Juvenile Justice Program :: Reports
Reports | About The Juvenile Justice Program
California Budget Bulletin - August 23, 2004
FINAL FY 2004-05 BUDGET PRESERVES MOST FUNDING FOR YOUTH CRIME & VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS
One month beyond the constitutional deadline, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 1113, the FY 2004-05 Budget Act. Stalled by discord over big issues (local government financing) and small ones (tax breaks for yacht buyers), the major players were finally able to come to terms on a $105 billion state spending plan. For juvenile justice and youth violence prevention advocates, the budget contained largely good news.
Probation Departments get reprieve: federal TANF probation funds replaced with state general funds
In January 2004, the Governor proposed to redirect federal TANF funds, formerly earmarked for probation youth services, to other welfare programs. These TANF funds have, since 1998, flowed to county probation departments to pay for probation camps (about 4,500 juvenile offender slots) and for a range of local youth services. By 2004, the funding level had risen to $ 201 million statewide. Probation chiefs hoped that the Governor's plan to move these U.S. funds out of probation would be reversed in the May Budget Revision. When this did not happen, probation and juvenile justice advocates convinced lawmakers to replace the TANF funds with state general funds. Thus, in the Budget bill finally signed by the Governor, there is an augmentation of $ 134 million-the pro-rata amount needed to finish out the fiscal year-to the Board of Corrections for county probation services and facilities. Despite rumors that the Governor might trim this amount in his final budget review, all $ 134 million was retained. The funds are to be expended using the prior (TANF) allocation scheme, described in the "Comprehensive Youth Services Act" (WIC Section 18220 et. seq.). Probation Chiefs urging the fund replacement leaned heavily on the argument that, if TANF funds were not replaced, probation camps and ranches throughout the state would be forced to close, generating high state costs to relocate the ejected juvenile offender population to the Youth Authority. The $ 134 million TANF gap grows to $ 201 million next year, when residual TANF funding for probation (on the federal fiscal year) expires completely. For FY 05-06, probation lobbyists will have to start all over again, making the case for renewal of these funds on an on-going basis.
Schiff Cardenas Crime Prevention Act: Funded at $ 100 million
The Schiff Cardenas Crime Prevention Act (CPA) was funded at a statewide level of $ 100 million for FY 04-05. This represents no change from the Governor's January and May Budget proposals. The CPA has received strong, bi-partisan support from the Legislature and from both Governors-in-office since its inception in the year 2000. CPA funds, distributed to counties on a per-capita basis, support juvenile justice crime prevention programs selected by local Juvenile Justice Coordinating Councils. CPA funding and program compliance is under the direction of the state Board of Corrections.
After School Funding: $ 121.5 million in state general funds, plus additional funding under the federal 21st Century program.
FY 04-05 funding for the After School Education and Safety Act (Propostion 49) was locked-in by the terms of the initiative at last year's level of $ 121.5 million in state general funds. This figure remained stable in all versions of the Governor's budget, and was the final amount approved by the Legislature and the Governor. A companion set of before and after school programs is supported in California by federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants; the federal program provides funds for after-school programs serving inner-city and rural students from low-income families. An important feature of the federal program is that the funds may be used for high-school after-school programs; under Proposition 49 (and preceding California law) high schools are not eligible for state after school funds. For FY 04-05, the Budget allocates $ 62 million for 21st Century programs, including a set-aside of $ 5 million for high-school after-school programs. Another $ 25 million in unspent 21st Century funds (prior year) goes to after-school programs in a one-time payout. This year's Budget also enacts the Governor's proposal to shift a share of state child care costs from the Child Care Subsidy System into the after-school program, for 11 and 12 year olds whose child care was formerly paid through the Child Care Subsidy system; the administration estimates savings of $ 36 million in child care costs, based on this shift.
School Safety Block Grants: final Budget plan defers $ 37 million to next year, chops funds for smaller violence prevention programs
As finally adopted, the FY 04-05 Budget backed off of plans to fully fund school safety grants at the May Revision level of nearly $100 million. The May Revision projected full funding of the School Safety and Violence Prevention Grant Program at $82.1 million, plus another $ 17.6 million in smaller youth violence prevention programs that were to be merged into a larger School Safety Block Grant (total $ 99.7 million). This plan was chewed down in the final Budget for FY 04-05 which now allocates $50 million statewide for school safety grants, plus another $ 15.6 million for smaller programs merged into the School Safety fund (New School Safety plans, $ 1 million-down from $ 3 million; Gang Risk Intervention, $ 3 million; School Community Policing, $ 11.6 million now including conflict resolution and School-Community Violence Prevention components). $ 36.9 million in basic school safety grant funds was "deferred" out of the FY 04-05 Budget to FY 05-06.