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MADAM CLERK, PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL.
[CALL TO ORDER]
HERE.WE HAVE A SHORT, BUT I BELIEVE SUBSTANTIVE AGENDA HERE TODAY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO GET STARTED WITH, UH, ITEM ONE.
ITEM ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 2024.
UH, WE HAVE A SECOND, I THINK, WAITING ON OUR SYSTEM TO BOOT UP AND GET GOING HERE.
SO I'D LIKE TO TURN THIS ITEM OVER TO, UH, TO STAFF TO, UH, DISCUSS THE RE RECEIVING FILING OF, OF A PRESENTATION FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.
UH, LIKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, YEAH, WE HAVE THAT.
SO WE HAVE THE MOTION AND THE SECOND.
SO WE JUST NEED TO CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW.
SO THE CHAIR IS NOW CAUGHT UP.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A VOTE? PLEASE TAKE A VOTE.
AUSTIN, THIS, IT'S NOT WORKING.
OKAY, SO WE GOT PAST ITEM NUMBER ONE.
CAN WE DO, UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE? YES.
ITEM TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION ON PAROLE DATA AND PROGRAMS IN LONG BEACH.
UM, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO, TO STAFF.
[1. 24-53486 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Public Safety Committee meeting of Tuesday, February 27, 2024. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
[2. 24-53487 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on Parole Data and Programs in Long Beach. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
PRESENTATION DIRECTLY FROM CDCR, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.I'M THE ACTING CHIEF DEPUTY REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR, UH, STATE PAROLE DIVISION.
I'M THE CURRENTLY THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE HARBOR DISTRICT, WHICH COVERS LONG BEACH.
JUST WANNA START OFF WITH SAYING THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION TODAY.
I AM A PROUD RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR, MR. NAR.
AND, UM, OUR HIRING AUTHORITY, THE ASSISTANT DEPUTY DIRECTOR, UH, SABRINA WILLIAMS. SHE'S TIED UP IN SACRAMENTO AT THIS, AT THIS TIME, SO SHE WILL NOT BE JOINING US.
SO HERE'S WHAT'S ON THE MENU TODAY.
UH, WE'RE GONNA, IN BROAD STROKES GO OVER THE PAROLE PROCESS AND CONDITIONS, DEMOGRAPHICS, RE RECIDIVISM RATES, OUR CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE AT A STATEWIDE LEVEL, AND, UH, OUR LATEST INITIATIVE, WHICH STARTED IN 2023, THE CALIFORNIA MODEL, AND SOME OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
THE DECISIONS WE TRY AND HELP GUIDE US IS REALLY OUR MISSION STATEMENT FOR CDCR.
IT'S TO FACILITATE THE SUCCESSFUL RE REINTEGRATION OF INDIVIDUALS IN OUR CARE BACK TO COMMUNITIES, EQUIPPED WITH THE TOOLS TO BE DRUG FREE, HEALTHY, AND EMPLOYABLE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY BY PROVIDING EDUCATION, TREATMENT, REHABILITATIVE AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAMS, ALL IN A SAFE AND HUMANE ENVIRONMENT.
SO THE CORE OF CDCR IS WE BELIEVE THAT THE INCARCERAL PERIOD, WE REENTRY, REHABILITATION STARTS THERE AND TO FACILITATE THE CONTINUUM OF CARE WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED TO PAROLE SUPERVISION.
I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WOULD BE SO SMALL COMING FROM, FROM SUCH A BIG SCREEN.
SO, UM, THE PAROLE PROCESS IS, UM, THE BOARD OF PAROLE HEARINGS IS THE AUTHORITY, UH, FOR PAROLE SUITABILITY HEARINGS
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AND THE NONVIOLENT OFFENDER PAROLE REVIEWS FOR, UH, ADULT, UH, UH, INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF CDCR.SO, PAROLE CONDITIONS, UH, THAT THOSE CONDITIONS CAN BE IMPOSED BY THE BOARD OF PAROLE HEARINGS.
THEY CAN BE IMPOSED BY THE DIVISION OF ADULT PAROLE OPERATIONS AND ALSO THE LOCAL COURTS.
AND THEY'RE RESTRICTED TO THE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S SUPERVISED ON PAROLE.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF PAROLE, UH, CAN BE IMPOSED IF THE CONDITION IS REASONABLY, UH, RELATED TO THE PAROLEE COMMITMENT OFFENSE AND, UH, TAILORED TO PREVENT CRIMINAL CONDUCT AND OR FUTURE CRIMINALITY.
UM, SO THE, ON THIS, ON THIS CHART HERE, THE BLUE IS THE TOTAL RELEASES TO PAROLE, UH, FROM CDCR TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
SO IT SPANS FROM 2020 THROUGH 2023 IS THE DATA THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UM, THE GREEN, UH, BAR CHART, OUR MALE OFFENDERS, UH, RELEASES TO PAROLE.
UM, AND THEN THE FEMALE, YOU CAN SEE IS A SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER DEMOGRAPHIC.
AND TO NOTE THE PEOPLE ON SUPERVISION IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, THEY PAROLE TO A RESIDENT.
SO THIS IS THE DATA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, MEANING THEY CAN PAROLE TO A DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM OR A PRIVATE RESIDENCE.
UM, SO THAT'S THE DA DATA THAT WE'RE PULLING FROM ON THIS.
SO WHAT THE, SOME THINGS I KNOW, I'M SORRY, IT'S, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WOULD BE SO SMALL.
UM, I'LL JUST PICK SOME HIGHLIGHTS THAT MIGHT BE NOTEWORTHY FOR EVERYONE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE FOUR YEARS AGO, 2020, THE MAJORITY OF THE, OF THE POPULATION, THE RELEASE AGE IS BETWEEN 25 AND 35 OVER THE YEARS, JUST UP UNTIL 2023, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE AGE IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT OLDER IN THE GROUP HERE.
UM, THIS, IF YOU LOOK DOWN IN THE VERY LAST LINE, THE 68 PLUS AND, UH, OLDER AGE GROUP, THAT'S SIGNIFICANTLY, IT'S STARTING TO INCREASE.
WE'RE SEEING INCREASES IN, UM, IN THE ELDERLY POPULATION.
AND THAT POSES SOME CHALLENGES, UH, FOR US AT, AT, AT A STATEWIDE LEVEL BECAUSE PRESUMABLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE STILL INCARCERATED, THEY'RE GETTING ADEQUATE MEDICAL CARE.
UM, THE, THE, THE CONTINUUM, WHEN WE RECEIVE THEM ON PAROLE SUPERVISION, SOME OF OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS AREN'T EQUIPPED WITH HIGH LEVEL CARE, UM, HIGH LEVEL SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES.
AND SO THAT POSES A, A CHALLENGE.
SO OUR, UH, ETHNIC GROUP, UM, YOU CAN SEE IN 2020, WE'VE HAD A 40%, UH, FOR, WE GROUPED THEM IN BLACK, HISPANIC, WHITE, AND OTHER.
SO I, NO, I DON'T REALLY SEE ANY, UM, DRASTIC, DRASTIC CHANGES WITHIN EACH ETHNIC GROUP.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTAGES YEAR TO YEAR FROM 2020 ONTO 2023.
AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE SERIOUS AND VIOLENCE STATUS.
DID YOU WANNA TOUCH ON THIS ONE? SURE.
WE'RE NOTICING BETWEEN 2020 TO 2023 IS A SLIGHT INCREASE IN PERCENTAGE, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN.
AS INCIDENTS GO VIOLENT IS STILL A PRETTY HIGH NUMBER.
NOW, VIOLENT ENCOMPASSES MURDER, ASSAULT, BATTERY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT CDCR DOES SUPERVISE THE MORE VIOLENT, THE MORE SERIOUS OFFENDERS, THE LESSER GO OUT ON PROBATION SUPERVISION.
SO THESE NUMBERS, LIKE I SAID, THE PERCENTAGES HAVE NOT CHANGED MUCH.
THE NUMBERS HAVE DECREASED, WHICH IS A GOOD SIGN
[00:10:01]
RIGHT THERE.UM, BUT AS, AS KAREN WAS TALKING, AS MS. REID WAS TALKING ABOUT, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT'S STRENGTHENING THOSE NUMBERS, HOPEFULLY WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE AS WE WORK MORE ON THE REHABILITATIVE SIDE AND MORE ON THE COLLABORATION WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS.
WHEN IT COMES TO RECIDIVISM AS DEF DEFINED BY THE BOARD OF STATE AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS, IT DEFINES RECIDIVISM AS A CONVICTION OF A NEW FELONY OR MISDEMEANOR COMMITTED WITHIN THREE YEARS OF RELEASE FROM CUSTODY, OR COMMITTED WITHIN THREE YEARS OF PLACEMENT ON SUPERVISION FOR A PREVIOUS CRIMINAL CONVICTION.
C'S APPROACH TO THIS IS FOR PEOPLE RELEASED FROM ITS UNDER INSTITUTION, A GIVEN FISCAL YEAR AND MONITORED OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
SO IT'S ANY A CONVICTION WITHIN A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT IT.
AND AT THIS POINT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THOSE NUMBERS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS BACK IN 20, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE THE LATEST STATS WHEN IT COMES UP TO 20 23, 20 24, THE LAST STUDY THAT WAS DONE, OR THE NUMBERS THAT WERE ACCUMULATED AND REALLY BROKEN DOWN WAS 2019.
AND IN THOSE NUMBERS, GOING BACK TO 2011, THAT'S WHEN WE WERE AT OUR HIGHEST, 54% WERE BEING CONVICTED.
RIGHT NOW IN, WELL, AS THE NUMBERS ARE SHOWING, IT IS DECREASING.
IN 2019, IT WENT DOWN TO 41.9%.
OUR POPULATION IS ALSO SHRINKING.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY THOSE NUMBERS WILL JUST DECREASED MORE AND MORE.
WHEN THE DEMOGRAPHICS CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMMITMENT OFFENSE TYPE, THE LARGEST OFFENSES THAT THEY'RE BEING, UM, REARRESTED FOR IS PROPERTY CRIMES 52.7%.
OTHER CRIMES, 45% DRUG CRIMES, 42 DRUG IS A, IS A HUGE ISSUE.
WE JUST SEE ACROSS THE WHOLE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WE, IT'S NO DIFFERENT WITH PAROLE SUPERVISION.
THERE'S A BIG CORRELATION BETWEEN PROPERTY CRIMES, ALL THESE OTHER CRIMES AND DRUG OFFENSES OR DRUG ADDICTION.
AND THEN WE HAVE CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, WHICH IS 36%.
UM, BUT PROPERTY CRIMES, VANDALISM, BURGLARIES, THOSE THINGS, THEFTS, PROPERTY THEFTS, THOSE ARE OUR HIGHEST NUMBERS.
THAT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO, CORRECT? CORRECT.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO SOME CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING AT A STATEWIDE LEVEL.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE, IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THE PERCENTAGE OF, UM, PROPERTY CRIMES AND AS IT RELATES TO SUBSTANCE USE.
UM, SO CURRENTLY, UM, AS OF 2020, THIS IS THE DATA THAT WE'RE GOING OFF OF.
EACH INSTITUTION, UM, THROUGHOUT THE STATE HAS IMPLEMENTED AN INTEGRATED SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THE APPROACH IS TO INTRODUCE THEM TO THIS TREATMENT MODALITY AND TO OFFER THE SAME SERVICES THAT THEY WOULD HAVE INCARCERATED BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY UNDER PAROLE SUPERVISION.
AND SO, AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE OUR MEDICALLY ASSISTED TREATMENT PROGRAM THAT IS VOLUNTARY TO THE INDIVIDUAL.
WE HAVE MOTIVATIONAL INDICATORS TO HELP ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR TREATMENT.
UM, BUT IT IS PURELY VOLUNTARY.
SO IF I AM A HIGH LEVEL CARE, UM, MENTAL, MENTAL HEALTH NEED, UH, PAROLEE, AND I'M REQUIRED TO TAKE MY MEDICATION.
SO WHEN I GET RELEASED FROM PRISON, I'M SUPPLIED WITH A 30 DAY SUPPLY OF, LET'S SAY, UH, PSYCHOTROPIC MEDS.
THE OVERSIGHT TO MAKE SURE THE DAILY, YOU KNOW, UM, COMPLIANCE OF THE MEDICATION CAN BE A BIT CHALLENGING.
SO WITH THE MAT PROGRAM, WE'VE INTRODUCED A SHOT, UH, UH, ONCE A MONTH, AND THEN THEY'RE SEEN VIA, UH, TELEMED SERVICES.
SO GEOGRAPHICALLY, WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED TO BRIDGE THAT GAP.
THEY'RE SEEN BY A PSYCH, UH, WHETHER IT'S IN PERSON OR THROUGH VIDEO CONFERENCING.
WE HAVE SOCIAL WORK, UH, SOCIAL WORKERS WITHIN THE PAROLE OFFICES, AND THEY FACILITATE THAT SERVICE SO THAT THEY'RE COMPLIANT WITH THEIR MEDICATION.
THE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT HERE IS WHEN THEY'RE COMPLIANT WITH THEIR MEDICATION, WE CAN BEGIN TO ASSIST WITH THE TREATMENT.
[00:15:02]
IT COULD BE HOUSING, IT COULD BE EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT.UH, WE GO OFF OF THE, UH, RISK AND DYNAMIC NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL.
SO IT'S REALLY TAILORED TO WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL'S NEEDS ARE, BUT WE TRY TO FOCUS ON STABILIZING, UM, THE MENTAL HEALTH PIECE FIRST.
SO, AS OF FISCAL YEAR 20 22, 23, UH, APPROXIMATELY 8,913, PARTICIPANTS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION OUTPATIENT, UH, MODALITY.
AND 3,135 PARTICIPANTS HAS COMPLETED THE CBI LIFE SKILLS.
SO THE DIVISION OF REHABILITATIVE PROGRAMS HAS DEVELOPED THE AFTERCARE PROGRAM.
UH, THEY WORK WITH THE DIVISION OF ADULT PAROLE OPERATIONS CLOSELY TO PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH A FORMALIZED AFTERCARE PROGRAM TO PREVENT RELAPSE AFTER THEY HAVE COMPLETED I-S-U-D-T IN THE INSTITUTIONS.
SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE AS WELL IS WE TALKED ABOUT CONDITIONS OF PAROLE AND THERE BEING A NEXUS AND EVERYTHING THEY DO.
ONE THING WE ALSO DO IS WE COME UP WITH TREATMENT PLANS.
