LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Office of Diversion and Re- entry announced Tuesday that it has received a $20 million state grant to fund rehabilitative programs for criminal offenders with a history of mental health or substance abuse issues.
The funding was generated through state savings under Proposition 47, a measure approved by voters in 2014 that reduced certain low-level crimes from felonies to misdemeanors.
Los Angeles County, one of 23 applicants awarded funding, plans to use the money to expand recovery bridge housing, enhance access to mental health services and substance abuse treatment and develop more intensive case management and related services designed to reduce recidivism.
“We look forward to investing in community programs to keep people from cycling through the justice system,” stated Peter Espinoza, director of the Office of Diversion and Re-entry. “Through partnerships with community-based providers and other government agencies, we will connect clients to the services, treatment and case management they need to rebuild their lives.”
More than 90 percent of the funding will be distributed to community service providers, with the remaining 10 percent dedicated to evaluation of programmatic outcomes and administrative costs. In preparation for the grant submission, the Office of Diversion and Re-entry convened more than 100 community-based organizations to discuss program needs and identify service gaps that could be addressed with funding.
“With the support and guidance of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the office of Diversion and Reentry took another enormous step, with our successful funding application, to creating a countywide system that seeks to treat, support and house clients with substance use and mental health challenges who have historically been caught and often trapped in the criminal justice system,” stated Mark Ghaly, MD, director of community health and integrated programs for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS). “The building blocks for a large scale, thoughtful diversion and reentry strategy for Los Angeles County continues to come together.”
Ghaly said the County’s strategy with Prop 47 funding will allow a number of community-based providers and organizations to directly provide services in a coherent, comprehensive, responsive and client-focused manner.
The proposed Proposition 47 program will encompass a “no wrong door” approach to ensure that persons seeking help will find culturally and linguistically appropriate services. The grant cycle begins June 16, 2017 and ends August 15, 2020.
[Information via news release from Los Angeles County.]
–
Callingitasitis says
It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage that we move on to better things.
Theodore Roosevelt
Not by another form of welfare at the tax payers expense TRY working for a living like the rest of us ,who work for a living.
the Anti-Tim Scott says
… once again, courtesy of the sanctuary city of Unidos Mexifornia, it’s more free stuff for the hoodlums, the punks, the brothas and the gang-bangers –
Laughing says
Yeah and jobs for those awful people providing services like psych docs, nurses, administrative/desk workers, programmers, cleaning staff, etc….
Stay positive!
Tim Scott says
I take it you are in favor of putting people in jail and giving them nothing to do until they get out but plot their next crime.
Mark says
Full of hate is no way to go through life! The corrections system is broken. We should be putting more effort into fixing this system. There is no rehabilitation in the corrections system. Why is that? By the why you sound, you’ll be the first person complaining about former inmates not having a job. You’ll be the first person not to hire them because they have a prison record. Everyone deserves a second chance. With proper training, a learned skill set, credited study courses, and learning how to enter the work force like a person, and not a convict. People can make something of themselves. Why is it 2/3 of inmates return to prison? It’s because the system isn’t built to help the inmate for their release. The system we have sets them up to fail. Why not try to set up system for them to succeed? No not every inmate will be rehabilitated. The majority will be, and that’s less money spend on corrections, and more tax money coming in.
I know you probably won’t agree with what I’m writing here. Don’t take my word for it. Do your own research. You might be surprised. Because somebody thinks that a person deserves a second chance, and thinks the corrections system is broken and needs to be fixed. That doesn’t mean we think people shouldn’t accountable for their actions. I’m talking about teaching them for their life after they’ve paid their debt to society.
You call yourself the anti tim scott like it’s a badge of honor, I think Tim Scott is also a happy that you’re the anti tim scott