRCS
WILL HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO
EFFECTIVELY, RUN THE MODEL TO
THE EFFICACY THAT WE KNOW WE CAN
GET TO AND THE OUTCOMES THAT WE
KNOW WE CAN GET TO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON,
CHAIRS AND SENATORS. MY NAME IS
ANTHONY DEMARTINO, AND I'M THE
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR FOR
CALIFORNIANS FOR SAFETY AND
JUSTICE. AT THE HEART OF OUR
WORK IS CRIME SURVIVORS FOR
SAFETY AND JUSTICE, A NETWORK OF
MORE THAN 200,000 CRIME VICTIMS
NATIONALLY AND 52,000 HERE IN
CALIFORNIA. WHEN ASKED,
SURVIVORS OVERWHELMINGLY SAY
THEY WANT INVESTMENTS IN HEALING
AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION OVER
MORE INCARCERATION. HOWEVER, THE
AMOUNT WE SPEND ON VICTIM
SERVICES REPRESENTS ABOUT 1% OF
THE AMOUNT CALIFORNIA SPENDS ON
CORRECTIONS OR PUT ANOTHER WAY,
CALIFORNIA SPENDS 85 TIMES MORE
ON CORRECTIONS THAN ON VICTIM
SERVICES. CALIFORNIA HAS MADE
STRIDES TO SUPPORT SURVIVORS,
BUT IS ALSO FALLING BEHIND
NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES AND MUST
DO MORE TO MEET RECOVERY NEEDS.
SURVIVORS CONTEND WITH CRUSHING
POST VICTIMIZATION DEBT WHILE
TRAUMATIZED FINANCIAL HELP CAN
OFFER STABILITY AND SAFETY.
EVERY STATE HAS A VICTIM
COMPENSATION PROGRAM FUNDED BY
STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS. YOU
HEARD ABOUT THAT EARLIER. STAFF
AT CALVCB ARE DEDICATED TO
HELPING SURVIVORS AND ARE DOING
TREMENDOUS WORK EVERY DAY. BUT
THE COMPENSATION PROGRAM IS
LIMITED BY OUTDATED STATE
STATUTE THAT CREATES UNNECESSARY
HURDLES TO HELP. THE FEDERAL
OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME JUST
RELEASED A NEW PROPOSED
REGULATIONS FOR STATE
COMPENSATION PROGRAMS FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN OVER TWO DECADES,
SOME ALL SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT
OF SOME OF THE RULES THAT THEY
ARE PROPOSING. THE RULES WOULD
REQUIRE STATE SERVE SURVIVORS
REGARDLESS OF CONVICTION,
HISTORY OR INCARCERATION. IN
CALIFORNIA, SURVIVORS ON
PROBATION OR PAROLE FOR SOME
CONVICTIONS CANNOT GET HELP.
CALIFORNIA IS ONLY ONE OF SEVEN
STATES WITH THESE RESTRICTIONS,
INCARCERATED SURVIVORS ARE ALSO
INELIGIBLE. THIS DENIES HELP TO
CALIFORNIANS WHO ARE MOST
VULNERABLE NATIONALLY, NEARLY
NINE OUT OF TEN PEOPLE WITH
RECORDS HAVE BEEN CRIME VICTIMS,
COMPARED TO FEWER THAN HALF
WITHOUT A RECORD. CALIFORNIA IS
OUT OF STEP WITH THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY AND WILL SOON BE OUT OF
COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL RULES.