WE HAVE GOALS IN PROGRESS THAT COME THAT ARE TAILORED TO EVERY INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSING THEIR CRIMINOGENIC NEEDS.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW, IS HOUSING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INMATES THAT ARE COMING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY BEFORE THEY GET FULLY FORMALLY RELEASED IN WHAT WE CAN OFFER THEM.
EVERY INDIVIDUAL'S GIVEN A SPECIFIC PLAN, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW, IS WHAT PROGRAMS WE HAVE THAT ARE HELPING THESE INDIVIDUALS ADDRESS THOSE CRIMINOGENIC NEEDS BEFORE IT BECOMES A PROBLEM OR IT GETS IGNORED, OR THEY'RE STILL IN THE RIGHT MINDSET.
IT'S A MORE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT.
AND ONE OF THOSE IS THE A CP PROGRAM.
SO COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, PRE-RELEASE, VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW ELIGIBLE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE A PORTION OF THEIR SENTENCE IN THE COMMUNITY IN LIEU OF CONFINEMENT.
OF COURSE, THEY HAVE TO MEET THE CRITERIA COME OUT, THEY'RE LOW LEVEL OFFENDERS AS FAR AS LOW AS WE CAN GET.
THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE, BE HOUSED IN PRIVATE RESIDENCES, TRANSITIONAL CARE, RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND SO FORTH.
SO IN THE FISCAL YEAR OF 20 22, 23, THERE WERE 407 PARTICIPANTS IN THE A CP.
THAT'S ALTERNATIVE CUSTODY PROGRAM FROM 188 IN FISCAL YEAR 21, 22.
AND THAT IS THE DIRECTION CDCR IS GOING WITH.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA TALK ABOUT THE MALE COMMUNITY REENTRY PROGRAM, WHICH IS ON THE SLIDE RIGHT NOW.
AND THE FEMALE COMMUNITY REENTRY PROGRAM.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, LONG BEACH DOES HAVE ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS. IT HAS THE MCRP, THE MALE REENTRY COMMUNITY PROGRAM.
UM, BOTH MS. REED AND I HAVE SUPERVISED THOSE PROGRAMS, AND THAT IS ONE OF OUR MORE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS. THEY HAVE THE LOWEST ESCAPE RATE, WHICH I THINK AT THIS POINT MAY BE ONCE SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
UM, BUT IT'S COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATIVE SERVICE THAT ASSISTS WITH EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, HOUSING, FAMILY REUNIFICATION, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR PARTICIPANTS.
IT'S AS CLOSE AS WE GET THEM TO LIVING AT HOME.
THERE'S NOBODY WEARING UNIFORMS. THEY GO OUT AND GET JOB SKILLS.
THEY HAVE FAMILY TO COME VISIT THEM AS FREQUENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
WE'RE ASSIMILATING THEM IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT.
THEY'RE ALL WEARING GPS GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEMS. SO ALSO WITH THE A CP, THEY'RE TRACKED AND MONITORED.
ANY DEVIATION FROM THAT CUSTODY TOOL, WHICH IS A GPS, THEY GO BACK INTO CUSTODY.
THEY GOT A LOT TO LOSE WITH THAT.
SO IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S THAT CARRIED OUT THERE.
THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE OUT HERE.
YOU HAVE YOUR CHILDREN, YOU HAVE YOUR JOB, YOU HAVE ANY OF THOSE THINGS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, HOUSING NEEDS, THEY'RE ALL ADDRESSED WHEN THEY'RE COMING OUT OF THESE PROGRAMS. THEY ARE GOING INTO A RESIDENCE OR A PROGRAM.
SO THESE THINGS ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND THAT IS THE WAY THE FUTURE OF CDCR.
SO WITH THE MEN, WE HAD OVER 323 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED PRE-EMPLOYMENT SERVICES.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FUNDING FOR IT TO BE A THOUSAND TOTAL BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT'S THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE STATE, NOT JUST MM-HMM.
SO, SO THE NUMBER OF 323 PART 23 PARTICIPANTS IS STATEWIDE THAT COMPLETED THAT PRE-EMPLOYMENT SERVICE? YES.
SO IN, IN LONG BEACH ITSELF, THE PROGRAM THERE, AT THIS POINT THERE, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 80 PARTICIPANTS IN THAT PROGRAM.
AND I CAN TELL YOU LONG BEACH BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION WHERE IT'S AT, OF THE POSITION, LOCATION, I'M SORRY, WHERE IT'S AT, IT IS ONE OF OUR TWO PROGRAMS THAT HAS THE HIGHEST, I CAN TELL YOU, MOST OF THEM COME OUT WITH ALREADY A JOB.
THEY'RE IN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOT OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, UNION TRADES.
THEY COME OUT OF THERE WITH REALLY GOOD PAYING JOBS.
THE MONEY THEY GET TO KEEP, THEY DON'T GET TO SPEND, THEY ONLY GET A LITTLE SMALL, LITTLE PERCENTAGE, BUT IT'S REALLY MOSTLY FAMILY FUNCTION, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WHEN THEY GET TO COME OUT HERE, YOU GO, HERE'S YOUR DOWN PAYMENT ON A RENTAL, HERE'S YOUR WHATEVER IT MAY BE A CAR.
THAT'S THE, THE, THE BEAUTY OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND LIKE I SAID, HIGH SUCCESS RATE,
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BECAUSE WE INTRODUCE 'EM TO SUPPORT SYSTEMS, WE INTRODUCE 'EM TO JOB SKILLS, WE INTRODUCE 'EM TO EDUCATION, ALL THAT'S FREE.AND WE HAVE THESE BEAUTIFUL PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGES AS WELL.
IF THEY'RE NOT WORKING, THEY'RE GONNA SCHOOL, BUT NOBODY SITS IDLE.
AND THAT'S THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT THIS.
WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
SO I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT SEGUE INTO OUR EFFORTS AND THE LATEST, UM, INITIATIVE.
SO BACK IN 2023, UH, EARLY OF 23, WE HAD CDCR EXECUTIVES THAT TOOK A TRIP, UM, TO NORWAY TO UNDERSTAND AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THEIR SUPERVISION MODEL, UM, AND HOW THEY TREAT INDIVIDUALS, UH, THROUGHOUT, DURING, AND THROUGHOUT THE INCARCERAL PERIOD OF THEIR LIVES AND HOW, AND HOW THEY'RE SUPERVISED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND FROM THAT, UH, WE'VE TAILORED THE PIECES THAT WORK FOR CALIFORNIA.
AND WE CAME UP WITH THE FOUR PILLARS OF THE CALIFORNIA MODEL.
SO DYNAMIC SECURITY FRANCISCO TOUCHED ON, UH, OFFICERS NOT BEING IN UNIFORM.
IT'S, UH, HIGH ENGAGEMENT WITH SECURITY STAFF AND, UH, THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAMS, IT'S THE, IT APPLIES FOR THE, THE SAME IN THE INSTITUTIONS.
UM, WE ALSO TRY TO MODEL NORMALIZATION, AND THAT'S THROUGH JOB SKILLS IN THE INSTITUTION.
UH, INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS CAN COOK, DO DISHES, DO CLEAN, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, WATCH TV, GET ON A, UH, I, UH, IT'S NOT AN IPAD, SORRY, THAT WAS A PLUG FOR APPLE.
BUT, UM, THE, UH, A TABLET TO CONNECT WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN INCARCERATED WHO HAVE CHILDREN.
THEY ARE ABLE TO HAVE THAT FACETIME CONNECTION WITH THEM.
SO TRYING TO MODEL A, UM, A HEALTHY PRO-SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT SO THAT WHEN THEY DO GET OUT, SOME OF THOSE SKILLS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED.
PEER SUPPORT, THIS IS A TRAINING FOR INCARCERATED PEOPLE TO USE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE TO MENTOR AND AND SUPPORT OTHERS.
SO THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH REACH FRANCISCO AND I CAN HAVE WHEN WE TRY TO, UM, IMMERSE OURSELVES WITH, WITH THE INDIVIDUALS AND, AND, AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
PEER SUPPORT CAN REACH A LOT FURTHER, I BELIEVE.
UM, YOU HAVE MORE EXPERIENCED INDIVIDUALS AT THE INSTITUTIONS THAT COME IN.
THEY, IT'S A CERTIFICATION COURSE.
THEY COME IN AND IT'S LIKE AN ONBOARDING, UH, PHASE FOR NEWLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.
BEING INCARCERATED DOES HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, TRAUMATIC EFFECTS.
AND, AND TO HAVE THAT MENTORSHIP, UH, AT THE INSTITUTION HELPS WITH THE TRANSITION.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, BEING A TRAUMA-INFORMED AGENCY.
THAT'S IMPROVING PRACTICES AND POLICIES AND THE CULTURE OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO MAYBE 10 YEARS AGO, I WOULD ASK FRANCISCO, WHAT'S, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? RIGHT?
I SEE YOU'RE, YOU MIGHT BE HAVING A BAD DAY.
WHAT HAPPENED? AND THAT'S THE, THE TYPE OF SKILLSET THAT WE'RE LEARNING AND WE'RE BEING INTRODUCED TO.
AND, UH, FROM THE TOP, UH, DOWN AND ACROSS, WERE PRACTICING THIS TRAUMA-INFORMED, UH, UH, CULTURE.
SO THAT'S IT FOR, I WAS GONNA SAY ONE, ONE LITTLE QUICK THING.
I JUST DON'T, I REALLY WANNA EMPHASIZE THE REHABILITATIVE ASPECT.
NOT ONLY OUR HIRING PRACTICES OF WHO WE'RE BRINGING ON BOARD ONTO OUR SIDE.
WE HAVE A LOT, I MYSELF HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH DEGREE.
WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
WE ARE MORE FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SOME OF US LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, SO IT'S JUST LONG BEACH.
UM, BUT THE, THE INVOLVEMENT, THE DEPTH, WE'RE TOUCHING THEM.
THIS JUST A LITTLE TIDBIT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE HAVE WOMEN EMPOWERMENT GROUPS AT OUR FACILITIES.
WE HAVE LIFER MEETINGS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE PEER SUPPORT.
THIS IS ON THE PAROLE SIDE, THE PROGRAMS I TALKED ABOUT, THE IN CUSTODY, THOSE ARE MONITORED BY THE PAROLE.
THESE PEOPLE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THESE ARE WHERE THE PAROLE AGENTS ARE INVOLVED.
WE KNOW IT'S OUR RESOURCES, WHAT'S OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE OUR FUNDING IS.
SO IT, IT'S REHABILITATIVE IS, IS HUGE.
AND THAT'S HOPEFULLY WITH SMALL INCREMENTS, BUT STEADY INCREMENTS.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE OF THE APPROACH WE'RE TAKING.
WE'RE JUST NOT EXPECTING THE, OUR THE POPULATION OR THE INDIVIDUAL WE'RE SUPERVISING TO JUST CHANGE AUTOMATICALLY.
AND ON OUR PART, WE'RE GETTING BETTER VERSED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF GROUPS AND THINGS THAT WE DON'T PUT OUT THERE AND SHOW, BUT THE PEER SUPPORT AND THE,
[00:25:01]
THE FOCUS IS ON THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES, OF COURSE.WELL, WE, I'M, I'LL LET YOU FINISH, MISS YOU.
I, I DID JUST WANNA MAKE A CLOSING STATEMENT.
UM, I LOVE MY CAREER AND I, I LOVE WHAT I DO.
THE BIGGEST TURNING POINT FOR ME WAS WHEN I WAS A PAROLE AGENT IN LONG BEACH BACK IN 2010.
AND I WOULD GET FRUSTRATED WITH THEM, LIKE, WHAT? Y YOU'RE WILLING AND ABLE BODIED, YOU'RE PER, YOU'RE HEALTHY, YOU'RE IN YOUR TWENTIES.
UM, WHY IT'S BEEN THREE MONTHS SINCE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT JOBS.
I'VE GIVEN YOU REFERRALS AND SERVICES.
AND I WOULD GET SO FRUSTRATED.
AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I REALIZED, UM, AND THANKFULLY I REALIZED IT EARLY ON IN MY CAREER, IS THAT I HAVE IMPOSED MY OWN MIDDLE CLASS VALUES ONTO THE, UM, SUPERVISED INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO, UNDERSTANDING WHAT I KNOW NOW OF THE BARRIERS TO TREATMENT AND BARRIERS TO REENTRY, I CAN SEE IT'S NOT THAT EASY.
AND I AM CALLING ON EVERYONE HERE, UH, FOR A STRONGER PARTNERSHIP AND, UM, COMING TOGETHER, COLLABORATING ON HOW WE CAN REMOVE SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS.
WELL, VERY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR PRI PROVIDING, UH, I THINK SOME VERY INTERESTING DATA, UM, AND, AND INSIGHT IN TERMS OF THE WORK THAT, UH, CDCR IS DOING RELATED TO PAROLE.
I, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO, TO BRING THIS, THIS ITEM FORWARD AND ALLOW CDCR TO KIND OF SPEAK TO OUR COMMUNITY, SPEAK TO THIS COMMITTEE ABOUT THE WORK, UH, THAT YOU ARE DOING AND HOW IT'S IMPACTING LONG BEACH, SPECIFICALLY.
UH, THE, THE DATA HERE IS, IS INTERESTING.
I I, I WAS GONNA ASK SPECIFICALLY, I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT OVER THE LAST, WHAT, FOUR YEARS? SINCE 2020, UM, 1,154, UH, INDIVIDUALS RELEASED ON PAROLE HERE IN LONG BEACH.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WHAT I EXPECTED IN TERMS OF NUMBERS, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD.
IT WOULD BE, I I, I WILL JUST SAY I'M A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTED THAT WE DON'T HAVE MORE CURRENT DATA IN TERMS OF RECIDIVISM DATA.
AND CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHY THAT IS AND WHY AREN'T WE TRACKING THAT INFORMATION ANYMORE? WE ARE TRACKING IT.
IT'S JUST THEY HAVEN'T COMPILED THE DATA YET.
SO IT, IT GETS EVERY SO MANY YEARS ON THAT ASPECT OF RECIDIVISM.
THERE'S A PARTNERSHIP WITH UCLA AND ALL THESE OTHER UNIVERSITIES, AND THEY, AS THEY BREAK IT DOWN, I'M PRETTY SURE WITHIN THE YEAR, THE NEW NUMBERS WILL BE COMING OUT.
THAT, THAT DATA, I THINK IS, IS MISSING.
