TITLE
Recommendation to use City Prosecutor Department (CP) budget savings from FY 18, to increase appropriations in the General Grants Fund (SR 120) in the City Prosecutor Department (CP) by $109,330 and in the General Fund (GF) in the City Prosecutor Department (CP) by $109,330 for the transfer of funds.
DISCUSSION
At the end of FY 18, the City Prosecutor Department's General Fund budget had savings of $109,330. The FY 18 savings have been reserved for use by the City Prosecutor Department and it is now requested that these savings be re-appropriated in FY 19 to support the City Prosecutor's Promising Adults, Tomorrow's Hope (PAT.H.) program as well as our Summer Internship Program for Long Beach high school and college students interested in legal or law enforcement careers. This is similar to action taken last fiscal year by the City Council.
In June 2015, the City Council requested the City Manager to work with the City Prosecutor's Office to help initiate the Promising Adults, Tomorrow's Hope program (PAT.H.). In 2016, the City Prosecutor's Office initiated PAT.H. as a court diversion and alternative sentencing program, where 16-24 year-old persons cited or arrested for certain offenses may be offered one-on-one employment and educational assistance in lieu of traditional prosecution. PAT.H. participants also attend courses designed to teach life skills and better decision-making. Last year, 93 percent of those who completed PAT.H. received pre-filing diversion, which means the person's case was never filed in court.
Since its launch, PAT.H. has been well-received by program participants as well as advocates for criminal justice reform. Shortly after its initiation, the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice included PAT.H. in its Environmental Scan of Developmentally Appropriate Criminal Justice Responses to Justice-Involved Young Adults publication. More recently, PAT.H. was discussed at the "Smart on Crime" Innovations Conference at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.
The City Prosecutor's Office has funded PAT.H. from savings generated by the department in its previous fiscal year. In FY18, $24,978 in savings from the City Prosecutor's FY17 General Fund budget was allocated back to the department to fund PAT.H. The City Prosecutor's Office is continually looking for grant funds to support PAT.H. The funding requested herein is critical to keeping PAT.H. running while grant funds are sought.
In 2015, the City Prosecutor's Office initiated a Summer Internship Program for local students, with most funding provided by Pacific Gateway Workforce Development Board. The program has become a huge success with 100-200 applicants applying annually to learn more about careers as a prosecutor, forensic scientist, or law enforcement officer. The program has been so successful that two of the past participants were accepted into law school and will be graduating in 2019. Providing funding for our internship program will allow us to offer additional academic content and career exploration to our program as well as extend the length of our program.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on January 22, 2019 to guarantee availability of funds to spend on the indicated purposes.
FISCAL IMPACT
An appropriation increase of $109,330 in the General Grants Fund (SR 120) in the City Prosecutor Department (CP) is requested. The appropriation will be offset by a transfer from the General Fund. An appropriation increase of $109,330, from fund reserves, is also requested in the General Fund (GF) in the City Prosecutor Department (CP) to facilitate the transfer.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
DOUGLAS P. HAUBERT
CITY PROSECUTOR