$7 Million In Grants Taking Bite Out Of Santa Cruz County Crime

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Santa Cruz County announced this week that it has received two grants from the California Board of State and Community Corrections that will be used to expand local crime diversion programs and keep kids out of the criminal justice system.

A $6 million grant will fund the county's Coordinated Access for Empowering Success project, which works to help divert lower-level offenders from overcrowded jails and prisons and prevent recidivism. Another $1 million will go to the Community Reclaiming Youth Justice, a South County program aimed at keeping disadvantaged Latino youth out of the criminal justice system and reducing youth justice racial disparities.

As part of the $6 million grant, Coordinated Access for Empowering Success (CAFES) will help connect individuals to the Santa Cruz County Probation Department's Service Center so that they have "additional pathways out of the justice system," according to the county. A new neighborhood court program based on a successful San Francisco model is also being studied.

"CAFES will work towards three significant shifts in our local justice system," Santa Cruz County probation chief Fernando Giraldo said. "First is a shift from distributed services to a cohesive system with services delivered through a central hub. Second is a shift from reaction to prevention, including looking at root causes through a public health lens. The third shift is expanding the criminal justice focus to include overall community health and well-being."

Within Santa Cruz County, data show 60 percent of all jail bookings are drug- or alcohol-related and 50 percent of those who are released from the justice system lack access to stable housing. CAFES will provide treatment, case management and housing support to those individuals by collaborating with probation, mental health providers and multiple community-based organizations, according to the county.

With the $1 million in funding, the Community Reclaiming Youth Justice program will work with youth and their families to address factors leading to criminal behaviors. The county will partner with Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance, with referrals from local police agencies, schools and the community. An oversight committee will be established including local criminal justice partners, community-based organizations and the community itself, and a data collection and evaluation program will be included, according to the county.

"Through evidence-based practices including youth leadership development, addressing past traumas and improving school performance and social competencies, our goal is to provide a framework for these youth to grow and mature without being pulled into the system," Giraldo said.