IT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD TELL, TELL US A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, THE IMPACTS OF MANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, ARE THEY WORKING, AREN'T THEY WORKING? UM, AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE BE TWEAKED.
SO I'M, I'M REALLY, REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT THAT DATA LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, REALLY OUR, OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS CHANGED A LOT WITHIN THAT, THAT WINDOW OF TIME.
AND SO UNDERSTANDING WHERE THE DATA IS TODAY, I THINK IS, IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MY, ALLOW MY, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO ASK AND ASK A FEW QUESTIONS IN A MINUTE.
SO YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION.
I ALSO HAD A QUESTION RELATED TO THE I-S-U-D-T PROGRAM.
I, I, I RECALL WHEN THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED A FEW YEARS AGO, UM, YOU KNOW, TOOK SOME TIME GETTING OFF THE GROUND, YOU SAID IT IS NOW, UM, AVAILABLE IN EVERY INSTITUTION.
SO HOW DOES I-S-U-D-T RELATE TO, TO WHAT'S GOING ON AFTER RELEASE? AND IF I'LL, I'LL JUST, INMATE SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT PROGRAM.
SO WE GO THROUGH A PRETTY EXTENSIVE PRE-PRO PLANNING PROCESS.
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE, WITH THE INSTITUTIONS.
YOU HAVE A CASE MANAGER, YOU HAVE PAROLE SERVICE ASSOCIATES THAT DO THE EXIT INTERVIEW, AND THEY PRODUCE, UM, SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION THAT PAROLE WOULD NEED, WHAT SERVICES THEY'RE GETTING, WHERE THEY'RE AT AND WHERE THEY'RE, WHERE THEY'RE AT, SPECIFICALLY TO THEIR I-S-U-D-T TREATMENT.
ONCE WE RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION, WE THEN CONNECT THAT INDIVIDUAL BEFORE, BEFORE THEY GET OUT.
THERE'S AL, THERE'S A, A TREATMENT TEAM IN THE PAROLE OFFICES THAT SAY, OKAY, THIS IS THE ETA OF THIS INDIVIDUAL.
THEY'RE ALREADY, THEY HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED.
[00:30:01]
SO WE KNOW WHEN THEY GET OUT, THERE'S A 30 DAY SUPPLY OF MEDS THAT, THAT THEY'LL BE TAKING WITH THEM.SO THAT GIVES US AT LEAST 30 DAYS.
WE DON'T WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE.
WE REALLY, IT'S WITHIN THREE BUSINESS DAYS, THEY'RE SEEN BY MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN, THAT MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN WOULD'VE ALREADY HAD THEIR, THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED FROM THE INSTITUTION.
AND THEN THEY'RE SEEING THE FOLLOWING WEEK, TWO WEEKS FOLLOW UP AT MOST.
WE DON'T WANNA WAIT TILL THE 30TH DAY AND THEN THEY FALL OUT OF TREATMENT.
UM, SO WE TRY TO KEEP IT WITHIN THE FIRST THREE DAYS.
AND, UM, AND THEN THEY'RE GIVEN A, UH, UH, UH, MEDICATION IN WITHIN THE SECOND TO THIRD WEEK SO THAT THEY DON'T RUN OUT.
THAT IS THE SUBOXONE IS I RECALL CORRECTLY, 'CAUSE IT CORRECT.
AND I CAN'T SPEAK TOO MUCH ON WHAT OTHER MEDICATIONS THAT THEY'RE PRESCRIBED.
AND THEY ARE, THEY ARE BEING RELEASED WITH MEDI-CAL.
SO THAT'S, THERE'S JUST THE, THE MEDICATION, THE, THE 30 DAY SUPPLY COULD GO UP TO 60 DAYS DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL.
THAT'S JUST IN CASE THERE'S HICCUPS IN THE PROCESS.
BUT IF MEDI-CAL WAS STILL GOING THROUGH A HICCUP STAGE AND THEY CAN'T GET IT, IT STILL GETS RENEWED ON OUR LEVEL.
THEY JUST DON'T GET DROPPED OFF.
SO, AS MS. REED'S MENTIONED RIGHT THERE, THE, THE MEDICATION, THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, ALL THAT'S JUST PASSED ON, IT'S ALREADY PRE PRE-APPROVED.
IT'S ONE WARM HANDOFF FROM ONE TO THE OTHER.
THANK, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL HOLD MY QUESTIONS FOR THERE AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THAT'S A LOT OF, UH, INFORMATION.
IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE THE LAST FIVE YEARS ON RECIDIVISM.
UM, HOW CLOSELY DOES, UH, DO YOU WORK? DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT WORK WITH LONG BEACH? WITH PD, WITH, I'M INTERESTED IN HOW THAT CORRELATES.
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA HEAR A PRESENTATION ABOUT SOME THINGS FROM OUR CITY PROSECUTOR, TOO.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL SPEAK TO SOME OF THAT.
SO WE DO HAVE ON, ON DIFFERENT LEVELS.
ONE THING WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO DO MORE AND MORE IS EMBED AGENTS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
THAT'S JUST NOT IN LONG BEACH, BUT EVERYWHERE.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME VERY DEDICATED, ALTHOUGH OUR COMPLEX IS SMALL, THAT COVERS THE HARBOR DISTRICT, IT'S SMALL COMPARED TO OTHER PEARL DISTRICTS.
IT'S VERY ACTIVE IN THE SENSE OF WHAT THE AGENTS DO.
I HAVE TWO AGENTS THAT WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH LONG BEACH.
THERE ARE GANG AGENTS ON GPS, OUR SEX OFFENDERS.
THE, THE AGENTS THAT PROVIDE SUPERVISOR OVER THE SEX OFFENDERS ALSO WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM.
UM, AND WE HAVE OTHER AGENTS THAT JUST ON THEIR OWN, GO TO THE STATIONS, BUILD GOOD REPORTS WITH THE DETECTIVES, WITH THE PATROL.
WE DO CONDUCT SWEEPS WITH EACH OTHER.
PAL SWEEPS ARE PROBABLY AT LARGE SWEEPS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE, I'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION GOING ON TWO MONTHS NOW.
BUT THAT IS ONE OF MY MAJOR GOALS IS TO EMBED MORE AGENTS, A MORE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH LONG BEACH PD, SIGNAL HILL, ALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE NEIGHBORING AREA.
WE ALL WANNA BE ABLE TO SHARE INTELLIGENCE.
WE'RE BEING VERY WELL VERSED IN GANG ACTIVITY.
WE GET INVOLVED WITH THE GANG MEETINGS.
WE GET INVOLVED WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
ANYTHING THAT THE PD HAS TO OFFER WITH US, WE LIKE TO BE PART OF, OR BE INVITING THEM AS WELL TO OUR FUNCTIONS.
BUT, UM, WE CAN'T JUST BE ISOLATED.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT LIKE I SAID, THAT THAT PARTNERSHIP, WE HAVE INTELLIGENCE.
IT'S, IT'S A VERY TELLING SYSTEM, BUT I'M A BIG PROPONENT ON THAT, ON THE GANG ACTIVITY AND TRYING TO DECREASE THAT AND SO FORTH WITH THE SEX OFFENDER POPULATION.
SO OUR HIGH RISK SEX OFFENDERS, LOW RISK SEX OFFENDERS, ALL SEX OFFENDERS THAT HAVE TO REGISTER, HAVE TO WEAR A GPS DEVICE.
HIGH RISK GANG OFFENDERS, OR ANYBODY WE BELIEVE IS VERY ACTIVE AT THE MOMENT, WE'RE GONNA PUT THEM ON GPS AS WELL.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE OFFERED OUT TO THE PD.
I THINK, UH, OUR PROCE CITY PROSECUTOR'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THE LEAD PROGRAM.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COULD BE PART OF IT, BUT, UM, OKAY.
IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE COLLABORATING TOGETHER.
IT HAS TO DO WITH, YOU TALK ABOUT THE INCARCERATED SIDE VERSUS THE PAROLE SIDE, AND YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR THOSE WHO ARE INCARCERATED FOR WHEN THEY GET OUT ON PAROLE.
ABOUT HOW MANY, HOW MANY DAYS ARE PEOPLE IN JAIL, IN COUNTY JAIL, OR THEIR, UM, THAT THEY ACTUALLY GET
[00:35:01]
A PROGRAM FOR POST, UH, FOR PAROLE.DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UH, IF THEY'RE IN JAIL FOR 30 DAYS, ARE THEY GETTING A PLAN? DO THEY HAVE TO BE IN JAIL? COUNTY JAIL FOR, YEAH.
IT'S, IT'S USUALLY THE LEVEL OF SUPERVISION.
THERE IS NO SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME WHEN IT COMES TO THE MC RRP PROGRAMS. FCRP, THE MALE RE-ENTRY PROGRAM, OR THE FEMALE RE-ENTRY PROGRAM, WE WANT THEM TO HAVE.
SO IT IS TOWARDS THE END OF THEIR SENTENCE THAT THEY GET TO COME OUT, AND THAT'S UP TO TWO YEARS THAT THEY COULD BE IN THESE PROGRAMS AND BUILD UP FROM THERE.
UM, THE WOMEN GET, I THINK, A LITTLE BIT LONGER PERIOD AS WELL.
THERE'S A LOT MORE GENDER SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT ARE, ARE DONE WITH THEM.
UM, BUT IT'S ALWAYS FLUCTUATING.
IT'S CHANGING AS THE TRENDS ARE, ARE BEING SHOWN THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES.
UM, WE DO GET COURT WALKOVERS DIRECT RELEASES.
THEY DIDN'T DO ANY TIME OTHER THAN THE CONFINEMENT WHILE THEY WENT THROUGH THE COURT PROCEEDINGS.
BUT AS SOON AS THEY GET OUT, WE COME UP WITH A PLAN AND THEN WE, WE TAILOR THOSE CRIMINAL OBJECT NEEDS.
SO EVERY MONTH WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A PACT MEETING.
IT'S A COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, PAROLE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHOEVER WANTS TO SHOW UP.
WE TEND TO HAVE AT LEAST, AT LEAST IN THE, IN THE HARBOR DISTRICT, AT LEAST 30 COMMUNITY PROVIDERS COME IN FROM HOUSING TO MEDICAL TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE, CHILD SUPPORT.
WE HAVE OTHER ENTITIES FROM STATE, UM, DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION, CHILD SUPPORT, DCFS.
THEY ALL SHOW UP AND OFFER THESE SERVICES TO THE FRESHLY RELEASED.
AND OUR FRESHLY RELEASED CAN COME BACK EVERY MONTH.
ANYBODY ON PAROLE CAN COME TO THESE MEETINGS EVERY ONCE HELD ONCE A MONTH, ALSO ONCE A WEEK.
WE HAVE RESOURCE CENTER THAT TAKES PLACE DOWNSTAIRS IN OUR BUILDING.
THEY CAN COME, I THINK IT'S EVERY WEDNESDAY, THEY CAN COME DOWN AND PARTAKE IN WHATEVER SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE ALSO HAVE OUR SUPPORT SYSTEMS, WHICH IS FEMALE EMPOWERMENT, LIFER MEETINGS, AND SO FORTH.
SO CAN YOU, UH, OUTLINE YOUR, YOUR DIVISION? YOU SAID THE HARBOR DIVISION, WHAT IS THAT? TERRITORIALLY? WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT COVER? OKAY.
IT COVERS THIS CORNER OF LONG BEACH, BELLFLOWER COMPTON, CARSON, COUPLE OF BEACH CITIES, GOING A LITTLE BIT MORE WEST.
IT COMES, IT KIND OF BORDERS UP TO ORANGE COUNTY WHERE YOUR OFFICE IS LOCATED.
IT'S COMPTON, RIGHT BY THE COMPTON COURTHOUSE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I, I WAS NOTICING SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DATA NOT BEING UP TO DATE.
THAT'S ACTUALLY, I THINK, DEPENDENT ON THE CATEGORY.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT YOUR WEBSITE FOR THOSE LISTING.
AND, UH, YOU HAVE DATA IN THERE UP TO APRIL, 2024, DEPENDING ON THE CATEGORY.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD RESOURCE FOR PEOPLE TO USE.
UM, SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION TO KAREN REED AS THE FOURTH DISTRICT PRESIDENT, I'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO OUR MONTHLY COMMUNITY MEETING AT THE LOS ALTOS, UH, LIBRARY, THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH.
AND THAT HAPPENS TO BE TONIGHT AT 5:30 PM AND OUR SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER WILL BE CITY PROSECUTOR DOUG ALBERT.
THANK YOU FOR THE INVITE, VICE CHAIR DUGGAN.
I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF, UM, PAROLEES VOLUNTEER FOR THE I-S-U-D-T PROGRAM.
'CAUSE YOU SAID IT'S VOLUNTEER.
AND THEN HOW LONG ON AVERAGE ARE THEY STAYING WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT PROGRAM? I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THE DATA TEAM AND FROM A STATEWIDE LEVEL, UM, AT 30 INSTITUTIONS, UH, JUST TRY TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT FOR YOU.
BUT I WILL JOT IT DOWN THOUGH, 'CAUSE I DO WANNA FOLLOW UP AND GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION IF IT'S AVAILABLE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PRISON SYSTEM IS WITH THE STATE, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
ARE THERE SERVICES LIKE THIS OFFERED IN FROM OUR COUNTY JAIL SYSTEM? YOU DON'T KNOW.
I, I KNOW, BUT IT'S GOOD TO ASK THE QUESTION.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE VERY, VERY, UM, ENLIGHTENING PRESENTATION.
I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO THE PUBLIC.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? PLEASE STEP FORWARD.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES OF PUBLIC COMMENT EACH.
[00:40:02]
WELCOME.UH, MY NAME IS ROBERT CASTILLO.
I'M THE, UH, PROGRAM, UH, MANAGER FOR REENTRY WITH RO CHA.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE REAL QUICKLY ABOUT OUR UNIQUE PROGRAM.
UH, AS, AS YOU MAY KNOW, RO CHA'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE 24 YEARS PLUS.
UM, I SPECIFICALLY HAVE BEEN THERE EIGHT YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UM, ADULT PAROLEES.
UM, SO I HAVE SOME NUMBERS HERE ON OUR, IN, ON OUR, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, SPECIFICALLY WITH ONE OF THE GRANTS THAT I HAVE MY HANDS ON.
AND, UH, JUST FOR THE YEAR, THE NUMBERS THERE FOR THE YEAR 2324, WE'VE SERVED 293, UH, INDIVIDUALS.
