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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08111998 - D1 D.1 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA;, COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on August 11, '1998, by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Uilkema, Gerber, DeSaulnier, Canciamilla and Rogers NOES: None' ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Re: Report from the ,County Probation Officer on Departmental Performance On this date, the Board of Supervisors considered a departmental performance report (as attached)"from Terrence Starr, County Probation Officer. Gemma Pasto, Probation Field Services Director, was also present for the report. A video grape was shown demonstrating the home improvements that County Probation Officer's ;are doing for troubled families. Trina, a Probation Officer, commented on the paint and rehabilitation projects. She noted the projects help troubled families improve their environment and bridge the gap between: the Probation. Department and the families. The Board discussed the matter, and took the following action: Supervisor DeSaulnier moved to accept the Probation Department's report, and requested that the County Probation Officer report to the Family and Human ServicesCommittee on the school site Probation Officer's program and how it's evolving. Supervisor Uilkema: seconded the motion. The Board took the following action: IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the report from the County Probation Officer is ACCEPTED; and the Probation Officer is REQUESTED to report to the Family and Human Services Committee relative to the school site Probation Officer's program. I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board' of Supervisors on the date shown. 'ATTESTED AUAWt 11, 199$ Phil Batchel Clerk of the Board' 0 3upervis Coun dministrator BY Barbara', Deputy Clerk CAO Probation,Department D. probation Department Contra Te�ncstag Costa COUNTY PROBATION OFFICER Administrative offices 50 Douglas Drive,Suite 201 C v u 1 !ty Martinez,California 94553-8500 (510)313-4180 ' \ (510)313-4131 FAX r', T : Phil Batchelor, Dates' 7/7/98 County Administrator - ' From: Terrence Starr, SubowtStatus Report/Probation County Probation Officer Department for FY 97/98 What follows is an overview and an update of the Contra Costa County Probation Department as of this date; The report also includes a description of the services offered, budget information, delivery systems, aswell as departmental accomplishments for the fiscal year. Finally, the challenges faced by the County and this Department in the corning"fiscal year are outlined: TS:ds Attachments T1/probrpt.98 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page- I. DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW 1 A. Department Responsibilities B. Organizational Structure 11 RESOURCES 3 A. Financial Resources B. Personnel Resources C. Affirmative Action D. Sick Leave E. Staff Development F. Auoriatior► Ill CLIENT SERVICES 6 A. Workload Clientele and Service Delivery Status IV. ANNUAL PERFORMANCE 11 A. Goals Accomplished in Fiscal Year 1997/98 V. NEW 'DIRECTIONS 15 VL. CHALLENGES 1 Y i r r s k } � 2 4 BR S" .10 r r Y S 4 C S My 'A4 f E ` »y S I� f 9 i € t S S r 4 Y � g 4 yV F j i 2 P k � t t � � E � >h K l [ a 4 k" }4 , 1997/98 PROBATION DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE REPORT 1. DEPARTMENTAL OVERVIEW A. Department Responsibifiti-e While the rale of the Probation Department in any county is specified in detail by the Penal°Code and the Welfare and Institutions Code, in essence Probation Departments exist to provide information and services to the Adult and Juvenile Courts. Probation'smission is bread and it presents a difficult challenge. Basically, it is to balance offender accountability and offender opportunity for change, on an individualized basis, while maintaining priority attention to the protection of the community. In essence, the Probation Department exists to serve the Courts. B. Omanizati_onaI Structure The Probation Officer is appointed by the Court and is responsible to the Superior Court. Probation Department resources are allocated by the Board of Supervisors. As part of the criminal justice system, Probation Departments interrelate daily with: the Courts and justice departments' the Board of Supervisors and the CAC? ether Human Services agencies the State of California federal agencies with private funds - 2 - public 2 -public schools community-based agencies. (See attached organizational chart.) 1. The Probation Department offers the following services: a. Serves as the eyes and ears of both the adult and Juvenile Courts, with investigative and report services which assist the Bench in making detention, sentencing and dispositional decisions. b. Provides unbiased recommendations to the Courts which take into consideration community protection and the opportunity for offenders to modify their negative behaviors. C. Supervises berth adults and juveniles in a manner which assures compliance with the conditions of probation as prescribed by the Courts. d. Provides temporary detention and residential treatment programs for delinquent youth.