To: Board of Supervisors
From: Esa Ehmen-Krause, County Probation Officer
Report Title: Inter-County Placement Amendment County of Sonoma
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the County Probation Officer, or designee, to execute an amendment, to the original agreement with the County of Sonoma, as executed on September 1, 2024, for the placement of wards in their facility at the increased rate of $390 per ward per day for the term of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This is 100% funded by the Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant.
BACKGROUND:
With the closure of the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), the responsibility for youth offenders transferred from state to local jurisdictions. DJJ was one of the few facilities in the State that offered Sex Offender Treatment to juveniles. To continue this same specialized treatment, local jurisdictions worked together to develop a regional model for Juvenile Sex Offender Treatment. Sonoma County has been designated as one of the regional locations to provide this program.
The Probation Department has had an agreement with the County of Sonoma since 2021. In the most recent renewal agreement, effective September 1, 2024, the County of Sonoma added language to the contract to allow it to self-renew in perpetuity with the review of rates each new year. Each renewal will also align with the fiscal year, from July 1st through June 30th.
The department is requesting approval of this retroactive request to July 1, 2025, due to administrative delays that prevented this request coming to the Board timely. No placements have been made since July, therefore, no invoices at the higher rate are due at this time.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Probation will be unable to place juvenile sex offenders at the County of Sonoma facility for treatment.