UH, WE'VE HELPED THEM WITH, UM, UH, THEY'VE RECEIVED, UH, MENTAL HEALTH STRENGTHENING AND WELLNESS SERVICES FROM US.
UH, OUT OF THAT NUMBER, 90% OF 'EM HAVE RECEIVED, UH, THAT TYPE OF A SERVICE.
UH, 64% OF THAT NUMBER RIGHT THERE HAS REACHED EMPLOYMENT ATTAINMENT.
UH, MANY OF THEM ARE GETTING JOBS HERE IN THE, UH, REFINERIES, ALSO IN TRUCKING WITH CONSTRUCTION, UM, AND THINGS LIKE THAT WITH THE UNIONS.
UM, WE ALSO PROVIDE JOB TRAININGS.
MORE THAN HALF OF 'EM HAVE RECEIVED JOB TRAININGS.
WE HAVE A REAL LOW, WE TRACK ALL OUR DATA AND, UH, WE HAVE A REAL LOW, UH, RECIDIVISM RATE WITH EVERYBODY THAT COMES THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH THE DEFINITION THAT YOU GUYS PROVIDED, UH, WE'VE PROBABLY HAD A FEW PEOPLE VIOLATE GO FOR A FEW WEEKS OR MAYBE A FEW MONTHS AND COME BACK INTO OUR PROGRAM.
BUT AS FAR AS RECIDIVATING COMMITTING NEW CRIME WITHIN THAT FIRST YEAR TO THREE YEARS, WE HAVE A VERY LOW RECIDIVISM RATE.
UH, MOST OF OUR PARTICIPANTS ARE DOING GOOD AS A RESULT OF OUR PROGRAM.
WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF, ABOUT 90% OF WHO I WORK WITH ARE, UH, FORMER LIFERS.
UH, MEANING THAT THEY DID 20 PLUS YEARS IN PRISON.
IN FACT, WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL THAT CAME TO OUR PROGRAM AFTER DOING 31 YEARS, UH, WAS SUCCESSFUL, ACCOMPLISHED EVERYTHING, ALL THE OUTCOMES GOT EMPLOYED.
AND, BUT NOW, UH, MADE A DECISION TO COME AND WORK FOR CENTRAL CH THAT'S THIS YOUNG MAN OVER HERE THAT'S, UH, PRODUCT OF OUR PROGRAM AND IS NOW WORKING FOR SANTO CHA AFTER DOING 32 YEARS IN CDCR.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF MY TEAM RIGHT HERE.
MY DIRECTOR, YOU GUYS KNOW JESSICA QUINTANA, BUT WE HAVE A GRADUATE FROM LONG BEACH UNIVERSITY WHO WORKS ON OUR TEAM.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A REAL NICE TEAM.
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE BACK AT THE OFFICE THAT WORK WITH US WHO ARE DOING A GREAT JOB IN PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE, UH, TO FOR PAROLEES.
AND I'M VERY WELL, VERY FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING HERE.
I'VE WORKED WITH, UH, THE MCRP, TRICIA FROM GEO, UH, CASETA JONES.
THEY ALL KNOW ME, THE PAROLE OFFICERS THERE.
AND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE GO TO THE PAC MEETINGS.
WE'VE INTRODUCED OURSELF TO YOU AT THE PAC MEETINGS.
I USED TO WORK REAL CLOSE WITH DAN
SO YEAH, WE'RE REAL CONNECTED AND WE PROVIDE A GREAT SERVICE FOR, UH, PAROLEES HERE IN LONG BEACH.
AND, UM, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M MISSING ANYTHING, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE DO AT SANTO CHA.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR EXPLAINING AND COME FORWARD PLEASE.
AND IF YOU, UH, DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE LINE UP.
HELLO, MY NAME'S, UH, LIBRADO.
I'M A CASE MANAGER FOR SANTO CHA, AND I'M ALSO PART OF CDCR.
I'M STILL ON PAROLE, ACTIVELY A PAROLEE.
UM, I SERVED 31 YEARS AND, UM, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THEY SHARED ABOUT THE I-S-U-D-T.
IT WAS OFFERED TO ME IN THERE.
AND AS BEING A FORMER DRUG USER, I REFUSED IT.
I DIDN'T WANT TO GO FROM A, FROM A ILLEGAL DRUG TO A, WHAT THEY, WE CONSIDERED IN THEIR ILLEGAL DRUG.
AND NOR DID I WANNA COME OUT INTO SOCIETY WITH, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, BEING DEPENDENT ON, UM, SUBOXONE.
UM, ONE THING THAT I CAN SAY IS THAT, UM, AM AMITY IS THE ONE THAT DID THE PROGRAMS IN CDCR AND FOR THE I-S-U-D-T.
SHE ASKED HOW MANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE OR HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME OUT OR YOU, YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT TRIGGERED SOMETHING, YOU ASKED THEM SOMETHING.
AND, UM, A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF US THAT ARE LIFERS, OR I'LL SPEAK FOR THE LIFER POPULATION THAT DID NOT WANNA GET ONTO THE I-S-U-D-T PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND BECAUSE AT THE, WHEN WE FIRST GOT THE I-S-U-D-T PROGRAM STARTED IN CDCR, WHEN THEY STARTED IT, UM, BPH WAS, UH, IF YOU BROUGHT IT, IT WAS CONFIDENTIALITY.
THERE WAS A CONFIDENTIALITY YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BRING UP.
BUT WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, INDIVIDUALS FELT THAT THE LIFERS FELT THAT IT WAS OKAY TO SAY,
[00:45:01]
I'M IN I-S-U-D-T, I'M ON THE MAT PROGRAM, I'M ON SUBOXONE.AND WE KIND OF GOT NAILED FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE BPH BOARD OF PRISON HEARINGS BECAUSE OF THE DRUG USAGE IN THERE.
AND THEN THERE WAS A BLACK MARKET, THEY WERE SELLING IT IN THERE, WHAT HAVE YOU.
RIGHT? UH, PEOPLE WERE CHEEKING IT, TONGUE IT AND SELLING IT ON THE YARD.
SO IT WAS LIKE HELD AGAINST US, YOU KNOW? SO AS A LIFE, AS LIFERS, WE REFUSED THE PROGRAM.
UH, MOST OF US REFUSE IT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN RECOVERY.
WE'RE DOING ALL KINDS OF PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GET INTO THAT.
UM, BUT COMING OUT HERE AND WORKING FOR
YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GETTING OUT OF IT? YOU KNOW? AND FOR THE MOST PART, A LOT OF THEM SAY THAT IT'S HELPING THEM BECAUSE I'M, I'M AWARE THAT IF YOU TAKE IT, IF YOU TAKE THE I-S-U-D-T AND YOU GO AND USE, TRY TO USE HEROIN, IT'S NOT GONNA AFFECT YOU.
SO THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE SATISFACTION OUT OF THE ILLEGAL DRUG.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M AWARE OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, UM, UH, ONE, ONE THING THAT, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE, THE WAY THINGS ARE TODAY, THE WAY PAROLE DIVISION IS TODAY, THEY'RE MORE HELPFUL TOWARDS US THAN IT WAS 31 YEARS AGO.
IT WAS LOCKED THEM UP, THROW THE KEY AWAY.
TODAY THEY'RE THERE TO ASSIST US, TO HELP US, YOU KNOW, AND I, I'M AMAZED AT THAT.
I'M AMAZED AT JUST THE WAY THE CITY IS TODAY.
YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S SO MANY PROGRAMS, THERE'S RESOURCES LIKE
WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT 31 YEARS AGO.
WE DIDN'T, I, I THINK IT WAS 40 YEARS AGO, WE HAD CA OR 40 SOMETHING YEARS AGO.
WE HAD THE CA PROGRAM, AND THAT WAS TAKEN FROM US.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BUT FOR US TO, TO, TO PREVENT THE RECIDIVISM RATE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT WOULD BE MORE SO HAVING PROGRAMS SET LIKE THAT, OR HAVING THE REENTRY PROGRAMS, LIKE WHAT WE, LIKE, WHAT WE OFFER TO, TO HELP THESE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY HOUSING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE NO, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? THERE'S NO, I DON'T WANNA CUT YOU OFF, BUT I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO CUT YOU OFF AT THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, ALL RIGHT.
YOUR, YOUR, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT.
IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? I SEE OUR CITY PROSECUTOR, MR. HALBERT, IF, IF I COULD SHARE WITH YOU JUST, JUST ONE QUICK STORY, AND THAT IS THAT I, I GOT TO TOUR THE FACILITY, UH, IN LONG BEACH, THE MEN'S, UM, UH, COMMUNITY REENTRY PROGRAM.
AND, UH, SEAN ROCHA GAVE US A TOUR.
UH, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH IT.
IT'S NOT IN A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S IN MORE OF AN INDUSTRIAL, UH, AREA.
AND EVERYONE THERE IS EITHER WORKING A JOB, MEANING AT NIGHT THEY HAVE TO SLEEP IN THE FACILITY.
IT IS LOCKED DOWN FACILITY, IT IS, THEY'RE STILL INCARCERATED.
SO THERE IS NO STATE PRISON IN LONG BEACH.
BUT THESE ARE PRISON INMATES, UH, BEING HOUSED IN A SETTING WHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO, UM, LEARN JOB SKILLS, GO TO GO TO WORK, KEEP A JOB, SO THAT WHEN THEY TRANSITION TO PAROLE, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A JOB, UH, THAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING AT FOR, FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.
I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE PROGRAM THAT OUR OFFICE PARTNERED WITH, UH, YOUR, YOUR UNIT THERE.
I THINK IT'S GEO REENTRY TO PROVIDE AN EXPUNGEMENT WORKSHOP.
SO, IF YOU REMEMBER OUR FRESH START, FRESH START WORKSHOPS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, ONE OF OUR WORKSHOPS WAS ACTUALLY INSIDE THAT FACILITY.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY THE ONLY EXPUNGEMENT WORKSHOP DONE INSIDE A STATE PRISON FACILITY, UH, IN, IN CALIFORNIA.
AND THE OUTCOME OF THAT, AND THIS KIND OF GOES TO YOUR QUESTION, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN, UH, THERE IS A WAY THAT THEY TOLD US THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UH, THE LONG BEACH BAR ASSOCIATION HAS ATTORNEYS THAT DO FAMILY LAW FOR INMATES THAT MAY HAVE SOME FAMILY ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE TO UNTANGLE ONCE THEY GET RELEASED.
IF THEY WANNA SEE THEIR, THEIR CHILDREN, THEY HAVE TAX LAW PROBLEMS. SO A TAX LAWYER MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
SO WE, WE LEARNED FROM THAT, THAT SITUATION.
THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT WE COULD PARTNER.
I'M THE CITY PROSECUTOR, I HANDLE CRIMINAL, UH, CASES, SO WE HELP WITH EXPUNGEMENTS, BUT I KNOW OTHER ATTORNEYS THAT HANDLE OTHER AREAS OF THE LAW THAT MAYBE, UH, THESE PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN THINKING ABOUT OR THEY'VE BEEN PUTTING ON THE BACK BURNER FOR, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND NOW THAT THEY'RE COMING OUT, THEY NEED TO START REUNITING WITH FAMILY, GETTING CAUGHT UP ON WHATEVER OTHER, UH, LEGAL ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE.
SO THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF WAYS WE COULD PARTNER WITH, UH, CDCR IN THE FUTURE, BUT I DO WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT WHILE THE CDCR FOLKS ARE STILL HERE.
UH, THAT FACILITY WAS VERY, VERY WELL RUN.
UH, I HAVE A GREAT CONFIDENCE IN THAT FACILITY, UM, AND I THINK IT'S A, A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, MR. HALBERT, UH, I DO SEE JESSICA QUINTANA.
QUICK QUESTION REGARDING YOUR REPORT.
I DO HAVE A REPORT FROM CENTRAL HAW THAT'S BEEN ENTERED INTO THE RECORD.
UM, THE, UH, IT SAYS ADULT REENTRY PROGRAM 2 93.
IS THAT OF WITHIN THE LAST YEAR OR OVER CUMULATIVE 20.
SO IT'S THE WHOLE YEAR OF 2023 AND THEN UP TO DATE FOR 2024.
[00:50:01]
IS SIGNIFICANT.THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO START WITH.
SO, UM, AS YOU KNOW, SENATOR CHA HAS BEEN INVESTED IN REENTRY DIVERSION, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY FOR OVER 20 PLUS YEARS.
AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE WE EXPERIENCED A HIGH CRIME, HIGH VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES BACK IN THE LATE NINETIES, EARLY 2000.
AND SO THE ORGANIZATION WAS REALLY FOUNDED ON VIOLENCE AND REALLY CREATING PROGRAMS AROUND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, JOB TRAINING, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, REENTRY SERVICES, DIVERSION SERVICES.
YOU WOULD SEE US ON EVERY GIVEN DAY, GOING TO COURT WITH A LOT OF OUR YOUTH HERE IN LONG BEACH TO TRY TO DIVERT THEIR CASES OUT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK PRIOR TO DOUG BEING CITY PROSECUTOR, WHEN WE HAD TOM REEVES AS A CITY PROSECUTOR BACK IN THE DAY, NOTORIOUS TOM HAD A REPUTATION.
UM, BUT AS YOU HEARD, UM, EARLIER, THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
YOU KNOW, FOLKS STARTED UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CAN'T BE PUNITIVE.
WE CAN'T JUST LOCK, YOU KNOW, YOUTH UP.
WE CAN'T LOCK ADULTS UP THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED MORE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO SENATOR CHA, YOU KNOW, UH, LOOKED AT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO REALLY HELP OUR COMMUNITY? SO WE IMPLEMENTED, UH, REENTRY, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, REENTRY INTEGRATION, HELPING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST NOT TO GO TO JAIL.
BUT THEN ALSO WE HAVE, BECAUSE WE DID A LOT OF INCARCERATION BACK IN THE DAY, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE RETURNING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO IMAGINE 31 YEARS, WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS COMING BACK HOME TO THEIR, TO THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, TO THEIR PARENTS AND CHILDREN.
AND SO NOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE THAT COMMUNITY THAT PROVIDES THOSE SERVICES.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SERVICES, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CULTURALLY RELEVANT SERVICES, FOLKS THAT HAVE THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN MOST INCARCERATED FROM LONG BEACH.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, IT IS OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME DATA, I THINK ON THE POWERPOINT THAT SAID, WE HAD 200 AND SOMETHING FOLKS THAT RETURNED TO LONG BEACH WHILE OUR NUMBERS FOR 2023, AND THIS IS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS IS 666.
