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Juvenile Justice Program :: Reports

Reports | About The Juvenile Justice Program

Budget Conference Committee Begins Meeting Today — Update on Selected Youth Crime & Violence Prevention Programs and Proposals

June 01, 2007

The Budget Conference Committee begins meeting today, June 1st, to resolve differences between the Senate and Assembly versions of the FY 07-08 California Budget Act. If it follows form, the Committee will produce a unified Budget Act to send to the Governor by the constitutional deadline of June 15th. Here is a brief status report on youth crime and violence prevention items that are being finalized in this budget cycle:

1. Schiff Cardenas Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA)

   • Reauthorized in both Senate and Assembly versions at $119 million for FY 07-08. Not a conference item.
   • The Governor's proposed $50 million expansion of JJCPA to 18-25 year olds was not included in the Senate or Assembly budgets but the Senate did add $20 million for probation pilot projects for 18-25 year olds. This is in conference.

2. Probation subsidy and camp funds

• $201 million is reauthorized in both Senate and Assembly versions for probation subsidy funds (old TANF probation funds) for juvenile justice services and probation camp and ranch support.

3. Juvenile Justice Re-entry Challenge Grants

• Reauthorized at $10 million in the Senate budget. In conference committee. The Governor had proposed non- renewal based on absorption of the program into a block grant supporting his proposed shift of non-violent juvenile offenders from state institutions (DJJ) to counties.

4. MIOCR (Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction) Grant Program.

• Last year the budget appropriated $45 million split evenly between juvenile and adult mentally ill offender programs administered by the Corrections Standards Authority. This year, the Senate eliminated renewal funding for MIOCR but the Assembly renewed it, including (again) $22.5 million for juvenile justice mentally ill offender programs. This is in conference committee.

5. Division of Juvenile Justice Realignment of non violent offenders to county control

• Discussion continues between Legislators, the Governor's Office (Dept. of Finance) and counties (CSAC, CPOC) on whether and how to implement the Governor's proposal to shift one half of the state youth corrections population (non-violent juveniles) to county control, with a state-county block grant to pay for county programs for the shifted caseload, with construction bond funds for additional local and regional juvenile justice facilities. The Senate and Assembly Budgets in conference do not provide for these block grant funds and do not contain other provisions to implement the proposed DJJ population shift, but both versions anticipate the shift by authorizing departmental budget adjustments to conform to any DJJ realignment or population shift that may occur. This whole subject is a matter for budget conferees to resolve out over the next two weeks.

6. After School Education and Safety Act

• Proposition 49 will again this year be funded at its full implementation level of $550 million per the terms of the after-school initiative.