THE PROPOSED RULE WOULD ALSO
RESTRICT STATES FROM DENYING
HELP BASED ON VAGUE VICTIM
BLAMING RESTRICTIONS IN
CALIFORNIA, THESE SUBJECTIVE
JUDGMENTS ARE TYPICALLY DRIVEN
BY INITIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
ASSESSMENTS AND APPLY EVEN IN
CASES WHERE THE VICTIM IS KILLED
. THIS SENDS THE MESSAGE TO
SURVIVORS THAT THEY DON'T
DESERVE HELP. C¢M POUNDS TRAUMA
AND PREVENTS ACCESS THAT MAKES
COMMUNITIES SAFER. IN ALAMEDA
COUNTY, GRAND JURY REPORT FOUND
THAT BLACK APPLICANTS WERE
NEARLY TWICE AS LIKELY AS WHITE
APPLICANTS TO BE DENIED
COMPENSATION. BASED ON THESE
SUBJECTIVE DETERMINATIONS, THE
PROPOSED FEDERAL CHANGE REFLECTS
DATA THAT THESE RESTRICTIONS ARE
VULNERABLE TO BIASES. THE RULE
WOULD ALSO CLARIFY THAT STATES
DON'T NEED TO MAKE COMPENSATION
CONTINGENT ON POLICE REPORTING
OR COOPERATION. 6 IN 10 VIOLENT
CRIME VICTIMS DO NOT REPORT
IMMEDIATELY, MAKING MOST
SURVIVORS INELIGIBLE FOR
COMPENSATION. THAT SAME ALAMEDA
COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT ALSO
FOUND THAT BLACK VICTIMS ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY DENIED DUE TO
SUBJECTIVE COOPERATIVENESS
ASSESSMENTS, DRIVING DISPARITIES
DUE TO IMPLICIT BIAS. CALIFORNIA
ALLOWS ALTERNATIVES TO A POLICE
REPORT FOR SURVIVORS OF GENDER
BASED VIOLENCE, BUT NOT OTHER
VICTIMIZATIONS. OTHER STATES
HAVE MADE THESE CHANGES IN
RECENT YEARS, INCLUDING
LOUISIANA, NEW MEXICO, AND
ILLINOIS. LASTLY THE PROPOSED
FEDERAL RULE WOULD MAKE OTHER
CHANGES THAT CALIFORNIA CAN
LEVERAGE, INCLUDING CLARIFYING
WAYS STATES CAN REDUCE PAPERWORK
HURDLES, RECOGNIZING MORE SAFETY
RELATED EXPENSES, AND CLARIFYING
STATES CAN INCLUDE VICTIMS THAT
MAY NOT BE EXPLICITLY RECOGNIZED
UNDER FEDERAL OR STATE LAW. FOR
EXAMPLE, CALIFORNIA HAS YET TO
CLEARLY RECOGNIZE VICTIMS OF
POLICE USE OF FORCE AS ELIGIBLE,
AND THE PROPOSED RULE REAFFIRMS
THAT THE STATE CAN. THE RULES
REFLECT A FEDERAL SHIFT TOWARD
GETTING SURVIVORS HELP QUICKLY
OVER BUREAUCRATIC PROCESSES THAT
SCRUTINIZE SURVIVORS? THIS IS
ALSO REFLECTED IN AB 160, WHICH
WAS A BUDGET TRAILER BILL PASSED
IN 2022, WHICH WOULD STRENGTHEN
THE COMPENSATION PROGRAM. AB 160
WAS CONTINGENT ON A BUDGET
APPROPRIATION, AND THE
LEGISLATURE MUST STILL ACT TO
IMPLEMENT IT. SOME OF THE MOST
URGENT CHANGES TO INCREASE
ACCESS TO LOST SUPPORT AND SPEED
UP HELP ARE ESTIMATED AT JUST $3
MILLION PER YEAR, WHICH WOULD
NOT BE FELT IMMEDIATELY.
CALIFORNIA'S COMPENSATION
PROGRAM ALSO REMAINS RELIANT ON
UNSTABLE AND UNJUST FINES AND
FEES. THE STATE HAS WISELY
APPROPRIATED GENERAL FUNDS IN
RECENT YEARS TO STABILIZE THE
PROGRAM, AND MUST CONTINUE TO
ACT TO FUND THE PROGRAM WITH
GENERAL FUNDS AND OTHER
SUSTAINABLE SOURCES. AS I CLOSE,
I JUST WANT TO SAY PROVIDING
URGENT HELP TO SURVIVORS IS A
CRITICAL PART OF THE STATE'S
SAFETY STRATEGY AND CANNOT WAIT.
