TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute a waiver of federal receipt of the City of Long Beach's fourteenth year allocation of $19,011 in Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program funds to the County of Los Angeles, for the Juvenile Offender Intervention Network Program, to divert first-time serious juvenile offenders from the court system through an intensive, one-year program. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On July 5, 2011, the City Council, for the thirteenth 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 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.
JOIN has a better than 72 percent success rate demonstrated by preventing recidivism, and ensuring payment of restitution to victims at 12 percent of the cost of traditional juvenile court processing. Each successful JOIN case saves the justice system more than $7,000 in avoided trial costs for the courts, police, probation, defense and prosecution.
The City has received a fourteenth consecutive year of funding from the JABG program, administered by the State Board of Corrections. The allocation for the 2012-2013 program year is $19,011, with a 10 percent cash match of $2,112 on the total grant amount for a total of $21,123, which must be expended on juvenile accountability in the criminal justice system.
The County has indicated a willingness to continue its partnership with the City under the JABG program. The City will use its allocation of JABG program funds to provide funding to the JOIN program administered by the County, and the County will provide the 10 percent cash match to the JOIN program.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Gary Anderson on May 9, 2012 and Budget Officer Victoria Bell on May 15, 2012.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action on this matter is requested on June 12, 2012 in order to submit the waiver to the County District Attorney's Office in a timely manner.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact and no local job impact associated with the recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
JIM McDONNELL
CHIEF OF POLICE
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER