Probation Department Budget Unit 2340 Department Head: John R. Roberts, Appointed by Judges of Superior Court

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1 Probation Department Budget Unit 2340 Department Head: John R. Roberts, Appointed by Judges of Superior Court SUMMARY OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES APPROPRIATIONS: Salaries and Benefits Services and Supplies Other Charges Fixed Assets TOTAL EXPENDITURES Less Expend. Reimb. TOTAL NET EXPENDITURES FY Actual FY FY Approved Budget Estimated Actual Department Requested CAO Recommended Incr/(Decr) From Budget $54,759,718 $54,379,098 $56,434,205 $55,232,948 $53,222,098 ($1,157,000) 7,344,135 8,845,874 7,967,789 6,939,674 7,078,374 (1,767,500) 527, , , , , , , , ,683 16,158 16,158 (503,092) $63,157,369 $64,297,054 $65,212,641 $62,896,851 $61,024,701 ($3,272,353) 380,741 5,000 3,667 4,000 4,000 (1,000) $62,776,628 $64,292,054 $65,208,974 $62,892,851 $61,020,701 ($3,271,353) REVENUES: Fines and Forfeitures Use of Money/Property Intergovernmental Charges for Services Miscellaneous $6,627 $9,300 $5,949 $6,410 $6,410 ($2,890) 9,422 9,800 9,658 9,800 9, ,515,873 18,826,803 19,945,433 20,917,276 19,993,758 1,166,955 2,857,273 2,262,548 2,430,090 2,340,980 2,171,650 (90,898) 34,715 35,700 26,472 30,700 30,700 (5,000) 246, Other Financing Sources DNA Identification 100, , , , ,120 (14,680) Local Public Safety 10,004,059 10,318,754 10,193,226 9,394,880 8,921,065 (1,397,689) Domestic Violence Program 160, , , , ,000 20,000 Probation Training Fund 234, , , , ,000 52,000 Dept. Juvenile Justice Realignment 12,078 2,687,467 2,012,995 3,384,320 3,523, ,553 Probation Asset Forfeiture 0 0 3,632 2,000 2,000 2,000 Juvenile Inmate Welfare 0 20, ,000 50,000 30,000 TOTAL NET REVENUES $36,180,925 $34,759,172 $35,216,255 $36,782,486 $35,354,523 $595,351 NET GENERAL FUND COST $26,595,703 $29,532,882 $29,992,719 $26,110,365 $25,666,178 ($3,866,704) Authorized Positions: Full Time Part Time Total Positions Funded Positions: Full Time Part Time Total Positions (80) (80) (80) (80) OPERATIONAL SUMMARY Mission: Fundamental Functions & Responsibilities: The mission of probation services is to reduce the incidence and impact of criminal behavior of juveniles and adults. Develop and operate correctional programs that provide for public protection, the prevention of crime, and the redirection of offenders Provide investigation and enforcement for the courts Hold offenders accountable for criminal conduct Provide assistance to crime victims County of Kern Recommended Budget 105