AND SO IF WE LOOK AT THOSE DEMOGRAPHICS AND WE BREAK THOSE DOWN, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR HIGHEST POPULATIONS ARE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE CULTURAL COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS LIKE
NOT ONLY DO WE PROVIDE THEM WITH JOB TRAINING, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE GROUP COUNSELING, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
WE DO LIFE SKILLS WORKSHOPS, FINANCIAL LITERACY.
UH, WE ALSO DO IMMIGRATION SERVICES.
SO A LOT OF FOLKS NEED LEGAL COUNSELING, NOT ONLY FOR THEM, BUT FOR THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL.
AND THEN WE PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
SO THE MINUTE THEY COME BACK HOME, WE'RE PROVIDING THEM WITH CLOTHING TO COME BACK HOME, UM, SUPPORT FOR IDS.
WE PAY FOR THEIR JOB TRAINING WORKFORCE.
WE PAY FOR THEIR UNIFORMS, AND WE PAY FOR HOUSING.
SO WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, BRING DOWN DOLLARS TO THIS GREAT CITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY REALLY UNDERSTOOD OR INVESTED INTO REENTRY SERVICES.
IT'S JUST THIS PAST YEAR THAT CENTER CHA FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND THANK YOU TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY THAT WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, FUNDING FOR REENTRY SERVICES.
BUT PRIOR TO THAT, OUR FUNDING HAS COME FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, FROM THE COUNTY AND OTHER SOURCES, BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A HIGH NEED FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE, OUR BIGGEST POPULATION, AGAIN, THAT REPRESENTS US, IS OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
AND, UH, I WANT TO THANK CENTRAL CHILD FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING FOR MANY YEARS, AND I KNOW WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO IN THIS SPACE.
I'LL, UM, JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE DATA IS, THE DISPARITIES ARE, ARE, ARE REAL.
AND PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO PUT YOUR HEADS TOGETHER TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
UM, I'M ALSO CURIOUS TO KNOW ABOUT THE, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING COMING INTO LONG BEACH FROM CDCR.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT OFF OF YOUR TOP OF YOUR HEAD.
UM, FOR, FOR RE FOR REENTRY PROGRAMS BEYOND THE CDCR COMMUNITY MODEL, THAT'S, I KNOW IN NORTH LONG BEACH, I'VE BEEN TO THAT FACILITY AND SPOKEN TO FOLKS THERE ON AT LEAST A HALF HANDFUL OF OCCASIONS OVER THE YEARS.
UH, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND KIND OF RESOURCES ARE COMING, UM, FROM CDCR, FROM THE STATE INTO OUR CITY.
UM, AND, AND, UM, I, I, I'M PERSONALLY INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING HOW WE SCALE, SCALE IT UP, PARTICULARLY IN, IN PROGRAMS AND MODELS THAT ARE WORKING, UM, AND EXPANDING THAT.
UM, UH, AGAIN, WE, WE UNDERSTAND OUR BLACK AND BROWN POPULATIONS ARE, ARE MOSTLY IMPACTED
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HERE.UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO, TO, TO ALL GROUPS THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING RELEASED, UM, IN, IN AN EQUITABLE MANNER.
I WOULD ALSO, UM, JUST, JUST THINK, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, THE, THE, THE REAL, UM, INSIGHT RELATED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I-S-U-D-T AND SOME OF THE TREATMENT.
AND I'VE HEARD THESE CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITHIN CDCR, UM, AMONGST INMATE POPULATION AS WELL AS, UM, PROVIDERS, UM, MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ADDICTION, UM, WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE SUBOXONE USE.
THAT'S, THAT'S BEYOND OUR, OUR GRADE.
BUT I DO NOT THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO, IF WE'RE GONNA BE SERIOUS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC SAFETY HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH, WE HAVE TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THESE REENTRY PROGRAMS AND, AND COMMITTING OURSELVES TO, TO, TO, TO MAKING THEM AVAILABLE.
SO, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, ONTO THE NEXT ITEM, WHAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE TO RECEIVE AND FILE THIS, PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTES.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR INDULGING US.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
NEXT ITEM, ITEM THREE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION BY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
[3. 24-53488 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation by the Health and Human Services Department and City Prosecutor’s Office regarding the Reentry Advisory Committee, Homeless Court, and Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Program. Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ]
REGARDING THE REENTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, HOMELESS COURT, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTED DIVERSION PROGRAM.AND I KNOW WE HAVE A, A GOOD NUMBER OF OUR STAFF, UH, LOCAL CITY STAFF TO, UH, PRESENT ON THIS ITEM RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE DIVERSION PROGRAMS, OUR HOMELESS COURT, UM, THROUGH OUR CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, AND OUR LONG BEACH REENTRY SERVICES.
I AM GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO OUR CITY.
WE GET A, CAN WE GET A SECOND CHAIR? WE HAVE A FIRST.
CAN WE GET A SECOND RECEIVED? THANK YOU.
SO MY SCREEN IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY, SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, THANK YOU FOR INVITING US TO SHARE ABOUT SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW ME, MY NAME IS DOUG HALBERT.
I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS THE LONG BEACH CITY PROSECUTOR.
I'M GONNA BE PRESENTING, UH, TODAY ALONG WITH SOME OTHER FOLKS ON THREE DIFFERENT TOPICS.
UH, THE FIRST TOPIC WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT AS LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTED DIVERSION, ALSO KNOWN AS THE LEAD PROGRAM.
THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, THE HOMELESS, UH, COURT PROGRAM HERE IN LONG BEACH.
AND, UH, THIRDLY, WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS THE LONG BEACH REENTRY SERVICES.
UH, WITH ME TO MY LEFT IS, UH, GIGI ZANG.
UH, THE SOCIAL WORKER IN MY OFFICE.
SHE'S AN EXPERIENCED MSW WHO HAS RUN HOMELESS SHELTERS IN THE PAST, UH, AND, AND IS A GREAT ASSET AND WILL EXPLAIN WHY.
UH, BUT ALSO I HAVE WITH ME, UH, TYLER, UH, AT TOIN, WHO IS THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER COORDINATOR.
AND LEXUS YAMAS, WHO IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT REENTRY, UH, COORDINATOR.
ARE YOU PRESENTING THERESA? YEAH, THERE SHE IS.
AND THERESA GOMEZ, EXCUSE ME,
UH, WHAT, WHAT IS LEAD? LEAD IS THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTED DIVERSION PROGRAM.
IT WAS NOT INVENTED HERE IN LONG BEACH.
NOT EVEN SURE WHERE IT WAS INVENTED.
UH, BUT IT HAS BEEN, UH, DIFFERENT LEAD PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED AND INITIATED IN DIFFERENT CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN THIS PICTURE, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS SOMEONE FROM SEATTLE AND SOMEONE FROM ALBANY, A FORMER POLICE CHIEF FROM ALBANY.
THEY HAVE LEAD MODELS IN, IN THEIR STATES.
UH, EVERY LEAD PROGRAM IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THEY SHARE SOME COMMON, UH, ATTRIBUTES.
UH, THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS THAT LEAD IS A PRE-BOOKING DIVERSION PROGRAM.
UH, IT FOCUSES ON, UH, DRUG SERVICES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, BUT IT ALSO HAS, IT INCLUDES INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT, UH, INCLUDES, UH, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
AND OF COURSE, IN, IN CALIFORNIA, YOU CAN'T DO ANY OF THIS WITHOUT ALSO INCLUDING HOUSING SERVICES OR SHELTER SERVICES.
ESSENTIALLY, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS INITIATE DIVERSION, UH, IN A PROGRAM THAT PARTNERS WITH PROSECUTORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.
AT THE CORE OF THE PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM IS A, UH, AN EVENT THAT HAPPENS HERE IN LONG BEACH.
THAT IS AN OPERATIONAL WORK GROUP MEETING WHERE THE POLICE SHOW UP, THE CASE
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MANAGERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS SHOW UP.UH, THE MEETING IS COORDINATED BY OUR OFFICE, BY MY, UH, MY, BY MY MSW, WHO COORDINATES THE PROGRAM.
THAT OPERATIONAL WORK GROUP REALLY PROVIDES ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR JOB.
AND IF ANYBODY NEEDS SERVICES THAT'S NOT GETTING THEIR SERVICES, WE CAN ACTUALLY, UM, TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING GETS DROPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS.
SO THE, THE LEAD PROGRAM, UH, IS GOING ON HERE IN LONG BEACH, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY WITH IT, UH, WITH YOU.
FIRST IN, IN 2017, UH, THROUGH 2020, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE LEAD PILOTED IN TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN THE STATE TO SEE IF IT WOULD WORK HERE.
JUST BECAUSE IT WORKS IN SEATTLE OR NEW MEXICO OR NEW YORK, DOESN'T MEAN IT WOULD WORK IN CALIFORNIA.
SO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THROUGH THE BSCC FUNDED TWO PILOT PROGRAMS. LONG BEACH, UH, WAS SELECTED FOR THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SITE.
UH, SO THE FIRST PROGRAM ACTUALLY, UH, STARTED HERE, UH, IN LONG BEACH.
AND AROUND THE SAME TIME THE SAN FRANCISCO PILOT PROJECT WAS STARTED UP NORTH.
UH, OUR PILOT PROJECT WAS LIMITED TO A SMALL, UH, DISCRETE AREA.
SO OUR PILOT PROGRAM WAS LIMITED TO REALLY THE LONG BEACH BOULEVARD CORRIDOR FROM MARKET STREET IN NORTH LONG BEACH, GOING NORTHWARD ALL THE WAY TO ABOUT THE 1 0 5 FREEWAY.
SO THAT AREA, THAT AREA INCLUDED THREE DIFFERENT CITIES, UH, COMPTON, LINWOOD, AND LONG BEACH.
IT INCLUDED TWO DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, THE LA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WHICH PATROLS, LINWOOD AND COMPTON, AND THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH OF COURSE, UH, HAS JURISDICTION IN IN LONG BEACH.
UH, AND THE COUNTY WAS, UH, CENTRAL TO THIS.
THEY ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR THE GRANT, AND THEY WERE THE OPERATORS OF THE GRANT.
UH, THEY ALSO PARTNERED WITH HOPX, AND THE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE MONEY WENT TO HOPX, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT THAT PROVIDES, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT, INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT, UH, HOUSING SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES.
WE, WE WERE LIMITED TO 300 PEOPLE.
THERE WAS, UH, PROBABLY ENOUGH MONEY TO SERVICE MORE PEOPLE, BUT THEY WANTED TO LIMIT IT TO 300 PEOPLE.
150 WERE FROM LONG BEACH, 150 WERE FOR LINWOOD AND COMPTON, UH, COMBINED, UM, THAT PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDED, UH, AN EVALUATION.
UH, A GROUP OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSORS WERE SELECTED TO EVALUATE BOTH OUR PROGRAM AND THE PROGRAM IN SAN FRANCISCO AND COME UP WITH, UH, SOME CONCLUSIONS OR, UM, SOME RESULTS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF THE PILOT WAS SUCCESSFUL OR NOT.
UH, THEY, THEY FOUND, UH, THAT BOTH PROGRAMS WERE, WERE A SUCCESS.
AND I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE, THE KEY POINTS ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF OUR PILOT PROGRAM.
THEY, THEY DID ANOTHER AREA, UM, IN NORTH LONG BEACH AND COMPARED IT TO THIS AREA, THE CATCHMENT AREA.
AND THEY FOUND THAT INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE IN OUR LEAD PROGRAM, WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR LEAD PROGRAM, HAD FEWER MISDEMEANOR ARRESTS.
THEY HAD FEWER FELONY ARRESTS, AND THEY ALSO HAD LESS TIME ON PROBATION.
SO A PERSON WHO, WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN REARRESTED AND PUT ON PROBATION WOULD HAVE A SHORTER PERIOD OF PROBATION.
THEY ALSO FOUND A LOWER RECIDIVISM RATE FOR THOSE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE LEAD PROGRAM, AND THEY FOUND A SAVINGS.
UH, THEY CALCULATED $3,974 CRIMINAL JUSTICE SAVINGS BY HAVING THESE PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN A LEAD PROGRAM AS OPPOSED TO THE TRADITIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE, UH, PROGRAM.
UH, 71% OF THE PARTICIPANTS ALSO REPORTED A DECREASE IN SUBSTANCE USE.
LEAD IS NOT A PROGRAM THAT REQUIRES COMPLETE ABSTINENCE.
UH, YOU'LL NOT GET KICKED OUT OF LEAD IF THEY CATCH YOU WITH DRUGS.
IT IS CONSIDERED A HARM REDUCTION MODEL, BUT THE GOAL, OF COURSE, IS TO GET PEOPLE OFF OF DRUGS AND IS TO GET THEM STABILIZED IN HOUSING AND INTO WHATEVER SERVICES THEY NEED.
BUT THAT WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT.
ALL THE LEAD PROGRAMS, UH, OPERATE OFF OF THAT SAME THEORY, UH, THAT WE ARE NOT HERE TO, UM, TO HOLD THEM STRICTLY, UM, COMPLIANT WITH ALL TERMS THAT MIGHT BE TERMS FOR CDCR OR OTHER PROGRAMS. UM, IT WAS A SUCCESS.
AND SO WE APPLIED FOR UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE GRANT FUNDING, UH, FOR WHAT WE'RE CALLING LEAD 2.0.
UH, THERE WAS A SHORT LAPSE WHEN THE FIRST PILOT PROGRAM ENDED, AND WHEN WE SECURED OUR GRANT FUNDING FOR THE NEW PILOT.
SO IN, IN 2022, WE, WE LAUNCHED THIS PILOT.
AND, UH, HERE ARE SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES.
OF COURSE, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, UH, OF OUR GUIDES APP.
SO AT THE SAME TIME, WE WERE PILOTING THE LEAD PROGRAM THROUGH THE STATE FUNDING.
WE DEVELOPED, UH, THROUGH A DIFFERENT GRANT PROGRAM, A IPHONE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT COULD USE TO MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM TO REFER SOMEONE INTO THE LEAD PROGRAM.
SO A GUIDES REFERRAL STARTS WITH A POLICE OFFICER AND ENDS UP WITH A SOCIAL WORKER WHO'S EITHER DISPATCHED
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TO A LOCATION TO TRY TO HELP GET SOMEONE INTO SERVICES, UM, OR WE DISCUSS THE PERSON AT THE OPERATIONAL WORK GROUP MEETINGS AND TRIED TO GET THEM INTO, UM, INTO SERVICES.THIS, THIS NEW GRANT WAS NOT LIMITED TO ONE AREA, AND IT'S NOT, NOT LIMITED TO HOW MANY PEOPLE WE CAN SERVE THERE, THERE'S NO NUMBER ON THAT.