` e. Diverts appropriate offenders from the justice system by offering'supervision for diversion programs involving substance abuse and mental health counseling. f. Supports`and encourages delinquency prevention in cooperation with law enforcement, schools and other agencies. g. Provides a variety of services to victims of crime through the VictimMitness Assistance Program. This is a State funded program that works closely with police departments to provide victims with financial aid, counseling and other services. Y c fbG #: tl 3 h S f 4 � - s s '`�s •� -s� EF f � f h � � t t i S 5 K ®r r Am tpgm le Mi Eli Aii ij if e s� hf k 3 � t S f k 5 4 Y a T k L Z A tl d �y� t � r r v 4 � K 3 t 3 F' p vis $ kti� a4 i t j x � � Y x � , - 3 - h. Provides the Superior Courts with felony investigation services and reports in civillprobate matters (conservatorships, guardianships and abandonments). These investigations are required by law, although not necessarily by Probation. ll. RESOURCES A. Financial Resources The adopted gross budget for FY 97198 is $27,926,114. Of this, $14,039,534 comes from the General Fund (56% of the total budget). The Department will be receiving an additional $4.4 million for this fiscal year from the Welfare Reform Act (TANF). There is an approved TANF spending plan that will include additional positions and some substantial one time expenditures. B Personnel Resources Current budget allocation of positions and funds for FY 97/98. There are currently 333.4 full time equivalent employees allocated to Probation: 1 112.6 are deputy probation officers 103.8 are probation counselors 46.5 are clerical personnel' 38.0 are first line supervisors 12 are managers and the rest (27.5) are a variety of support and specialist employees, C. Affirmative Action The Department Affirmative Action Coordinator is regularly provided with incoming information and rulings concerning case law on Affirmative Action. The Coordinator also keeps up with Americans with Disabilities Act`information, as well as Departmental statistics, and other relevant topics. CO tJ 0 w w z Z Z O E w U w Z � µ'.x'F�"�3r��:�u�t��$��,.."�a� � a �Za,�„ �z � �'i�'`�cs y�,�" r�,} ri 'va•c�"'�x r'����g s, t u; , LS40 m W �`�s�flz3 e•,y.�^ uK��+�5' x"hu� �"��`4 y ���;� �1#'�,�rt�5��+ri�gr�z ,�3,4^r; �"���� a4 y' ��y� n� ro xf''�€s�za.t`S�x+c -s r a ac.1 ' � n� e•''4%u �5- oy¢ 1 E "zq 40 r ui s. a p � f•. C., ',! ;' m, �^t�:� € •-^s r,�����r�" `�'�'x�r�,�.��'�ws. �F..s,� �3��`: sP�a�a U 40 qx .Pr° i,r 'R:�` .� ,s s� ��a;� S"§ w�,a�s, e4•sa��` �-,� � �w�F x ,�;� � r y� n '"���,t"'�'� y�`�'.�i �+,,fid � i a Fc s.. I' yyt 1-12 H qxj ,�, ,.,,y `q�•. " �� s i$,��-• " a ' h x �w,..sr n. :,.. 2' .r;`aq� :'t"'RIM6 i ;g ",:, NO �r•a,7`� ae✓#zi`a, t s `'. X%s ,, a i, m .`'r'eYA axil � t. v`n' ,y "�.�>R�� ,��:y..,�y e� Fid s LENrxw.sr���tiry C rz�sns?r-,��i f z4 "3' ns�Cy7" �.R .nuc m r �rm� t'"` 40 0 Q 0 O {p{er� 40 C O, I O O ,10 10 C1 C Ci C d C O O N N t V- SA SA 13ea! s r' ON co € W z LLI P �Wy 53 LU �s j E 4 L i 61 �+ # MW z a Z © �.. CO 0 W J {) d � Z Q W _ CL w r a ° Q > ) 0 u.0 M- ul a a c z � x to ca M LO cn w 6 ui Ln _ 4 _ Comparing;,overall Departmentstaffing with labor force statistics, the Probation Department' continues to be above parity in employment' of females, African Americans, and American Indians/Alaskan. The numbers of Hispanics represented, as well as Asian and Pacific Islanders still are somewhat under the general papulation numbers. Recruitment efforts in the coming year will focus on encouraging Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander candidates for Probation Counselor'and Deputy Probation Officer positions. D. Sick Leave The average sick leave balance for Probation Department staff for the period June, 1994 to June, 1998 shows the average sick leave balance has risen from 388 to to 435 hours (see graph). E. Staff Cewel'opment 1 . Performance Evaluations Records show that while this is an area that has shown some improvement, some 10% of the Departmental evaluations are past due; Department policy and procedures support making the evaluation process one that enhances staff performance by recognizing and reinforcing goad work, clearly identifying performance problems and haw they can be improved, and encouraging periodic assessment of career goals and activities. Performance evaluations of managers and supervisors include assessments of the timeliness and 'duality of their'evaluations of their subordinates. 