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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 07262011 - SD.3RECOMMENDATION(S): APPROVE response to Civil Grand Jury Report No. 1108, entitled "Bridging the Gap at the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility” and DIRECT the Clerk of the Board to forward the response to the Superior Court no later than September 6, 2011. FISCAL IMPACT: No fiscal impact. This is an informational report. BACKGROUND: On June 8, 2011, the 2009/10 Civil Grand Jury filed the above-referenced report, which was reviewed by the Board of Supervisors and subsequently referred to the County Administrator and County Probation Officer, who jointly prepared the attached response that clearly specifies: A. Whether a finding or recommendation is accepted or will be implemented; APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 07/26/2011 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Gayle B. Uilkema, District II Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor Contact: JULIE ENEA (925) 335-1077 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: July 26, 2011 David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: June McHuen, Deputy cc: CAO (Enea), County Probation Officer SD. 3 To:Board of Supervisors From:David Twa, County Administrator Date:July 26, 2011 Contra Costa County Subject:RESPONSE TO CIVIL GRAND JURY REPORT NO. 1108, ENTITLED "BRIDGING THE GAP AT THE ORIN ALLEN YOUTH REHABILITATION FACILITY" B. If a recommendation is accepted, a statement as to who will be responsible for implementation and by what definite target date; C. A delineation of the constraints if a recommendation is accepted but cannot be implemented within a six-month period; and D. The reason for not accepting or adopting a finding or recommendation. Section 933.5(a) requires a response to the designated findings of the Grand Jury. BACKGROUND: (CONT'D) FINDINGS 1. Orin Allen (Youth Rehabilitation Facility) is a cost-effective alternative to the Juvenile Hall facility. Response: The County agrees with the finding. 2. There is no formal training in construction, food preparation or horticulture. Response: The County agrees with the finding. There is no dispute there is no formalized and highly structured offering in construction, food preparation and horticulture. However, there is a wood shop class offered to the youth and several large areas of the raised planting beds have been planted with tomatoes and several other vegetables. The plan is to incorporate food preparation with the items harvested. 3. Residents do not routinely perform minor facility maintenance and repairs. Response: The County agrees with the finding. Conversations have already begun to set up a protocol with the wood shop instructor to replace and/or repair benches or other wood related objects at the facility. 4. There are no regularly scheduled collaborative planning sessions between the County Probation Department and Office of Education leadership concerning the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility. Response: The County agrees with the finding. Although there are meetings with school administration, they are not regularly scheduled. 5. Management personnel at the Office of Education have varying levels of knowledge about the execution of their educational programs currently offered at Orin Allen. Response: N/A 6. The Rossmoor Senior Tutors provide a valuable service to the residents of the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility. Response: The County agrees with the finding. 7. Community volunteers provide additional enrichment opportunities for Orin Allen residents. Response: The County agrees with the finding. Section 933.05(b) requires a response to the designated recommendations of the Grand Jury. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Orin Allen (Youth Rehabilitation Facility) should remain open to provide programs for non-violent youth offenders. Response: The recommendation has been implemented. The recently adopted State and County budgets make provision to fund the OAYRF for FY 2011/12. 2. Probation and Office of Education should explore adding vocational classes to supplement classroom education with the assistance of General Services. Response: The recommendation has been implemented. Discussions have been going on for some time between Probation and the Office of Education to develop and implement vocational classes to supplement classroom education. Several Paxton/Patterson vocational-type classes have been purchased by the Office of Education and will be implemented during the fall semester. 3. Office of Education should consider incorporating minor repair and maintenance projects into the current woodshop curriculum to supplement classroom instruction. Response: The recommendation has been implemented. Probation and the Office of Education have discussed and plan to implement minor repair and maintenance projects at the facility (with the appropriate approval and support of the County General Services Department). 4. Probation and Office of Education leaders should establish collaborative planning sessions concerning rehabilitation programs at Orin Allen. Response: The recommendation has been implemented. Although there are set monthly meetings between Probation and the Office of Education, there is no formal agenda. These meetings have now been formalized and include all the collaborative partners on a quarterly basis. 5. Office of Education should identify a management person to be the Orin Allen site expert. Response: N/A 6. The Board of Supervisors should publicly recognize the Rossmoor Senior Tutors for their long and dedicated service to Orin Allen. Response: The recommendation will be implemented within 90 days. The County values the contributions of all of the volunteers who generously devote their time, wisdom, and talents to mentor, coach, and educate the wards at OAYRF. 7. The Board of Supervisors should assign a liaison to solicit community volunteers to provide enrichment programs for the Orin Allen residents. Response: The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not reasonable. While the County agrees with the recommendation and would implement it if there were sufficient staff resources to do so, the FY 2011/12 budget is not sufficient to support any functions beyond the basic operation of the OAYRF. State public safety realignment and associated funding is directly related to the adult prison population and cannot be redirected to juvenile detention programs. While adult probation supervision programs were bolstered through state realignment, County juvenile supervision programs were actually reduced in the FY 2011/12 budget. CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION: In order to comply with statutory requirements, the Board of Supervisors must provide a response to the Superior Court no later than September 6, 2011. The last Board meeting prior to the September 6, 2011 deadline is on August 16, 2011. If the Board decides to not adopt the proposed response today, it must adopt a response by August 16, 2011 in order to comply with the statutory deadline. CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: None.