WE STILL MEET, UH, TWICE WEEKLY, UH, AT OUR OFFICE IN ORDER TO FACILITATE, UM, UH, WHAT WE'RE CALLING LEAD, UH, 2.0.
SO THE MAIN DIFFERENCES, UM, AND, AND SOME OF THE MAIN TAKEAWAYS, I THINK WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE FIRST PILOT PROGRAM.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED IS THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN A WAY TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO SERVICES.
UH, THERE, THERE ARE OFFICERS, UH, IN THIS PHOTO THAT WE GAVE AWARDS TO WHO HAD THE MOST REFERRALS INTO THE LEAD PROGRAM.
ALL OF THE LEAD REFERRALS NOW GO THROUGH ONE LOCATION.
IT GOES THROUGH MY OFFICE, MY SOCIAL WORKER, UM, WHO OBVIOUSLY HAS THE ABILITY TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS HERE WITH THE CITY.
THE LEAD 1.0, THE, THE PILOT PROGRAM DID NOT REALLY INVOLVE THE CITY'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
IT WAS ALL THROUGH THE COUNTY OFFICE OF DIVERSION AND REENTRY.
SO NOW, OF COURSE, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
ALMA FAMILY SERVICES IS ONE OF OUR PARTNERS.
THEY ARE CONTRACTED THROUGH THE COUNTY LA CENTERS FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE.
UH, THEY'RE A PARTNER, LA KATA.
UH, THEY'RE A GREAT SUBSTANCE ABUSE, UM, UH, PROVIDER, UM, OF SERVICES.
MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA IS ONE OF OUR PARTNERS.
SALVATION ARMY TARZANA TREATMENT CENTERS.
UH, AND HOPX IS NO LONGER, UH, INVOLVED.
UH, REALLY, ALMA HAS REPLACED, UM, REPLACED THEM.
ALSO, OF COURSE, WE'RE USING, UH, THE GUIDES APP IN A WAY THAT IT HAD NEVER BEEN USED BEFORE.
UM, THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES.
ALTHOUGH THERE ARE OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE A LEAD PROGRAM.
THERE IS NO CITY, UH, THAT HAS THE LEAD PROGRAM WITH TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE WITH THE GUIDES APP.
IT ALSO SETS US APART IN THAT WE'RE CITYWIDE.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER LEAD PROGRAM THAT COVERS AS MUCH TERRITORY AS OURS DOES NOW, SINCE IT'S REALLY ANYWHERE IN THE CITY, YOU COULD REFER SOMEONE TO SERVICES.
UM, SO THAT'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER BIG DIFFERENCE.
I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF NOW TO TWO OTHERS TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOMELESS COURT.
BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, UM, I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE MENTIONED.
UH, HOMELESS COURT WAS NOT STARTED HERE IN LONG BEACH.
UH, UH, THE FIRST HOMELESS COURT THAT WE, WE MODELED OUR PROGRAM AFTER WAS IN REDONDO BEACH.
AND JANICE HAN, WHO'S THE SUPERVISOR IN REDONDO BEACH, CONTACTED US AND SAID, HEY, YOU SHOULD SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UH, YOU SHOULD DO WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN REDONDO.
AND SHE ACTUALLY FUNDED OUR FIRST PROGRAM AND IS STILL FUNDING IT, UH, AT THE MOMENT, ALTHOUGH THAT FUNDING ENDS THIS YEAR.
SO, UH, GIGI, WHY DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HOMELESS COURT, UM, WITH TYLER, PLEASE.
AGAIN, I'M THE SOCIAL WORKER WITH THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE AND ALSO OUR HOMELESS COURT COORDINATOR.
UM, SO AS DOUG MENTIONED, SUPERVISOR HAN'S OFFICE HAD APPROACHED US IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BACK IN 2021, UM, TO START A, A SIMILAR PROGRAM HERE AS, AS TO THE ONE IN REDONDO BEACH.
AND, AND I AM EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT OUR PROGRAM TODAY.
ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I WAS PART OF A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOMELESS COURT CONVENING WHERE WE MET WITH 10 OTHER HOMELESS COURTS.
AND, UM, EVERYONE WAS REALLY EXCITED WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT LONG BEACH BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, SOME OF THE MOST INTENSIVE WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS.
AND, UM, IT IS VERY UNIQUE THAT WE'RE A PROSECUTOR LED PROGRAM.
AND SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT DOUG HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY INNOVATIVE WITH OUR DIVERSION EFFORTS, UM, AT THE LONG BEACH HOMELESS COURT.
SO WE HAVE THIS EVENT ONCE A MONTH.
IT'S A PARTNERSHIP, UM, WITH THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
IT IS A, UM, ESSENTIALLY A REMOTE COURTROOM.
SO CASES THAT WOULD GENERALLY BE HANDLED AT THE COURTHOUSE, UM, THAT ARE, UH, NONVIOLENT MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN LONG BEACH.
WE, UM, TAKE THEM OUT OF THE COURTHOUSE AND HANDLE THEM AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
UM, MOST PARTIES ARE THERE IN PERSON.
WE HAVE OUR PROSECUTOR ON SITE, OUR TEAM, UH, PUBLIC DEFENDERS THERE ON SITE, THE PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR CASE MANAGERS.
UM, HOWEVER, OUR JUDGE, UH, JUDGE LORI BEHAR, SHE DOES APPEAR REMOTELY VIA WEBEX, UM, FOR THE, THE COURTROOM.
UM, IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE HAD NEARLY 400 PARTICIPANTS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THE LONG BEACH HOMELESS COURT.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE MISDEMEANOR COURTROOM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OTHER PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ON SITE THAT OFFER SOME REALLY GREAT SERVICES.
UM, THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE HAS A MOBILE EXPUNGEMENT TEAM, UM, THAT GOES OUT INTO THE FIELD WITH THE PURPOSE OF HELPING PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND CLEARING THEIR RECORDS.
UM, SO THEY COME TO OUR HOMELESS COURT AND, UM, FOLKS MEET WITH THEM.
THEY MEET WITH AN ATTORNEY TO KIND OF REVIEW ANY ELIGIBLE OFFENSES THAT THEY, PRIOR CONVICTIONS THAT THEY CAN CLEAR FROM THEIR RECORD, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY VALUABLE.
UM, THE, THE GOAL OF HOMELESS COURT IS REALLY TO REMOVE ANY LEGAL BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, ANY, ANYTHING THAT REALLY WILL HELP SOMEONE GET BACK ON THEIR FEET AFTER, UM, BEING FORMERLY INCARCERATED.
UM, SO THE EXPUNGEMENT SERVICE, UM, OFFERED ON SITE IS, IS VERY VALUABLE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A TEAM THAT COMES FROM THE, UH, LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THEY ARE KNOWN AS THE HOMELESS ENGAGEMENT RESPONSE TEAM, OR HART FOR SHORT.
UM, THEY HELP, UM, INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT
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LA COUNTY, UM, CLEAR UP ANY TRAFFIC TICKETS, MAYBE FINDS FEES, UM, THINGS THAT OFTENTIMES, UM, KIND OF PREVENT PEOPLE FROM BEING ABLE TO RENEW THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE OR, UM, BE ABLE TO RENEW THEIR REGISTRATION WITH THE DMV, WHICH IS ANOTHER BARRIER, UM, TO EMPLOYMENT.UM, AND THE LAST SERVICE, UM, RELATED TO TO COURT THAT WE ADDED A YEAR AGO WAS OUR PARKING CITATION FORGIVENESS PROGRAM.
SO, UM, OUR OFFICE, ALONG WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, WE, UH, LAUNCHED THAT A YEAR AGO, AND IT'S BEEN VERY POPULAR.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHO SLEEP IN THEIR VEHICLES.
OFTENTIMES, THEY'RE NOT ABLE, UM, TO MOVE THEIR VEHICLES, WHETHER THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE GAS OR THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T FIND A, UM, A PLACE TO PARK OVERNIGHT WHERE THERE'S NOT STREET SWEEPING EVERY WEEK.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES THEY ARE GETTING CITED, UM, MULTIPLE TIMES.
AND WITH THE LATE FEES AND ALL OF THAT, THAT CAN ALSO IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO GET A LICENSE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, TO GO TO THE DMV AND, UM, RENEW THEIR REGISTRATION.
SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE, UM, ADDED ON LAST YEAR.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED WITH THE, THE MISDEMEANORS, WE DO FOCUS ON THE NONVIOLENT LOW LEVEL OFFENSES, MOSTLY QUALITY OF LIFE RELATED OFFENSES.
UH, THE GOAL IS TO GET SOMEONE CONNECTED TO A CASE MANAGER, AND THEN AFTER THEY'VE SUCCESSFULLY BEEN IN SERVICES FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THOSE CASES ARE THEN ELIGIBLE TO BE DISMISSED.
IF WE DO COME ACROSS SOMEONE, UM, WHOSE CASE IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR HOMELESS COURT, UM, IT DOES NEED TO BE HANDLED AT THE REGULAR COURTHOUSE.
WE ADDED A, UH, HOMELESS COURT SPECIALIST AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER WHO ACTUALLY GOES TO THE COURTHOUSE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND CONDUCTS OUTREACH THERE IN THE ARRAIGNMENT COURTROOM SO THAT IF SOMEBODY NEEDS SERVICES, BUT MAYBE THEIR CASE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE SERIOUS, SHE CAN AT LEAST MEET WITH THEM AND, UM, DO AN INTAKE AND TRY TO CONNECT THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE SERVICES.
UM, AND THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF OUR STATS.
UM, WE'VE DISMISSED OVER, UH, 260 MISDEMEANORS, 280 INFRACTIONS, UM, AND A LITTLE OVER 900 PARKING TICKETS THAT HAVE BEEN CLEARED IN THE LAST YEAR.
SO I THINK, UM, THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICES IS NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I WILL PASS IT OVER TO TYLER, WHO'S GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT ARE ON SITE AND, AND WHAT THEY DO AT HOMELESS COURT.
IT'S A PLEASURE BEING HERE TODAY.
AS STATED BEFORE, MY NAME IS TYLER TONIN.
UH, I AM THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER COORDINATOR WITH THE HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HOMELESS SERVICES BUREAU IS VERY THANKFUL FOR OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, UH, THROUGH HOMELESS COURT AND THROUGH THE LEAD PROGRAM FOR THOSE THAT ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
AND TO SUMMARIZE, UH, WE ARE THE CITY'S ACCESS AND RESOURCE CENTER FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
UH, THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
SO THAT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, WHICH, UH, SORT OF A BLANKET STATEMENT TO ASSIST WITH A WIDE RANGE OF THINGS.
MOSTLY HOUSING NAVIGATION, SHELTER NAVIGATION, AND PROGRAM NAVIGATION.
WE HAVE, UH, BASIC NEEDS SUPPORT.
WE PROVIDE CLOTHING, WE PROVIDE FOOD HYGIENE SUPPLIES.
UH, WE HAVE ONSITE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATORS AND THERAPISTS THAT PROVIDE COUNSELING SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED.
WE ALSO HAVE A, A MEDICAL CLINIC ONSITE AS WELL TO SORT OF IN ANY MEDICAL NEEDS THAT MAY, UH, WELLNESS PLANNING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE SORT OF A, A, A LIST OF OTHER PARTNER AGENCIES THAT WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THAT CAN HELP OUT WITH EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, CELL PHONES, MEDI-CAL, UH, AND ALSO WE ASSIST OUR VISITORS AND PARTICIPANTS IN ENROLLING IN HOMELESS COURT.
WE DO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL ONSITE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT FOCUS SOLELY ON THOSE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP AND ARE ENROLLED IN HOMELESS COURT.
SOME OF THOSE WERE MENTIONED, WHICH WAS A FULL-TIME CASE MANAGER THAT NOT ONLY DOES THE COURT OUTREACH, BUT ALSO WORKS ONE-ON-ONE WITH THOSE ENROLLED WITH, UH, IN HOMELESS COURT TO PROVIDE HOUSING NAVIGATION.
REALLY, IT'S AN ASSESSMENT OF THEIR NEEDS.
WE SAY HOUSING, BUT IT COULD BE ANYTHING REALLY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY ENROLL IN HOMELESS COURT TO WHEN THEY'RE SITTING IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE, THEY HAVE SORT OF AN ACTION PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
WE HAVE A PROBATION OFFICER THAT WORKS, UH, AT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, PLAIN CLOTHED PROBATION OFFICER TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS IN CHECKING, IN, ANSWERING QUESTIONS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH PACIFIC GATEWAY, WHO IS ONSITE DURING HOMELESS COURT THAT ASSISTS WITH EMPLOYMENT SEARCH OR EMPLOYMENT, UH, READINESS.
AND IN SEARCH, WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH LATA OR LOS ANGELES CENTER FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE, UH, WHICH SUPPORTS WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE SUPPORT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A REENTRY COORDINATOR ON STAFF.
OUR REENTRY COORDINATOR, UM, HAS CREATED A SYSTEM TO WHERE WE'RE SCREENING EVERY, ALL OF OUR INTAKES THAT COME IN THROUGH THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
ONE OF OUR QUESTIONNAIRES NOW ON THE MSC INTAKE, UH, IS ASKED ABOUT FORMERLY, FORMERLY INCARCERATED.
UH, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE OUR, UH, RE-ENTRY COORDINATOR JUMP IN AND SORT OF DO ASSESSMENTS AND LINK.
SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE NOW AT THE
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MSC SORT OF A FOCUS QUESTION ON OUR QUESTIONNAIRE.UM, THE RE-ENTRY COORDINATOR PROVIDES ONGOING SUPPORT AND THERAPY SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN FORMERLY INCARCERATED, UH, AND ALSO STARTED DOING THESE WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP CLASSES THAT FOCUS ON PROCESSING, UM, EXPERIENCES AND SORT OF WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THE COMMON CHALLENGES.
SO A GROUP OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER, UM, SORT OF JUST TOUCHING LIGHTLY ON THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
SO IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, THEY CAN VISIT THE WEBSITE, LONG BEACH.GOV/HOMELESSNESS.
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN CONNECTING OR LEARNING MORE AS WELL, WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER, UH, WHICH IS (562) 570-4500.
