TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute a waiver of federal receipt of the City of Long Beach’s ninth year allocation of $16,391 in Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program funds to the County Los Angeles, for the Juvenile Offender Intervention Network Program housed in Long Beach Juvenile Court, to divert first-time serious juvenile offenders from the court system through an intensive, one-year program. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On June 13, 2006, the City Council, for the eighth consecutive year, approved a waiver of the direct receipt of City of Long Beach's (City) allocation of federal Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) program funds to the County of Los Angeles (County). This approval authorized the County to use those funds for the Juvenile Offender Intervention Network (JOIN) Program housed in Long Beach Juvenile Court to divert first-time serious juvenile offenders from the court system through an intensive, one-year program that includes restitution for the victim, community service, counseling for youth and parents, and monitored school attendance.
In 2005-06 (the last full year of operations) JOIN was offered to ten percent of the minors entering juvenile court with a first-time serious offense, and more than 5.5 percent of all minors chose JOIN and were successfully diverted. A professional, independent evaluation has proven the effectiveness of JOIN, with an overall 17 percent recidivism rate (measured over four years) compared to court/probation supervision with a recidivism rate of 44 percent. JOIN is also cost effective: it costs $900 per youth for JOIN diversion and supervision, compared to $7,000 per youth for adjudication and probation.
The City has received a ninth consecutive year of funding from the JABG program, administered by the State Board of Corrections. The allocation for the 2007-2008 program year is $16,391, which must be expended on juvenile accountability in the criminal justice system.
The County has...
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