HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12091986 - 2.1 ti-001 M
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Contra
FROM: PHIL BATCHELOR
County Administrator Costa
DATE: November 24, 1986 County
SUBJECT: COUNTY VICTIM/WITNESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND TRANSFER OF
SENIOR DIVERSION SPECIALISTS RESOLUTION NO . 86/715
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION .
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Amend Resolution 80/146 (February 5, 1980) designating the County Probation Officer,
rather than the District Attorney, as responsible for the operation of the Contra
Costa County Victim/Witness Assistance Program.
2. Authorize the transfer of the Victim/Witness Assistance Program, funded by the State
Office of Criminal Justice Planning, from the District Attorney to the Probation
Department.
3. Authorize the transfer of the Senior Diversion Specialists to the District Attorney's
Office from the Probation Department.
4. -Direct the District Attorney and the Probation Officer to prepare for Board approval
the necessary personnel and budget documents to implement the above actions.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The above actions will require transfer of State funds between the two County Departments.
There is no impact on the General Fund. The County Probation Officer has agreed to
continue to operate the Victim/Witness Assistance Program within the dollar limits of the
State grant and will not be requesting General Funds for this purpose.
BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION:
I. VICTIM/WITNESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Since 1980/81, the District Attorney's Office has operated a State-funded
Victim/Witness Assistance Program. The District Attorney was selected by the Board
of Supervisors to sponsor the project pursuant to Board Resolution 4180/146 which
designated the District Attorney as the major provider of comprehensive services to
crime victims and witnesses in the County. Throughout the State, 44 counties receive
State funding for victim/witness assistance programs. Twenty-eight programs are
operated by district attorney's offices, 12 by probation departments, and four by
private non-profit corporations. The Probation Department's responsibilities to
victims has been expanded pursuant to the passage of The Victim's Bill of Rights in
1982. This has led to duplication of effort to some extent. The proposed transfer
should result in more efficient program operation.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X_YES SIGNATURE:
X_ RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATIOMI BOARD COMMITTEE
_b'_APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S)
ACTION OF BOARD ON ecem er V , 19bb APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
RESOLUTION NO . 86/715
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: CAO-Justice System Programs ATTESTED December 9 , 1986
District Attorney Pho a or, CIeFk of the BoariJ
County Probation Officer UWvim aWCmWyAdff4tdrdN.
M3E2/7-ED BY " DEPUTY
County Victim/Witness Assistance Program and
Transfer of Senior Diversion Specialists - page 2
The District Attorney and the County Probation Officer concur that the Victim/Witness
Assistance Program should be transferred from the District Attorney's Office to the
.Probation Department. This move will enhance services to victims and witnesses, and
recognize the Probation Officer's. recently mandated role related to victims of crime. .
Since this program is wholly funded by state revenues, no expenditures of the County
General Fund will be required.
II. TRANSFER OF SENIOR DIVERSION SPECIALISTS
For the past several years, the Office of the District Attorney has administered a
pre-trial diversion program. Staff have been provided by the Probation Department to
supervise offenders in the Diversion Program. While these staff have been on
Probation's payroll, they have been operationally responsible to the District
Attorney. State funds for these staff come from the CJSSP (AB 90). The Probation
Department charges the District Attorney for payroll costs.
The 2.8 FTE's involved had been, until recently, classified Probation Assistants.
The Probation Department has no position slots or budgeted funds for the positions or
the persons holding these positions. The positions were recently reclassified as
Senior Diversion Specialists.
The Probation Officer and the District Attorney have agreed to transfer these
positions to the District Attorney. Since a labor provided charge is budgeted in the
District Attorney's office, there will be no fiscal impact resulting from this
transfer. The transfer will avoid duplication in supervision of these employees.
These program transfers are the result of agreement between the District Attorney and the
County Probation Officer, as set forth in their November 18, 1986 report to the County
Administrator.