SURVIVORS HAVE WAITED LONG
ENOUGH FOR A PROGRAM THAT MEETS
IMMEDIATE NEEDS QUICKLY. WE URGE
THE LEGISLATURE TO WORK TO
REINSTATE FUNDING FOR THE
FLEXIBLE ASSISTANCE FOR
SURVIVORS GRANT PROGRAM SO THAT
CALOES CAN GET THIS VITAL HELP
OUT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FOR YOUR
ONGOING EFFORTS TO IMPROVE,
SUPPORT FOR CRIME SURVIVORS.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY, SENATOR, NO, NO
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. MY OUR
OTHER COLLEAGUES WILL BE BACK,
SO LET US NOW GO TO PUBLIC
COMMENT. THANK YOU TO THE
PANELISTS, ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS
OF THE PUBLIC HERE WHO WOULD
LIKE TO TESTIFY, WITH RESPECT TO
TODAY'S PANEL ITEMS? YES. PLEASE
PROCEED. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS
TRENT MURPHY, AND I'M HERE TODAY
ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG
PROGRAM EXECUTIVES, ALSO KNOWN
AS KP, TO ADDRESS A PRESSING
CONCERN IN RELATION TO REENTRY
SERVICES THAT AFFECTS OVER 3000
INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR POTENTIAL
LOSS OF THOSE SERVICES. THE
ISSUE STEMS WITH THE UNEXPECTED
DEPLETION OF CONTINGENCY FUNDS
WITHIN THE STATE. PROVIDER
BUDGETS CONTRACTED WITH CDCR.
STOP PROVIDERS PROVIDE CRUCIAL
SERVICES SUCH AS CASE MANAGEMENT
, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES AND SUBSTANCE
USE DISORDER TREATMENT. DESPITE
THE SUCCESSFUL UTILIZATION OF
THESE FUNDS DURING THE COVID 19
PANDEMIC TO ACCOMMODATE EARLY
RELEASES FROM STATE PRISONS,
RECENT DIRECTIVES FROM THE CDCR
HAVE LEFT STOP PROVIDERS IN A
STATE OF EMERGENCY BECAUSE THEY
DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THESE
FUNDS. WITH JUST OVER TWO MONTHS
LEFT IN THE FISCAL YEAR, THE
REFUSAL TO ALLOW THE USE OF
CONTINGENCY FUND CONTINGENCY
FUNDS HAVE LEFT STOP PROVIDERS
SCRAMBLING TO FIND ALTERNATIVE
SOLUTIONS TO THE POPULATIONS
THEY SERVE WITHOUT IMMEDIATE
INTERVENTION. THE CONSEQUENCE IS
DIRE THE FORCED DISCHARGE OF
3000 PARTICIPANTS FROM SERVICES
BY THE END OF MAY 2024, LEAVING
THEM WITHOUT THE VITAL SUPPORT
THEY NEED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
I JUST WANT TO AGAIN, YOU KNOW,
FOR THOSE OF YOU GUYS WHO HAVE
STAYED IN THESE MEETINGS IN THE
PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, 30S FOR
PUBLIC COMMENTS. THANK YOU.
BRIEFLY, KIM LEWIS, REPRESENTING
THE CALIFORNIA COALITION FOR
YOUTH, IN SUPPORT OF THE
BACKFILL FOR THE VOCA FUND, LOSS
OF FUNDS. WE KNOW THAT OUR YOUNG
PEOPLE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS,
ARE OFTEN VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING
VIOLATIONS ANYWHERE FROM 19 TO
40% OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARE VICTIMS.