2. In-Service Training As an agency participant in California's Standards & Training for Corrections (STC) program, the:Probation Department receives approximately $80,000 annually in r w r s : c- ll G f C S � a s .y z ZEN - . mmm Emma A SSE WE VAR- ummem X 4 S 3. u MEN Uii good ON Ogg SAN -05 Ina 3. y t L 2# � y a k Y # al as S All buys S X } y r s �3 way n w 1f j F i AQ-k� q f too zT � l S 1 S S l � 4 �:Y E 4 j t 2 + X e# i state funds for appoved training costs. As a condition of participation in the program, the Department agrees that all corrections staff will meet STC training standards. This requires a specific and detailed "academy" type Core training for new or newly promoted staff'during the first calendar year after their appointment, and annual'training for these who are remaining at the same position. New Probation`'Counselors {at Juvenile Hall or the Ranch} receive a four-week Core training, and 24 hours annually thereafter. Deputy Probation Officers receive a five-week Core training, and 40 hours annually thereafter. Probation or Institution Supervisors and Probation Managers`receive a'2-week Core training, and 44 hours annually thereafter. The Probation Department Training Officer carries out a training needs assessment each year, and from that develops a catalog of courses from which staff choose classes to meet their training requirements. Courses are offered in such areas as Laws & Interpretation of Laws; Gangs; Resources; Skills Development; Mental Health / Psychology / Substance Abuse; Staff Safety & Wellbeing; and Professional Development. A sampling of this year's courses: "Officer Safety - Field Probation," "Three Strikes Update,,, "Gangs in Custody," "Americans With Disabilities Act;Update," "Dealing with Chemically Dependent Families". During the current fiscal year about 65 classes were presented under department sponsorship; in addition, about 50 staff attended various courses presented elsewhere on issues relating to their assignments. The department also regularly has staff (including clerical and other non-STC staff) participating in courses at County Training Institute and in Data Processing computer courses. Approximately 5 staff` each year take advantage of the county's Indirect Benefits program to assist them in taking career-relevent coursework for college credit. - 6 - F. Automation The Department is currently implementing "desk top Integration". These are personal computers, several compact servers running Microsoft Windows NT and Lotus'Notes which will shortly be installed. This technology will allow us more flexibility in that it will allow us to utilize Contra Costa County standardized processes, and allow connectivity to other County Departments. We are also currently replacing old, out-dated terminals with personal computers and we are currently replacing our outdated printer systems with new network printers. The Department has been able to significantly automate its function given some one time funding through TANF. The Department has also been able to hire an Automation Specialist who is upgrading systems and promoting efficiency, as well as doing some staff training. III. CLIENT SERVICES A. Workload Clientele and Service Delivery System Status 1 . Adult Probation Services--Investigations' a. The Department currently provides two probation officers to serve the fast track criminal court departments of the Superior Court on a daily basis. These positions are rotated with officers from the Felony Investigation Unit. b. Investigations and 'reports to the Superior Court are mandated by 'State law and include providing presentence information to the Courts. C. Probation provides an average of over 200 bail study/preplea`reports each month to the Courts. These reports make it possible for the Courts to review bail amounts and reduce them;or grant O.R. releases where appropriate, thereby reducing the r - 7 - number number of costly hearings, transportation casts of inmates, and the jail's overall''population. d. Probation continues to provide an average of 290 preplea and supplemental reports to the Superior Court every month. This represents an essential component of the newly unified Courts of Contra Costa County. Thus, 15.5 deputy probation officers respond to the Courts referrals with some 6,000 reports yearly. These reports are presentence, restitution and ether supplemental reports routinely ordered by the Superior Court. 2. Adult Services--Supervision a. Contra Costa has over 4,000 felony level formal and Court probationers in the County. Some 2,500 of these are supervised;by the four officers in the Computer AssistedProbation Services unit (CAPS) and approximately 750 serious offenders are supervised by 11.5 Probation Officers who are available to actively supervise felons on probation in the County. These are intensive supervision caseloads and were identified by the Courts' as being the offenders who had priority from the Courts for active supervision: b. This year, two additional positions were added to provide intensive supervision of domestic violence offenders. 3. Juvenile Probation Referrals and Investigations a. The Probation Department receives an average of 400 referrals of new juvenile delinquent arrests every month. b. Some 290 repeat offenders are re'-referred for new offenses and probation violations every month. - 8 - C. Of the 200 investigations done monthly, approximately 170 are booked into Juvenile Hall and require some level of detention. d. About 82'% of the cases referred are resolved through investigation and utilization of alternatives and counseling; about 18% of the referrals received necessitate a court hearing and additional investigations and reports to the court. 