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(DISCUSSION) Chief Probation Officer’s Report
a. Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative update
The Chief asked Gary Bieringer to report. He announced the quarterly meeting of the Stakeholders to be on May 4, at the cafeteria.
He further reported that the community mapping of the zip code area 94124. The information gathered will help them in figuring out what to do on the issue of disproportionate minority confinement. They will have 16 young people going out to do this mapping.
The Annie Casey Foundation will hold its annual JDAI conference in Nov. and in SF.
The Executive Committee has been working on a citywide policy statement, that will ask the Bd of Supervisors to adopt it as the official policy for the City, on juvenile justice. When they have it finished, they will bring it to the commission for support.
He passed out a one page document which showed the results of a one year usage of the revised risk assessment instrument, at the point of entry to juvenile hall. He briefly summarized some of the points (the full report and summary are available from G. Bieringer).
Comm Queen commented that the policy statement did not include any reference to the Probation Commission. He still has serious concerns of that absence, and recommended the Commission look more closely at it before giving any support.
Comm. Hale agreed with Comm Queen that the Commission needs to be included in any dialog regarding juvenile justice policy, including this policy statement.
Comm Queen further said that he felt that not only should such a statement derive from this body, but that perhaps, as the policy making body for juvenile probation in the city, this body should carry it forth to the Bd of Supervisors.
G. Bieringer said the group’s (exec. Committee) consensus was that the JDAI was a larger concern than the Probation Commission, taking in the entire system, so that it should be the body that carries the policy forward, but in partnership with Probation, the DA, PD, Youth Commission, etc.
Comm. Queen said that this was not a point of consensus, but more a matter of a few key individuals encouraging taking action. He repeated his belief that the JDAI affected primarily the Probation system, albeit involving other aspects and jurisdictions, so that this Commission and Dept should be the ones carrying forth proposals for the others to buy into.
G. Bieringer said that the statement was one that James Bell was putting together and perhaps directly communicating with him would be best.
b. Budget update
Mark Lui reported that the Mayor’s finance office has rejected some of the proposed measures given by the dept. They rejected the $600K projected from renting beds at LCRS. They increased the amount of budgeted OT another $800K, that amount to be taken from other parts of the budget. The amounts of deficit to the previously “balanced” budget in Feb. is now $120K over. The Mayor’s budget analyst said that it IS their budget now (since Feb. 20) and they will be making decisions to balance it. None of those decisions will be finalized until labor negotiations are completed. The Mayor’s office will try to balance the City’s budget by mid May.
The Dept’s hearing before the Bd of Supervisors’ budget committee will happen toward the end of June –possibly only one hearing before the final Bd action by July 1.
Comm Bonilla asked if the Mayor’s office had indicated where they were going to cut from.
Lui said from both non personnel and personnel items.
Comm Hale asked what other revenue sources Lui had meant that the Mayor’s office was going to look at. Lui deferred to the Chief and she said didn’t know.
Comm Hale asked if the Mayor’s office just didn’t think the plan to raise $600K was realistic. Lui said that they have been monitoring the progress of the committee and what’s been done to date.
The Chief said that on call counselors are being hired and this will affect the OT amounts (but won’t see the start of results until June)
On Workers Comp: she said that we have averaged 18-20 on WC. Right now we have 11 counselors and 4 probation officers out on WC. There is a part time loaner from MUNI to work on WC cases right now, and the 1244 hire won’t be on until mid May. He’s coming from the Library.
All training for Juvenile Hall will happen in May.
She reported that they have decided to move all food preparation for LCRS up here. All food service staff will move up to the YGC kitchen and all meals will be prepared here. LCRS will have two hot meals and one cold (lunch) daily. The food will be transported to the ranch daily. Schedules will change and save about $14000 a month in overtime. The overall food cost savings should be up to $60-$70K. This will be a pilot project til the end of June and then they will assess whether it is working or not. She said the yearly saving could be $250K.
Comm Ricci asked if the on call counselors will have an impact on the LCRS situation. The Chief said that there are only 3 on the list now that said they’d be interested in going to the ranch.
The Chief said that they have the authorization to give premium differential of 5% to those going to the ranch, but the wage difference between ranch and juvenile hall counselors was 7.5%, so they have to go through “all these gyrations.” DHR will be looking how to best merge the two different classes (8320 and 21)
The Chief said that the Exec. Chef up here in YGC would get supervisory differential because he would be supervising the staff of 2 institutions. Quest: what happens to the chef from LCRS. The Chief said that remains to be seen, how well this plan works.
c. Update on California Youth Authority
The Chief said that there are several options being looked at: county responsible for parole of former CYA commitments or others. Nothing is definite. Comm Queen asked if we were doing anything affirmatively to get a solution to this, and just what would be the position of the Commission and Dept on the issue. He was uncomfortable with just hearing that there are discussions but no one appears to have taken affirmative action to reach some answers. Comm Hale said that the Ad Hoc Committee on LCR was also considering using the ranch as an alternative to CYA.
(public comments) **explanatory document: monthly report for Mar. 04
There was none
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