2 PROGRAM DISCUSSION The recommended budget provides funding for mandated services in public protection, prevention of crime, and redirection of offenders. In 2007, California Senate Bill 81 established the Youthful Offender Block Grant to provide State funds to enhance the capacity of local communities to implement an effective continuum of response to juvenile crime and delinquency. In FY , the department received funding in the amount of $500,000. In FY , the department will be receiving $2.5 million, an additional $800,000 in funding is anticipated in FY In recognition of the County s current fiscal constraints, the recommended budget provides for the following: 1) funding positions with State-funded Youthful Offender Block Grant Program funds in lieu of discretionary resources, which provides a General Fund savings of $700,000; 2) using $500,000 in accumulated Budget Savings Incentive (BSI ) credits leaving a balance of $602,000 that can be used at the discretion of the Chief Probation Officer; 3) includes the closure of 40 beds at Kern Crossroads facility leaving 80 beds remaining; 4) includes the closure of 20 beds at Pathways Academy leaving 20 beds remaining; and 5) includes the elimination of the Gang Strategic Early Intervention (EIP) and prevention unit for a savings of $2 million. This will result in a reduced level of service to mitigate at-risk youth from entering the juvenile justice system and future delinquency. Funding for the Gang Strategic Plan units such as the High Risk Adult Supervision and Suppression Component units remain intact. Service impacts include an increase to caseload sizes, which will result in decreased probationer contact and successful completions of probation. With the recommended budget decreased fewer contacts and decreased supervision of the most high risk individuals will result in an increase in recidivism. Furthermore, the closure of 60 beds at Crossroads facilities and Pathways Academy will create early furlough releases from commitment programs. In addition, it will increase the juvenile hall ward population as wards will be held longer in custody at juvenile hall pending delivery to the Crossroads facility. Probation Officers will also be limited in seeking court action for probation violations, and making recommendations for wards to be committed to local treatment programs. The recommended budget does provide $3.2 million increase in funding for salaries and benefits as a result of negotiated salary increases. Services and supplies have decrease by $1.7 million due to a decrease in service provider contracts and office expenses. The recommended budget includes a decrease of $1.39 million in Local Public Safety funds due to decreased sales tax revenue. Social Services Program Realignment revenue is recommended at $1.6 million. Also included is the State allocation decrease of $123,000 due to the elimination of CalMMet unit and includes the revenue loss of $333,000 attributed to the closure of 60 beds at the Crossroads and Pathways facilities. However, revenue has increased by $1.1 million for State Juvenile Probation and Camp Funding and Title IV-E revenue has increased by $848,000 due to higher reimbursable costs for juvenile supervision. Overall, projected funding for the department has increased $595,000. POSITIONS DISCUSSION The recommended budget includes the previously approved deletion of the following positions: one Assistant Chief Probation Officer position, four Deputy Probation Officer III positions that resulted in four layoffs, and 38 Deputy Probation Officer II positions that resulted in 10 layoffs, 33 Juvenile Corrections Officers positions, and four Office Service Technician positions, for an annual salary savings of $1.4 million. The layoffs are attributable to losses in Social Services Program Realignment revenue and Local Public Safety sales tax revenue. DIRECTOR S DISCUSSION The Kern County Probation Department submitted a FY budget outlining the organizational and operational impact of a minimum cut of 15%. This is truly the most devastating budget I have seen in my 32 years as a probation officer. 15% minimum cut - The 15% minimum cut includes more than cutting net county cost by 15% or $4.6 million. The cut includes an additional $1.7 million in salary savings carryover from the prior year, absorbing $1.8 million in increased costs, absorbing $2.5 million in lost revenue and deduction of $240,000 in funding for vehicle replacement for a total of $10.84 million. This cut will involve significant cuts to our detention/treatment facilities with the proposed elimination of 40 beds at our Kern Crossroads Facility and 20 beds from our Pathways Academy. Our Juvenile Hall will remain at its full capacity of 158 beds. We will cut $843,000 in contracts, layoff 18 extra-help Deputy Probation Officers (DPO), and eliminate both Early Intervention units and a Prevention unit in the Juvenile Division. We will maintain 79 vacant positions for the entire fiscal year. We will transfer $500,000 in Budget Savings Incentives (BSI) credits and $700,000 in Division of Juvenile Justice County of Kern Recommended Budget 106

3 realignment funding to salaries. Eighty home retention vehicles will be recalled and will be securely parked at a closed auto dealership on California Avenue, representing a savings of almost $92,000. Just recently the County Administrative Office redirected $1.9 million dollars of realignment money from Probation to In-Home Supportive Services. After some lengthy negotiations, we were able to reduce the cut to $500,000. On top of the $500,000 loss, we will need to cover an additional loss of $473,815 of Proposition 172 revenue. These two cuts will require us to layoff 14 peace officers, which will substantially reduce the supervision of juvenile and adult felony offenders on probation. It is important to note that there are only 34 Adult Probation Officers to supervise 7,400 adult probationers and the average caseload is 218. With the loss of four Deputy Probation Officers the caseloads will go up to 247. There are 41 Juvenile Probation Officers to supervise 4,500 juvenile probationers, which is an average of 110 probationers per officer. With the loss of 10 Juvenile Probation Officers, there will be 31 officers supervising 4,500 juvenile probationers with an average caseload of 145. The staff to probation ratio is extraordinarily disproportionate and increases the risk to our community. This is a serious public safety issue. GOALS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES Performance Measure #1: Percentage of adult offenders successfully completing probation. 15.6% 14% 16% 13% 13% This indicator measures the number of adult probationers successfully completing their terms of probation. It is anticipated decreased probationer contact will result in fewer successful completions of probation, negatively impacting community safety and offender rehabilitation. This would be due to higher caseload numbers and resulting in a decrease in contacts. It is anticipated that with decreased staffing caseload sizes will increase; Given the anticipated increases in caseload size for adult probationers, it will likely decrease the number of probationers successfully completing probation; The potential elimination of an Adult Supervision Unit would create increase caseload size of remaining units, decrease probationer contacts, and cause an increase in re-offender rates; and The continued proactive approach of joint sweeps by both juvenile and adult Deputy Probation Officers will be continued whenever possible, as a suppression tool, and to encourage probationer compliance with terms of probation. Adult units are funded by County General Fund dollars, State General Fund dollars, and Title IV-E funds County of Kern Recommended Budget 107