4. Juvenile Probation Supervision a. Most juvenile offenders are released on conditional probation back to their own homes, schools and communities. While emphasis is placled on accountability to victims and community safety, Probation Officers are also committed to providing better assessment of needs and resources availableto young offenders. (1) There are currently between 2,100 and 2,300 juveniles on probation in Contra Costa County at any given time, (2) With new funding resources, Juvenile Supervision has been able to reduce large caseloads of from 100 to 200 minors to more manageable sizes. There are no banked caseloads at the current time. (3) In 1997, the Contra Costa Board;of Supervisors authorized three Probation Officer positions for assignment directly to County high schools to provide preventative services. The Department was also able to secure a Challenge Grant which allowed for the placing of six additional officers on the school campuses. This program is beinig evaluated as that is part of the Challenge Grant requirements and those results will be made available to the Court'and the Board of Supervisors at a later date. - 9 - b. Juvenile Out of Home Residential Care: The Department has substantially reduced the numbers of youngsters in group home care over the past five years. As late as 1994 there were well over 200 Contra Costa youngsters in out of home group home placements. At the present' time there are approximately 120 youngsters placed in group homes and that includes 20 who are residents of the Summit program. Out of home placement continues to be a last resort, used only when all other avenues to address a youngster's problems have failed. C. Home Supervision As an alternative to Juvenile Hall detention, minors are often released to house arrest where they are intensely supervised by Probation staff. The goal has been to limit caseloads to 20 per counselor. Over the past year the numbers of youngsters on the Home Supervision program have remained fairly constant: The Home Supervision Unit continues to work successfully with about two-thirds of the youngsters who go on Home Supervision, with the other third having some level of difficulty adjusting to that status. At any given time, we have between 80 and 90 youngsters on Home;.Supervision status. d. Electronic Monitoring This is a program that has grown dramatically over the past few years and now deals with some 75 juveniles. It has been a'very successful method of reducing the Juvenile Hall population and is considered very cost efficient given the fact that the monitoring costs $15 a day whereas a Juvenile Hall stay is $125 a day: 5. Community Services Program: Approximately 1,125 juvenile offenders were involved with the Community Services Program over the past year. This program is supervised community service on weekend work crews. Work is performed by contract between the Probation Department and other government entities, such as the East Bay Regional Parks School Districts and the Public - 10 - Works Department. 'These contracts make the program nearly self-sufficient. 6. Juvenile Hall:, Over a third of the Probation Department's employees and a quarter of the Probation Department's budget go to the operation of the Contra Costa Juvenile Hall. a. In 1997, some 2,376 youthful offenders were admitted to the Juvenile Hall with an average stay being 23.1 days. The capacity of the Hall is 160, and it has been extremely difficult to maintain that number given the population growth and other factors, such as an increased juvenile crime rate. For example, in the month of May, the average dailypopulation was 180.3. (See graph on Juvenile Hall ADP.) b. About half the youngsters in Juvenile Hall are there having been through the Juvenile Court process and are awaiting placement in either the Ranch, California'Youth Authority or some out of home placement. As an example, on June 30, 1998 there were 59 young men awaiting>placement at Byron Boys' Ranch: C. Juvenile Hall Resident Population: West County - 42°l0 East' County - 27% Central County - 24°l0 Other - 7% These figures are fairly consistent with past years except the number of youngsters from the West part of the County has dropped by 6%. d. In comparing Contra Costa County's Juvenile Hall with other counties, we have fewer beds, lower admissions and a lower average daily population per 1,000 population than is the average statewide: 1 m 1 r CD S t t0 W 0 s � d1 a1 _ w W Q 0. IL- a ciS ul 1 w ; }} 1 1 j 1 4 pp� Nouvind0d A-Iida '0" F as +oo U ' Z � W as .� F- 4 En n ' ° a LU v � a co 0. �y G - '� j w NiiiMmiM U.a Ix Cl Cl LU Ln � Z- a3NOI88t/S311M3Anr:i0#' Z O H i a I 1 i ; r� i J' J Z= � t J E s CL a� NE z � � o �C H r• V '7 a W r I f 1 r _ t i ....i .� .