Title
Receive the presentation provided by the Sheriff’s Office on the programs being provided to the inmates at the County jail.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Receive the presentation provided by the Sheriff’s Office on the programs being provided to the inmates at the County jail.
SUMMARY:
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is presenting to the Board of Supervisors on the programs being offered to the inmates in the county jail now and in the near future.
DISCUSSION:
Since the inception of AB109 in October 2011 local correctional facilities have had the responsibility of reintegrating (Re-entry) inmates with longer term sentences back into their communities. This required a change of mindset in the type of programming offered to their offender populations.
Prior to AB109 local facilities, including the Monterey County Jail, focused on shorter, less intensive programs to aid an inmate’s transition back to their community due to the relatively short average sentence at the time. Today, with the average length of stay having been extended and the fact some inmates stay multiple years the type and length of programming has changed. The culture changed to a re-entry type of concept, incorporating evidence based practices.
The Sheriff’s Office focuses on the “whole person” in the programming offered. Instead of just targeting a few key areas such as substance abuse and addiction treatment we have partnered with a number of different providers to offer classes that aid in parenting, understanding the consequences behind choices, new ways of addressing conflict, managing stress, education, prevention approaches, positive patterns of social behavior, and providing opportunities to interact with community leaders.
All of this would not be possible if it weren’t for our community partners. Last year we began partnerships with Hartnell College, GEO Group, Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE), Prison Ministries of America (PMA) and the Why’d You Stop Me program to supplement programs that were already in place. These partnerships helped expand the range of services the Sheriff’s Office provides to its inmate population daily. Hartnell College is in its third semester of offering college courses to our population, expanding additional opportunities to continue their higher education upon release. GEO provides a continuum of educational programming and services targeted to each participants individually assessed criminogenic needs. GEO Group has expanded the course offerings around substance abuse education, anger management, cognitive and life skills development, parenting Skills and family reintegration, budgeting and money management, employment preparation Skills, and community transition preparation providing comprehensive case management and a continuum of care approach that includes all applicable internal and external supervising personnel involved in a participant’s case. MCOE is providing Alternative Education High School Equivalence testing (HiSET), proctoring and instruction for our individuals, on-Site programming such as High School Diploma, Career Technical Education, and Transitional Services, and has helped us become a HiSET Certified Testing Center. They have helped a number of our inmates find jobs, housing, and transportation upon their release. All of these providers and others are very supportive of the rehabilitative mindset, and have helped us identify how to strengthen, and expand existing relationships with our community, and have been instrumental in aiding our efforts to ease the transition for our population back into society.
FINANCING:
The programs provided at the Monterey County Jail are funded either through the Inmate Welfare Fund (IWF) or the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP)and grants where they are not provided for free by our community partners.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
The programs offered at the Monterey County Jail meet the Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiative by helping inmates build the skills necessary to reintegrate into the community. The benefit of these programs help the Health & Human Services of the inmates and improves the public safety of the community by reducing recidivism.
Mark a check to the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiatives
__ Economic Development
__ Administration
X Health & Human Services
__ Infrastructure
X Public Safety
Prepared by: Jim Bass, Captain, Extension 3887
Approved by: Stephen Bernal, Sheriff, Extension 3856
Attachments: MCSO Power Point Presentation