YOU CAN CALL AND SPEAK TO A CASE MANAGER OVER THE PHONE AS WELL.
JUST ASK GENERAL QUESTIONS, UH, BUT THEY'RE VERY HELPFUL.
SO, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER AND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
I'M GONNA PASS IT OFF NOW TO THERESA AND LEXI TO SPEAK MORE ON THE REENTRY COUNCIL.
IF, IF, IF I COULD ADD ONE LAST THING AT THE END OF THE HOMELESS COURT PRESENTATION LAST WEEK, UH, IT WAS ANNOUNCED, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD'S, USA SELECTED OUR HOMELESS COURT PROGRAM AS ONE OF THE BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS, UH, IN AMERICA.
WE GOT THAT NEWS LAST WEEK, SO WANTED TO ADD THAT NOW.
AND, SORRY, IF I COULD ALSO JUST ADD ONE THING.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, THANK THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BECAUSE SINCE WE'VE LAUNCHED OUR PROGRAM, UM, ALL OF OUR REFERRALS THAT WE HAVE A, A WEBSITE, UH, IT'S, UH, THE CITY PROSECUTOR'S WEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE CAN EITHER SELF, UM, REFER THEMSELVES TO HOMELESS COURT OR SOMEONE CAN HELP THEM SIGN UP.
OVER 80% OF OUR REFERRALS DO COME FROM THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, WHETHER IT'S THEIR CASE MANAGERS ON SITE, OR THEIR OUTREACH WORKERS.
UM, WE ALSO GET A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF REFERRALS, UM, FROM THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, ESPECIALLY FROM THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE TEAM.
SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT ONGOING PARTNERSHIP AND, AND CONSTANTLY REFERRING PEOPLE TO US, UM, THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN NEED OF HELP.
UM, AND VICE VERSA, IF WE SEE AN INDIVIDUAL WHO'S, UM, CONSTANTLY PICKING UP NEW CASES AND, YOU KNOW, PER THE POLICE REPORTS THAT WE RECEIVE, THEY'RE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
WE ALSO, UH, WILL TRY TO REACH OUT TO HEALTH TO CONNECT WITH THEM, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS, UM, VERY QUICK IN THEIR RESPONSE.
AND, UM, THEIR OUTREACH DISPATCHER, UM, USUALLY SENDS SOMEONE OUT WITHIN A DAY OR TWO TO HELP THAT PERSON.
I'M WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND I'LL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS DOING AS IT PERTAINS TO REENTRY.
WE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY IMPACT BUREAU.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, IN 2020, THE LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL, UNANIMOUS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED THE FRAMEWORK FOR RECONCILIATION.
AMONG THE FRAMEWORKS, MOST, MANY COMPONENTS IS A FOCUS ON DEVELOPING A NETWORK TO SUPPORT FORMERLY JUSTICE INVOLVED RESIDENTS.
OUR FIRST STEP WAS TO CREATE A REENTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MADE UP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, CBOS AND EDUCATIONAL OR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS, AND THE FAITH-BASED, FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY.
THE INITIAL REENTRY COMMITTEE CREATED THEIR OWN MISSION STATEMENT.
THE MISSION STATEMENT BEING THE LONG BEACH REENTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE'S MISSION IS TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN SOLUTIONS FOR RECIDIVISM REDUCTION, ROOTED IN ADVOCACY AND COLLABORATION, TO CREATE A SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MORE THAN ANYTHING, IS TO ADVISE CITY STAFF AND OFFICIALS ON THE NEED OF OUR REENTRY POPULATION, PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, AND HELP STRENGTHEN THE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR RESIDENTS DURING THE RETURN TO COMMUNITIES AFTER INCARCERATION.
IN THE FRAMEWORK FOR RECONCILI RECONCILIATION GOAL TWO, WHICH STATES DESIGN AND INVEST IN COMMUNITY SAFETY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION, WE ARE PART OF STRATEGY THREE.
STRATEGY STRATEGY THREE IS TO INCREASE COORDINATED REENTRY NETWORKS TO SUPPORT FORMERLY JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM.
THE LONG BEACH REENTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS COMPRISED OF DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS, AGAIN, REPRESENTING THE FORMERLY INCARCERATED LEADERS, REENTRY SERVICE PROVIDERS, INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING, FAITH-BASED LEADERS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES SUCH AS PROBATION.
SOME OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS ARE WITH THESE REENTRY COUNCIL ARE, LIKE WE SAID BEFORE, UH, THE CBOS SUCH AS LATA, JUMP COVER, 10 TOES INN AND URBAN SOCIAL SERVICES.
YEAR ONE, WE HOSTED THE FIRST ANNUAL CITY OF LONG BEACH REENTRY SYMPOSIUM.
THE SYMPOSIUM HAD OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE, INCLUDING POLICYMAKERS, GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES,
[01:20:01]
SYSTEM IMPACTED INDIVIDUALS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.THIS SPECIFIC SYMPOSIUM WAS, WAS TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAKE DECISIONS ON POLICY WERE IN THE ROOM TO LISTEN TO THE STORIES, TO LISTEN TO THE STRUGGLES AND CHALLENGES OF THE REENTRY COMMUNITY.
IN 2003, WE HOSTED ANOTHER THREE MANY SYMPOSIUMS. THESE WERE LED BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD PLAY, IS IT LIVE? CAN WE PLAY THE VIDEO? IS IT OUR CLERK IS FACILITATING THAT.
I JUST WANNA ADD THAT THE VIDEO WAS CREATED BY ONE OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT FOCUSES ON YOUTH DIVERSION AND REENTRY.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE SOME TECHNICAL DI DIFFICULTIES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PROCEED WITHOUT THE, THE VIDEO.
UNFORTUNATELY, UM, IT WAS A THREE DAY EVENT THAT FOCUSED ON EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND PEER SUPPORT.
THREE DIFFERENT DAYS, AND THEY WERE ALL LED BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND THIS YEAR WE HOPE TO HAVE THREE COMMUNITY FORUMS, QUARTERLY COMMUNITY FORUMS. NOT SO MUCH AS LARGE AS THE SYMPOSIUMS, BUT WE CONTINUE TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY IN THE DIALOGUE.
ONE OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2024 WAS THE HIRING OF A REENTRY COORDINATOR, LEXI LAMA.
SO I'LL LET HER TAKE IT FROM HERE.
MY NAME IS ALEXIS YAMAS, AND I CAME ON BOARD IN JANUARY, 2024.
I AM A CERTIFIED DRUG AND ALCOHOL COUNSELOR.
UH, PREVIOUS TO THIS I WORKED WITH THE, THE GRID FOUNDATION.
WE PARTNER WITH LOS ANGELES GANG REDUCTION YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO I HAVE A LOT OF ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION SIDE.
AND NOW I GET THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE.
A BIG PART OF MY JOB HAS BEEN TO WORK ON DOING AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE SERVICES THAT ARE HERE IN LONG BEACH.
AND I HAVE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY MEETING WITH OUR LONG BEACH PARTNERS.
CENTRAL CHI IS ONE OF OUR, UH, BIG PARTNERS HERE.
UM, LATA, LIKE WE MENTIONED, WE, WE GOT FUNDING FOR THE LONG BEACH REENTRY, THE RECOVERY ACT GRANT, WHICH WAS, WAS ADMINISTERED TO CENTRAL CHA AND LATA, WHICH I OVERSEE THAT PART OF THE GRANT.
UM, IT FOCUSES ON MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE, TREATMENT, EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, AND CASE MANAGEMENT.
I ALSO OVERSEE THE REENTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE ARE WORKING TO REALLY BUILD A COMMITTEE OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCE REENTRY COMMUNITY, THE CBOS, THE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, THE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, YOU KNOW, THE CITY PROSECUTOR, ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES THAT ARE DOING REENTRY WORK HERE IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
I'M COMPILING A, UM, COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE, UH, LIST OF EVERYONE THAT IS DOING THIS WORK.
SO WHEN OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME BACK INTO OUR WONDERFUL CITY HERE, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET HELP IN NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM OF RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UH, OUR NEXT STEPS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS A QUARTERLY REENTRY COMMUNITY FORUM.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE, THE, UM, COMMITTEE WANTED TO DO WAS TO BRING REENTRY COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTO OUR GROUP.
WELL, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A, A COMMITTEE OF ABOUT 30 INDIVIDUALS.
SO IT WASN'T, UH, BEST TO BRING ALL OF THE COMMUNITY INTO EACH MONTHLY MEETING.
SO WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD HAVE A QUARTERLY MEETING WHERE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN JUST AS IMPACTED AND NEED SERVICES CAN COME AND HAVE SERVICE PROVIDERS ON, ON, UM, ON THE GROUND, ON DECK THERE TO GET SIGNED UP FOR SERVICES THEY NEED.
THE NEXT ONE WE HAVE IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST ONE WE HAVE IS ACTUALLY THIS THURSDAY AT THE RYAN ARIAS HEALTH EQUITY CENTER.
WE'LL HAVE AN EXPUNGEMENT CLINIC THERE.
WE'LL HAVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
PACIFIC GATEWAY IS ONE OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
[01:25:01]
WILL HAVE ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, COMMUNITY, EXCUSE ME, REENTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON DECK TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THOSE THAT NEED THE SERVICES AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE HERE IN LONG BEACH FOR THEM.UH, WE ARE HAVING A REENTRY ADVISORY RETREAT JUNE 14TH FOR OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS SO THAT WE CAN WORK ON HAVING A STRATEGIC PLAN IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMING BACK.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON SECURING FUNDING THROUGH THE BSCC PROP 47 GRANT.
WE'RE IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW OF CONSTRUCTING THAT PROPOSAL, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ADMINISTER TO THE, THE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO WORK TOGETHER AS A COLLABORATIVE ENTITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THESE, UM, JUSTICE IMPACTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMING BACK AND FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS.
SO THAT'S BEEN A, A HUGE PART OF THE WORK WE ARE DOING IN THE REENTRY SERVICES HERE IN LONG BEACH.
DOES THAT CONCLUDE STAFF? WE'RE READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
UH, I, I'LL TAKE THE PRIVILEGE TO GO FIRST AND JUST, JUST SAY, WOW, THANK YOU ALL FOR PRESENTING AND GIVING US A, A REAL COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT, AT HOW WE ARE ATTACKING AND ADJUST, UM, AND ADAPTING TO THE REENTRY, UM, POPULATION HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, THERE'S SOME INNOVATIVE WORK HAPPENING, UH, AND I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAINLY OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY TO, TO IMPROVE.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST JUST MENTION, I MEAN, THERE WAS IN THE PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, MY QUESTION IS ALWAYS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE FIND THESE, THESE, THESE, UH, IMPORTANT PROGRAMS ONGOING? UH, DOES ANYBODY OR CAN ANYBODY GIVE ANY INSIGHT ON WHAT COULD BE AVAILABLE THROUGH, UH, THE RECENT PASSAGE OF POP PROP ONE AND HOW THAT COULD IMPACT, UH, THESE PROGRAMS IN ANY WAY? IF NOT, WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK FOR A MEMO.
WELL, NOT, UH, PROP ONE FUNDING, BUT, UM, THE REASON IN LEAD 2.0 WE ARE PARTNERING WITH ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONS IS THEY ALREADY HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, LA KATA HAS THE ABILITY TO TAP INTO MEDI-CAL DOLLARS.
SO WHEREAS THE FIRST PILOT, ALL THE MONEY THAT WENT TO PROVIDE SERVICES SUCH AS LIVE IN DRUG TREATMENT, THAT WAS ALL PAID FOR BY THE, BY THE PILOT PROGRAM.
SO LATA REALLY ISN'T GETTING FUNDING, YOU KNOW, GETTING A TINY LITTLE BIT OF FUNDING FOR THE SECOND LEAD PILOT, BUT THEY'RE REALLY TAPPING INTO MEDI-CAL, WHICH PROVIDES, UH, FUNDING FOR SERVICES.
UH, THAT'S ACTUALLY, I'M GLAD YOU RAISED THAT POINT, BECAUSE I THINK SUSTAINABILITY, UH, IS THE PROBLEM.
WHEN YOU CREATE A GREAT PROGRAM BASED OFF OF A, A PILOT OR BASED OFF OF ONE TIME FUNDING, THE QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU DESIGN IT SO THAT IT COULD CONTINUE ON ONCE THAT FUNDING, UH, EXPIRES.
SO WE'VE SPREAD OUT WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS THAT ALL DO DIFFERENT THINGS AND ALL HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT DOLLARS.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, MHA APPLIES FOR GRANTS TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
LATA APPLIES FOR GRANTS TO PROVIDE, UH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES.
SO THEY HAVE OTHER GRANT FUNDING, AND THEY HAVE MEDI-CAL AND OTHER SOURCES, UH, OF, OF FUNDS TO DIP INTO.
AND I THINK I SEE MR. DUNCAN QUEUING UP IN THE BACK.
SO, WITH PROPOSITION ONE, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY FOCUSED ON REENTRY, BUT I THINK WE CAN ALL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LOTS OF RESEARCH AND LOOKS AT THE IMPACTS OF DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION IN THE EIGHTIES AS A NATIONAL LEVEL RESPONSE.
AND PROPOSITION ONE ALLOWS US, I THINK, TO TAKE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WHICH IS NOT REINS INSTITUTIONALIZATION, BUT LOOKING AT THE NEED FOR SPECIALIZED COMMUNITY CARE.
SO PROPOSITION ONE WILL ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL TREATMENT BEDS, UH, ADDITIONAL BEDS FOCUSED ON PEOPLE WITH, UH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS THAT GO BEYOND OUR TYPICAL SHELTER PROGRAMS. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS WHEN WE'RE NOT ABLE TO, UH, SERVE THAT COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE RESOURCES, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THAT THE SERVICE AND SETTING BECOMES OUR COUNTY JAILS ARE STATE PRISONS.
SO PROPOSITION ONE IN THEORY SHOULD REDUCE, UM, PEOPLE CYCLING IN AND OUT OF COUNTY JAIL AND PROVIDING A BETTER SETTING TO TRULY PROVIDE CARE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I, I WAS ALSO CURIOUS BASED ON THE PRESENTATION IN TERMS OF, UM, AND WHAT WE HEARD OVERALL TODAY, WE KNOW WE HAVE X AMOUNT OF, WELL, I DON'T KNOW 'CAUSE I DON'T TRUST ALL THE DATA THAT I'VE RECEIVED HERE TODAY, BUT, UM, WE DO
[01:30:01]
KNOW WE HAVE X AMOUNT OF, UH, FOLKS REENTERED INTO OUR SOCIETY.UM, SOME ARE GETTING, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE NUMBERS, SOME ARE GETTING SERVICED, MAYBE 25, 30% THAT WE KNOW OF.
