|
|
| Community Corrections: County seeks input on realignment |
| By smdailyjournal.com - Michelle Durand |
| Published: 01/04/2012 |
|
San Mateo County, CA -- After months of wrestling with public safety realignment, the county’s Probation Department is asking the public for its thoughts on how best to implement the state’s budget-balancing plan that shifted low-level state prisoners to local jails and parolees to local supervision. Probation Chief Stuart Forrest and a mix of other stakeholders like judges and those in law enforcement, health and education have been meeting for months even before realignment officially began in October. They hoped to meet the switch head on with a smooth transition. Now, with the process a reality, the collective known as the Community Corrections Partnership is holding a town hall meeting prior to the final draft of the county’s own plan coming together in February. “We want to open it up to the public to let them know what we’ve done so far and get their ideas on what our priorities should be or anything else,” said Forrest. The partnership has been operating with an interim emergency plan that got the county up and running with realignment but Forrest said it is time for the permanent document. The plan, which must ultimately be adopted by the Board of Supervisors, will provide an overview of the affected population, identify service goals and priorities, create a tracking protocol and incorporate a funding strategy, according to the request put out by the Probation Department for consultants to help craft the document. The county chose Oakland-based Resource Development Associates for the work. Forrest said the final plan will benefit from public insight, too. “The partnership certainly has its ideas and left to its own devices will come up with a plan but any plan should reflect the community to which these people are returning,” Forrest said. The Probation Department, the lead on public safety realignment for the county, is hosting the meeting but other partnership members will be in attendance, too. Forrest said he won’t be surprised to hear audience questions and worries about overall safety but hopes attendees also come to brainstorm ways to improve supervision, education and work training programs to curb recidivism. Read More. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think