Private firm hired to run day reporting center, A day reporting center could be up and running in 60 days, after a vote taken by the Community Corrections Partnership last week.
Once built and staffed, the center will work collaboratively with several county departments to closely monitor and attempt to rehabilitate offenders who are being supervised by the Calaveras County Probation Department and have a higher risk of recidivism.
The Partnership, consisting of public safety, behavioral health, education, welfare and governmental representatives, is tasked with putting forth a plan to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors to guide local supervision of a group of criminal offenders who were previously supervised by state parole officers.
AB 109 shifts responsibility to supervise certain inmates from the state to the local level. These changes were required by a federal ruling requiring California to reduce its vastly over-populated prisons. As certain felons return from state prison, they are now supervised by the Calaveras County Probation Department instead of a state parole officer. In addition, many felons who would have been sent to state prison now serve time locally.
“Administrative Analyst Maria Hinsey presented a proposed budget that included the cost of a private company, BI Inc., to enter into contract with Calaveras County to oversee and operate a Day Reporting Center at the Substance Abuse Building located at the Government Center,” Calaveras County Probation Chief Teri Hall wrote.
It operates day reporting center programs for probationers in many other counties, reaching from Sonoma to Madera. It also operates centers for higher risk parolees for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Compton, Stockton and San Diego. The partnership agreed to hire BI Inc., costing $237,252 annually, with the intent of having the center up and running at the earliest possible date. This money will be taken out of an annual $794,507 allotment from the state.
“We are excited and eager to partner with BI Inc. on this venture,” Hall said. “They have many years of experience with programming offenders and lowering recidivism rates in the jurisdictions they serve.”
Once built and staffed, the center will work collaboratively with several county departments to closely monitor and attempt to rehabilitate offenders who are being supervised by the Calaveras County Probation Department and have a higher risk of recidivism.
The Partnership, consisting of public safety, behavioral health, education, welfare and governmental representatives, is tasked with putting forth a plan to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors to guide local supervision of a group of criminal offenders who were previously supervised by state parole officers.
AB 109 shifts responsibility to supervise certain inmates from the state to the local level. These changes were required by a federal ruling requiring California to reduce its vastly over-populated prisons. As certain felons return from state prison, they are now supervised by the Calaveras County Probation Department instead of a state parole officer. In addition, many felons who would have been sent to state prison now serve time locally.
“Administrative Analyst Maria Hinsey presented a proposed budget that included the cost of a private company, BI Inc., to enter into contract with Calaveras County to oversee and operate a Day Reporting Center at the Substance Abuse Building located at the Government Center,” Calaveras County Probation Chief Teri Hall wrote.
It operates day reporting center programs for probationers in many other counties, reaching from Sonoma to Madera. It also operates centers for higher risk parolees for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Compton, Stockton and San Diego. The partnership agreed to hire BI Inc., costing $237,252 annually, with the intent of having the center up and running at the earliest possible date. This money will be taken out of an annual $794,507 allotment from the state.
“We are excited and eager to partner with BI Inc. on this venture,” Hall said. “They have many years of experience with programming offenders and lowering recidivism rates in the jurisdictions they serve.”
Calaveras County Sheriff Gary Kuntz said he voted to pay BI Inc. to oversee the center.
“They needed somebody to give them direction there,” he said. “I always said if we can turn some of these people around it’s a good thing.”
Kuntz has been consistently skeptical of Probation Department staff’s ability to successfully rehabilitate a high percentage of AB109ers.
“A year from now, two years from now, if they can show me some honest stats, not fabricated ones, that this is working really, really well, I’d be the first one to stand up on a chair and yell to the world “Hey, I was wrong,” Kuntz said. “I really don’t think that’s going to happen. I’m a realist. I have to protect the people of Calaveras County from being victimized.”
Kuntz plans to ask for part of the annual funds allotted by the state to be set aside for costs the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorneys Office and the Angels Camp Police Department incur when “dealing” with AB109ers. He also said his office needs more deputies.
“Every time we have a meeting, our share of the money keeps shrinking and hers (Teri Hall) keeps growing,” Kuntz said.
Hall said it could take several months for the county to develop, construct, recruit and train staff to run the center whereas BI Inc. offers a “turnkey” program.
The center will be in the existing Behavioral Health facility at the Calaveras County Government Center.
Construction costs paired with annual operating costs add up to about $74,000, Hall said, adding that money will likely be taken from a combination of funds left over from last fiscal year’s state allotment along with some money from this year. She hopes those costs will decrease if the center moves to a different location. Once the new jail and courthouse are built, there is likely to be a big shuffle of county office locations, Hall said. She hopes the center will find a permanent location at that time.
“Offenders will go to center for six-to-nine months based on their overall progress and compliance,” Hall said. “Failure to comply with DRC rules and guidelines may result in increased sanctions, such as additional classes, more frequent reporting, house arrest or incarceration. When offenders complete the program, they will return periodically for aftercare.”
In conjunction with BI Inc., the Probation Department will continue to offer the Courage to Change life skills journaling program to in-custody and out-of-custody offenders. The Adult Literacy program will also offer in-custody and out-of-custody tutoring services to offenders to prepare them for GED testing.
The partnership is scheduled to meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Behavioral Health annex in San Andreas near Umpqua Bank. The meeting is open to the public and how to spend the remaining annual state allotment of funds will be discussed.
The Probation Department is holding an Oktoberfest for families of its Courage to Change program from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. The celebration, held in the Probation Department’s parking lot will feature apple bobbing, a cake walk, pumpkin carving and much more. The event is geared toward disadvantaged children.
Source: Calaveras Enterprise
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