�. .. �.. .. ...........:.:...:.. • + LU t � _ SeHUSAnr 10# a o; es ea- ca- cs, 0 w. 0 cr o o d o C a a z a L m Qf eGo W to A CalO O r S.lopB't1�',f* 7. Bays' Manch: The Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility is run by the Probation Department and is a residential correctional program. All juvenilesadmitted to the Ranch are committed there by the Juvenile Court, The average stay at {grin'Allen is four months. Boys 'committed to the Ranch: West County 57% Central County - 13% East County 30°l0 Byron Boys' Ranch experienced only four walkaways during FY 1997-98. That is down from a high of some 50 walkaways four or five years ago. IV. ANNUAL PERFORMANCE A Goals Accomplished in Fiscal Year 1997/98 1 . SafeFutures: The SafeFutures grant continues to help provide numerous services in Contra Costa County. a. Summit Program-. The Summit Program, which is a collaboration with Mental Health and County Schools began operating in December of 1996. The program has a capacity for 20 boys and the program has been consistently full during the past year. By any measure Summit has been'a success and it has been acknowledged by the SafeFutures evaluating team as one of the more successful programs to come out of SafeFutures. It has also reduced the number of group home placements outside Contra Costa County and has provided a badly needed program that is six months in duration and works extensively with the young person's family. - 12 - The Summit program has graduated 27 young men over the past year, and most have done very well on their release from the program. Part of the success of the program has been the aftercare program which is, again, a collaborative with 'Probation, Mental Health and the School system, b. Gana Program: Under SafeFutues,:the Probation department continues to work closely with police agencies in the west part of the County to reduce and suppress gang activity. C. Aftercare'Program for Grin Allen Ranch Youth: The two officers provided by the SafeFutures grant for the aftercare program at Orin Allen have done extremely well in making sure that the youngsters who graduate from 'Orin Allen get back into school promptly,;are reintegrated in their family units and that they continue to meet the conditions of their' probation. These officers have helped in many` ways, including seeing the youngsters attend school, and that some of them find work on their return to their'communities. d. I P (Volunteers in Probation The Probation Department presently has over 50 Volunteers in Program working in various areas of juvenile probation. V.I.P.s serve as tutors, mentors, and probation 'aides in trying to provide added involvement with some of the young people who are in the Juvenile Court system. Some 12 volunteers assist Adult Division probation officers in the performance of their duties. - 13 - e. 13 -e. Mentorin A gins' mentoring program has evolved over the pastyear and, in cooperation;«with New Connections, has started to match mentors with girls in the Court system`. The SafeFutures grant has been an outstanding example of collaboration. 2. Placement Diversion Project At any given time, over 100 youngsters are being supervised intensely with the idea of keeping there from getting any deeper into the Juvenile Justice System. Many of these youngsters would require placement were it not for the intense supervision available on a daily basis by the Diversion project. This is another program that has had a direct impact on keeping the number of youngsters in Juvenile Hall at a manageable level. 4. Erin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility The program at Grin Allen continues to be a rich one with a number of components, including gang and drug programs, Senior Tutors, work experience, counseling for young fathers and an excellent school system Orin Allen'currently has space for 74 youngsters, but ground has been broken to build a dorm that will house an additional 26 youngsters. Completion date for that dorm is expected sometime late in the year and the dorm will be used specifically to work with the younger, less mature youngsters who are sent to Orin Allen. There are currently plans being formulated to open a facility at the old Pride House 'complex near Juvenile Hall to run a stepdown day treatment center for youngsters corning out of Grin Allen.'' The plan is to take boys who have done very well in the grin Allen program and release them early to the day treatment program as a way of speeding up the process of getting kids from Court to the Ranch without them spending so much time at - 14 - Juvenile Hall awaiting placement. The money for this facility has been identified and the ongoing costs will be more economically than the overtime costs we are currently incurring at Juvenile Hall. This program, we hope,'will not only provide youngsters coming out of the Ranch with some additional skills and abilities to deal with life on the outside, but will significantly impact Juvenile Hall overcrowding. 5 Group Home Placements The Department has been able to hold Group Horne placements at between 100 and 120 youngsters at any given time; The Probation Department continues to screen every youngster who is ordered placed and to keep placements to the shortest time possible. Certainly the Summit Program has been an extremely valuable asset in this effort as the Summit Program is designed to operate on six month cycles. Planning continues for a girls' treatment`'center that will allow girls and their families to participate in local treatment. We hope to have the ability soon to treat all Contra Costa girls locally, except for those who require a Youth Authority commitment. That facility will be located at the old Lion's Cate, and hopefully will be on line some time early in 1999. 