4 Performance Measure #2: Percentage of juvenile offenders successfully completing probation. 23.9% 18% 24% 12% 19% This indicator measures the number of juveniles on formal probation completing terms of probation. The anticipated decrease in Deputy Probation Officers and consequent increase in caseload sizes will result in decreased probationer contact and successful completions. Further, it is anticipated the loss of evidenced-based intervention programs will result in a decrease of successful completions of probation. This will have a negative impact on community safety as well as the minors rehabilitation. The Gang Intervention and Suppression Team (GIST) and the Aftercare units are anticipated to decrease the number of assigned officers, increasing caseload sizes. This will result in fewer contacts and interaction with the most high risk, gang oriented youth in our communities. The potential elimination of a Juvenile Supervision Unit would create increase caseload size of remaining units, decrease probationer contacts, and cause an increase in re-offender rates. These units provide critical intervention and suppression services which contribute not only to rehabilitation efforts, but also to public safety. These units were originally funded by Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA), Title IV-E and the County General Fund. Performance Measure #3: Percentages of adult probationers who have new violations (recidivism rate). 26% 29% 25% 20% 30% These numbers represent adult probationers who have violations of probation and new law violations sustained by the court. Recidivism reflects continued involvement in the criminal justice system. An increased rate of recidivism can be the result of fewer resources, including a decrease in community supervision due to fewer officers and increased caseload sizes. The higher caseload sizes result in fewer probationer contacts and an increase in new law violations. Due to the uncertainty of continued operations addressing the high-risk offender group of 18 to 25 year-olds, this increases their risk for recidivism. With fewer officers and resources, there will be reduced contact with probationers. As a result it is anticipated there will be an increase in this proposed goal. As evidenced-based and best practices programs are reduced, it is anticipated this will negatively impact the recidivism rate. An additional group includes those high-risk individuals age 18 to 21, who have been returned to the County as the result of the Department of Juvenile Justice realignment. Allocated Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) realignment funding has been received which will be utilized to implement evidence based programs to serve the year old offenders, including those Welfare and Intuitions Code non 707(b) offenders returning to our community. Additional adult services are provided through Title IV-E and the County General Fund. County of Kern Recommended Budget 108

5 Performance Measure #4: Percentages of juvenile probationers who have new violations (recidivism rate). FY Actual Results FY Actual Results FY Adopted Goal FY Mid-year Results Proposed Goal 31% 37% 32% 26% 39% These numbers represent juvenile probationers who have violations of probation and new law violations sustained by the court. Recidivism reflects continued involvement in the criminal justice system. Reduction in recidivism suggests increased probation compliance and community safety. However, an increased rate of recidivism can be the result of a decrease in resources, fewer officers providing enforcement, increasing caseload sizes, and resources being allocated to mandatory services, such as court investigations. Recidivism rate may increase due to the loss of Deputy Probation Officers and decreased supervision. A reduction in available beds in our juvenile treatment programs results in early releases of high risk, criminally sophisticated youth. The Crossroads commitment program has been reduced 33% due to budget constraints. There is a backlog of wards due to an overload of bed space in Juvenile Hall. High risk youth must be released early in order to make space for juveniles arrested for new law violations, resulting in shorter commitment times. Funding is derived from Title IV-E, State Realignment, Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) and Juvenile Probation and Camps Funding (JPCF). Performance Measure #5: Percentages of juvenile commitments that participated in a behavioral program and have new violations. 15.9% 11.5% 10% 5.6% 15% The percentages reflect juveniles who have participated in behavioral programs currently being utilized in our institutions, and since their release have violations of probation and new law violations sustained by the court. Evidenced based or best practices programs such as Aggression Replacement Training, provides probationers with a greater ability to successfully transition back into the community. Unfortunately, we are anticipating these programs will be reduced, which will likely lead to increased recidivism. The recidivism rate for these measures is calculated for a 12-month timeframe; however, statistics for our behavioral programs are maintained for 36-months. At this time, our overall recidivism rate is approximately 29%. The loss of beds at Crossroads is resulting in earlier release dates and reduced time spent in behavioral programs. These are considered youth at high risk for recidivism, and with shorter training time, it is anticipated the rate will increase. Funding is derived from Title IV-E, State Realignment, Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) and Juvenile Probation and Camps Funding (JPCF). County of Kern Recommended Budget 109