AND SO HOPE YOU CAN REALLY
CONSIDER FINDING SOME ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES FOR THIS SO WE DON'T
LOSE THOSE SUPPORTS. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON. JOSH GALLAGHER,
ON BEHALF OF THE CHIEF PROBATION
OFFICERS OF CALIFORNIA, CHIEF
PROBATION OFFICERS HAVE LONG
SUPPORTED, BENEFITS OF
COLLABORATIVE DRUG COURTS AND AS
KEY PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS OF
THE JUDICIAL BRANCH ON THEIR
IMPLEMENTATION. WE ARE EAGER TO
ENGAGE IN THE CONVERSATION ON
HOW TO MAXIMIZE THEIR USE AND
SUCCESS. FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE,
THE KEY OF THEIR SUCCESS IS THE
COMBINATION OF CLOSE JUDICIAL
OVERSIGHT AND MONITORING WITH
INTENSIVE COMMUNITY SUPERVISION
AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER
TREATMENT IN LIEU OF
INCARCERATION. LASTLY, RELATIVE
TO THE CHALUM AND JUSTICE
INVOLVED, INITIATIVE, WE DO HAVE
SOME CONCERNS THAT THERE'S NOT
ENOUGH ATTENTION AT THE STATE
LEVEL TO AVOIDING BUILDING NEW
SILOS. WITH THIS IMPLEMENTATION,
PROBATION OVERSEES ADHERENCE AND
SUCCESS WITH COURT ORDERED CASES
AND TREATMENT PLANS, AND
FULFILLS THE ROLE OF MUCH OF
WHAT WAS DISCUSSED TODAY. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. CHAIR, COMMITTEE
AND STAFF RYAN MAUMENEE WITH THE
CALIFORNIA STATE ASSOCIATION OF
COUNTIES, REPRESENTING ALL 58
COUNTIES. FIRST AND FOREMOST,
APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION ON ALL
THREE PANELS ON THESE CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT ISSUES. WE KNOW
COUNTIES ARE ON THE FRONT LINE
AND KEY IMPLEMENTERS OR KEY
STAKEHOLDERS IN ALL THREE ITEMS,
BUT IN PARTICULAR, JUST AS IT
RELATES TO ISSUE THREE, WHICH IS
ALSO ON BEHALF OF THE URBAN
COUNTIES OF CALIFORNIA, RURAL
COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES,
CALIFORNIA AND THE COUNTY OF
VENTURA, JUST, YOU KNOW,
APPRECIATE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS
WITH THE LEGISLATURE
ADMINISTRATION ON HOW WE CAN
STABILIZE FUNDING FOR VOCA
GRANTS. OBVIOUSLY IT, THOSE CUTS
ARE CRITICAL TO THE CORE
SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED ON A
LOCAL LEVEL. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. AND FOR ANYBODY WHO WOULD
LIKE TO MAKE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
AGAIN, YOU GUYS ARE FREE TO
EMAIL US OR REACH OUT TO OUR
STAFF, SET UP A MEETING OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT, SO LET ME
JUST, ASK, ARE THERE ANY OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD
LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS SEEING
NONE. AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK ALL
OF YOU GUYS WHO PARTICIPATED IN
PUBLIC TESTIMONY TODAY, IF YOU
WERE NOT ABLE TO TESTIFY TODAY,
AGAIN, YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR
COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS IN
WRITING TO THE BUDGET AND FISCAL
REVIEW COMMITTEE OR VISIT OUR
WEBSITE. YOUR COMMENTS AND
SUGGESTIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO US,
AND WE WANT TO INCLUDE YOUR
TESTIMONY IN THE OFFICIAL
HEARING RECORDS. THANK YOU
EVERYONE FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
WE HAVE CONCLUDED THE AGENDA FOR
TODAY'S HEARING. THE SENATE
BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE, NUMBER FIVE
ON CORRECTIONS, PUBLIC SAFETY,
JUDICIARY, LABOR AND
TRANSPORTATION IS ADJOURNED