6. Juvenile Hall The Hall continues to be very overcrowded and the building continues to age„ though not very gracefully. Juvenile Hall had no AWOLs from custody during this fiscal year. The facility continues to experience staff shortages as many of the veteran Juvenile Hall staff have moved to the field services over this past year. 7. Juvenile Probation continues to cooperate with various police agencies in doing searches enforcing:.gang prevention conditions, checking on sex offenders, and drug testing wards. i `�'�" ��� :" � �� .ter +h y�� ®• 1 n �` + +r �€ '� �,Z: �. 1 'ice i 2 � v;: _ii� � ^.7j, ? •�a f4 y �&& v ` a� 5 � e g � a 4 v� 8. The Probation Department continues to be an active participantwith Mental Health and Social Services with the S.I.T. teams. These two teams, one in North Richmond and the other in Bay Point, are being evaluated and the results should be interesting given the amount of effort that has gone into this concept. 9 The Probation Department met all of its budget commitments for the year 1997_98 V. NEW DIRECTIONS 1. The expansion of the Orin'Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility to 100 beds is underway and on schedule. We hope to have the beds on line by December 1, 1998. 2. The establishment of a girls facility to provide 20 in-house and up to 15 day treatment slots at the Lion's Gate facility is underway. Preliminary architectural' plans have been completed and the programs that are currently using that facility are going to be vacating it very soon. The money to renovate the facility has been identified and the completion date is currently set for Spring, 1999. This is probably the most critical need the Contra Costa Probation Department has with the exception of overcrowding at Juvenile Hall. 3. Officer Safety. Probation Officers are cooperating with police agencies throughout Contra Costa County and are doing searches of homes, and such activities as warrant:sweeps, truancy sweeps, checking on sex offenders, etc. The Department has beefed up its training on safety practices and has secured vests, portable phones and other items of equipment that make officers significantly safer in the field. 4. Increased use of computers and other electronic advancements to more efficiently perform duties. The Department is in the process of putting a'plan for automation in place and hopefully in pursuing its plan to purchase more and better computing equipment. 5. The Department did secure the Challenge Grant this past fiscal year and there are now 12 officers assigned directly to high schools. The Challenge Grant has an extensive evaluation component and the Board should have a report on the - 16 effectiveness of this program sometime in the next 24 months. The Department is particularly pleased because the officers selected for working in the schools were all volunteers and will be working with wards and non wards alike to try and keep kids in school and out of the Juvenile Justice System. 6. JSPAC (Juvenile Systems Planning Advisory Committee). Probation has provided staffing,to JSPAC over this year and has worked`with JSPAC on the Continuum of Care as well as efforts to secure'a new juvenile;hall,'a neva girls' program, and a number of other issues. 7. The Department will continue to try and reduce out-of-home out-of-county group home placements. 8. The County was successful in securing a Federal Crime Bill grant for a million dollars and plans are currently underway to expand the hard bed capacity at Juvenile Hall'by some 10 beds. This in no way;meets the Juvenile Hall overcrowding issue, but certainly gives staff some options in better utilizing the space available. Plans call for the expansion to be completed in late 1998 or early 1999. 9. Pride House Update. Preliminary estimates for the cost of providing a facility to work with 30 bays from the Boys' Ranch on an early release, stepdpwn program have been completed. The money to recondition Pride House has been identified and the hope is that that program can be up and running sometime in the early fall. VI, CHALLENGES The biggest challenges facing Probation in the coming year are; 1. Continued severe Juvenile Hall overcrowding:' 2.' The uncertainty of funding. With Probation heavily dependent upon revenues from the state and federal governments, any change in the flow of those revenues dramatically impacts Probation on an immediate basis, 3. Increasing medical costs for wards at Juvenile Hall/Orin Allen. - 17 - 4. The need for more staff to adequately provide supervision services to Adult Courts in the County. This hes been an exciting and rewarding year for Probation in Contra Costa County. Lots of needs have been addressed and the Department has enjoyed excellent support from the Courts, the Board of Supervisors, the CAD's office, as well as such community entities as JSPAC, the Juvenile Justice Commission and others. We look forward to that cooperation continuing in this year and in following years. Attachments T :ds T91Probrp#.98''