UM, WHAT ARE, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE, THE REST OF, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT POPULATION? AND IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SERVE MORE PEOPLE HERE IN OUR CITY, REACH MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE REENTRY POPULATION? I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I DEFINITELY THINK THERE IS OPPORTUNITY TO REACH MORE PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE, UH, FOCUSED ON EVEN GETTING, YOU TALKED ABOUT FUNDING.
THE BSCC PROP 47 GRANT WILL HELP US TO BUILD A BETTER, UM, ENTRYWAY FOR THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE COMING HOME.
AND SO WE ARE WORKING ON AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM TO WHERE WHEN PEOPLE ARE COMING HOME, THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN REACH OUT TO THE REENTRY COORDINATOR, UH, IN THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
THAT LONG BEACH EVEN HAS A REENTRY COORDINATOR THAT CAN THEN DIRECT THEM TO THE, THE CBOS THAT ARE DOING THIS WORK ON THE GROUND.
OUR, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO DO THE WORK TO TAKE OVER THE WORK BECAUSE WE HAVE AMAZING ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR CITY THAT ARE DOING THE WORK, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE AN ENTRYWAY TO WELCOME HOME OUR LONG BEACH, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
UM, AND THAT'S, I THINK, WHAT SOME EVEN STRUCTURAL FUNDING COULD HELP US DO LONG TERM.
THE BSCC FUNDING WILL LAST FOR ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS, SO WE CAN PLANT SOME ROOTS IN THE CITY, BUT MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STRUCTURALLY FUND THAT SO THAT PEOPLE COMING HOME KNOW WHERE TO GO TO GET THE SERVICES WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE SERVICES.
WELL, I THINK IT'S A, IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO HAVE, HAVE A POINT OF CONTACT IN THE CITY TO HELP COORDINATE THOSE ACTIVITIES WITH OUR COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS JUST BEEN UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE, THAT THERE, THERE COULD BE MORE OPPORTUNITIES WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN BE HELPFUL, UM, IN, IN THIS, THIS, UH, THIS SPACE AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN, SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UM, CON CONGRATULATIONS, WELCOME TO THE, TO THE TEAM.
I KNOW YOU HAVE, HAVE A, HAVE A BIG, BIG JOB AHEAD OF YOU.
AND, UH, IF, IF WE WERE TO PUT NUMBERS ON IT, UH, THAT WOULD BE QUITE A CASE LOAD.
BUT YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN A ASSIST BUSINESS, SO YOU ARE PROBABLY DISHING OFF MORE WORK TO, TO JESSICA'S FOLKS AND, AND, AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE, THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING.
AND THAT IS THE POSITION AS A DIRECTIVE RESULT OF, YOU KNOW, FEW YEARS OF ADVOCACY HERE ON CITY COUNCIL.
US ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND US RECOGNIZING A NEED THERE, UM, THROUGH PLAN.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, THE COMMUNITY FORUM COMING UP, UH, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THE JUSTICE INVOLVED COMMUNITY.
WHAT, WHAT EFFORTS ARE, HOW ARE WE REACHING THO THO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD BE POTENTIAL CANDIDATES TO PARTICIPATE HERE? WELL, SINCE THIS IS OUR FIRST ONE, WE ARE, UM, RELYING HEAVILY ON OUR REENTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO GET THE WORD OUT TO THE CLIENTS THAT THEY SERVE SINCE THEY ARE IN DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.
UM, EVEN THE PAC MEETING THAT, UH, THEY TALKED ABOUT EARLIER WITH C-C-D-C-R, UH, GOING TO THOSE MEETINGS, I REACHED OUT TO THE ORGANIZER OF THAT TO GET THAT FLYER OUT.
BUT JUST SHOWING UP AT THE EVENTS WHERE THERE ARE JUST AS IMPACTED INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS AND, AND IT'S WORD OF MOUTH RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE FIRST ONE THAT WE'RE HAVING.
HOPEFULLY THEY WILL THEN SPREAD IT TO OTHER, UH, PEOPLE AS WELL.
WE HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE RISING SCHOLARS, UM, DIV, UH, GROUP THERE, WHICH THEY'RE ALSO SPREADING THE WORD.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S BY WORD OF MOUTH THROUGH THE ORGAN, THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON THE GROUND DOING THE WORK.
UM, BUT WE ARE HOPING TO GET IT OUT ON A BIGGER, LITTLE BIGGER SCALE.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S FOCUSED MAINLY ON LONG BEACH RESIDENTS, THOSE WHO WORK, PLAY, OR LIVE IN LONG BEACH.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO REACH THEM.
IF YOU, IF THERE'S A FLYER OR ANY SORT OF OUTREACH TOOL, PLEASE, UH, YOU KNOW, FORWARD IT TO, TO THE CITY COUNCIL OFFICES, SO WE CAN HELP WITH THAT OUTREACH AS WELL.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER SONO.
AND, UM, I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE, BUT, UH, I HAVE TO GET TO THE AFOREMENTIONED, UH, COMMUNITY MEETING, UH, ACROSS TOWN.
BUT, UM, I ASKED THE TECHNICIANS TO, TO POP UP THIS SLIDE,
[01:35:01]
AND IT'S THE GUIDES OVERVIEW.AND I JUST WANNA TAKE A, A MOMENT TO, UH, COMMAND OUR CITY PROSECUTOR.
YOU KNOW, INNOVATION COMES IN, UH, MANY, MANY FORMS, BUT I THOUGHT THIS IS BRILLIANT.
WHEN OUR CITY PROSECUTOR NOTICED THAT POLICE OFFICERS AND OTHERS, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, TEND TO USE CELL PHONES OR THEY HAVE A CON COMFORT LEVEL WITH THESE MAYBE MORE SO THAN A KDT IN A, IN A POLICE CAR.
AND, UM, SO THIS INFORMATION WAS INTEGRATED INTO THE SYSTEM, AND I'VE MENTIONED IT BEFORE, BUT I WANTED TO MENTION TO THIS GROUP THAT, UM, I, I THINK THAT'S A QUANTUM LEAP IN THE WAY, UM, PEOPLE, PAROLE OFFICER, ANYONE CAN GET DATA FROM A PHONE.
AND, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, DOUG HALBERT FOR COMING UP WITH THAT COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN.
SO WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF DIFFERENT STEPS TODAY.
UM, AND I KNOW THE LEADS PROGRAM IS PRE-BOOKING, SO IT'S REALLY A DIVERSION FROM GETTING TO THAT POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE REENTRY.
UM, AND THEN OUR HOMELESS COURT, WHICH CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM, IS THAT WHAT IT WAS IN THE COUNTRY? WE WERE A FINALISTS FOR BEST.
WE WERE NAMED ONE OF THE BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS. WE DID NOT WIN FIRST PLACE.
SO WITH THE LEAD PROGRAM, YOU HAVE SO MANY PARTNERS AND ARE REENTRY IS USING SOME OF THOSE PARTNERS ALSO.
DO THEY CROSS OVER AT ALL? I DIDN'T HEAR PACIFIC GATEWAY WITH YOUR LEADS PROGRAM.
YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE PACIFIC GATEWAY AT OUR, OUR LEADS PROGRAM.
UM, AND I'M GLAD THAT THEY'RE BEING USED WITH REENTRY.
BUT ONE WAY TO THINK OF IT IS PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEEDS THE SERVICE NEEDS WILL INTER THEY WILL INTERSECT WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AT DIFFERENT POINTS.
THERE'S THAT INITIAL CONTACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THAT'S A POINT WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DIVERT THEM INTO SERVICES THROUGH MAYBE GUIDES OR GUIDES AND LEAD.
UM, THERE'S PRE-FILING DIVERSION.
SO A CASE ACTUALLY GETS FILED BUT DOESN'T GO TO COURT YET.
A PERSON COMPLETING A PROGRAM, MAYBE THAT CASE WILL NEVER GET FILED.
THERE ARE SERVICES THAT CAN BE PROVIDED THROUGH COURT.
WE HAVE SERVICE PROVIDERS IN COURT THAT ARE TRYING TO ASSESS NEEDS AND GET PEOPLE CONNECTED TO SERVICES.
THERE'S PEOPLE, UH, THROUGH CDCR, UH, THEY'RE GONNA BE RELEASED FROM INCARCERATION AND THEY, THEY CAN GET SERVICES AT THAT POINT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE ARE COMMUNITY SERVICES AVAILABLE BOTH AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF THAT PROCESS.
SO IF YOU REALLY THINK OF OUR SERVICES, WHETHER IT HAPPENS AT THE BEGINNING OR THE MIDDLE OR OR TOWARDS THE END, THEY NEED THOSE SERVICES.
SO WHAT LATA DOES, UH, LATA LA CENTERS FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE, THEY SEE A PERSON THAT NEEDS SERVICES DOESN'T REALLY MATTER TO THEM.
WHETHER THAT PERSON IS BEING RELEASED OUT OF JAIL TONIGHT AND THAT THEN THEY NEED THE SERVICES OR THEY'RE AT THE PRE-BOOKING STAGE AND HEY, THIS PERSON NEEDS SERVICES NOW BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T GET SERVICES, THEY MIGHT GET BOOKED INTO THE JAIL OR GOING TO COURT.
UM, THE SAME SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT WE MIGHT USE FOR PRE-BOOKING PROGRAM, OR THE SAME SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL WITH COURT REFERRALS OR WITH POST ADJUDICATION REFERRALS THROUGH THE, UH, THE CORRECTION SYSTEM.
SO LONG BEACH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, LOOKED AT ALL OF THESE POINTS OF CONTACT IN OUR, OUR SAFE LONG BEACH PLAN, WHICH OUR VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN AND REALLY TRIED TO REDUCE THE BARRIERS BETWEEN, FOR EXAMPLE, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HEALTHCARE.
THERE'S 10 YEARS AGO THERE WERE LARGE BARRIERS BETWEEN THE TWO.
THEY DID NOT COLLABORATE VERY OFTEN.
WE DID NOT HAVE, UH, SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS IN OUR OFFICE TALKING ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE INTO SERVICES.
SO THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF BAD THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN, IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
BUT THEY'VE ALSO HAD SOME GOOD THINGS.
AND ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS, AT LEAST IN LONG BEACH, IS THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE NEVER PARTNERED WITH BEFORE.
AND PROVIDING A LEVEL OF SERVICE AT MULTIPLE POINTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, UM, THAT ARE REALLY, ARE NEEDED.
UM, AND ACTUALLY I THINK LONG BEACH IS PROBABLY A MODEL WHEN IT COMES TO DOING THIS.
UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A SOCIAL WORKER ON MY STAFF.
I'M THE ONLY PROSECUTOR I KNOW THAT HAS A SOCIAL WORKER ON, ON STAFF IN ORDER TO HELP CREATE THESE TYPE OF DIVERSION AREA PROGRAMS. BUT, UH, THE FACT THAT THE CITY HAS THEIR OWN HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND HAS THEIR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND HAS THEIR OWN CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE MAKES COLLABORATION LIKE THIS POSSIBLE.
I THANK YOU FOR GOING OVER THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT DOES SHOW ALL THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE NONPROFITS, THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR THE BEGINNING, THE MIDDLE, YOU KNOW, DIVERSION AND THEN REENTRY YOUR PROGRAMS, UM, FOR REENTRY.
I, I LOVE THAT YOU STARTED IN JANUARY AND YOU, IS THAT RIGHT? YOU STARTED IN JANUARY AND YOU'RE KICKING, KICKING OFF, UH, YOUR COMMUNITY PROGRAM FOR THIS YES.
[01:40:01]
IN.SO I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND YOU FOR REALLY PUSHING THAT FORWARD.
AND IT'S EXCITING TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE PULLING THESE PROGRAMS TOGETHER.
UM, AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION, 'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE AT TIME LIMIT, UH, PACIFIC GATEWAY WITH HOMELESS COURT.
I'M INTERESTED IN HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE USING PACIFIC GATEWAY TO GET EMPLOYED, BOTH FOR HOMELESS COURT AND FOR REENTRY.
SO GENERALLY, EACH MONTH FOR HOMELESS COURT, UM, SINCE WE DO OFFER A VARIETY OF SERVICES, WE SEE ANYWHERE FROM 40 TO 50 PEOPLE COMING THROUGH THE DOOR.
UM, THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT MEET WITH PACIFIC GATEWAY DURING THAT TIME, THAT DOES VARY SIGNIFICANTLY.
UH, LAST MONTH IN MAY, I BELIEVE THEY SAW ABOUT SIX INDIVIDUALS.
UM, SO IT, IT DOES VARY EACH MONTH.
UM, BUT FORTUNATELY WE HAVE A, A LIAISON THERE WHO, IF WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S INVOLVED WITH HOMELESS COURT AND MAYBE THEY COULDN'T MAKE IT THERE THAT DAY, WE DO CONNECT THEM WITH THAT PERSON SO THEY CAN DO AN INTAKE AT A LATER TIME IF THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO AT THE TIME OF HOMELESS COURT, SINCE IT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST ONE, A ONE DAY EVENT.
THEY CAN'T ALWAYS MEET WITH EVERYONE THERE.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE OH, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER FOR THAT, BUT I KNOW THAT PG UH, PACIFIC GATEWAY WEIGHT HAS AN INVEST PROGRAM WHERE IT'S FOR SPECIFIC, SPECIFICALLY FOR AB 1 0 9 PROBATIONERS, UM, TO GET EMPLOYMENT, UH, EMPLOYMENT SKILLS SETTING.
UH, THEY ALSO HAVE A PRISON TO EMPLOYMENT, UM, PROGRAM.
WE, WE ARE WORKING A LOT MORE WITH THEM.
UH, WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM PG N ON OUR COMMITTEE, AND SO THEY ARE SHOWING UP TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, UM, AS WELL AS BEING CONNECTED TO SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS DIRECTLY TO HAVE A REFERRAL SYSTEM.
AND SO THE, WE ARE WORKING A LOT MORE ON A MORE COHESIVE, COLLABORATIVE TYPE OF APPROACH TO THIS WITHIN THE CITY.
SO, HO WHEN WE GET THIS GRANT FUNDING FROM BSCC, WE WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, TACKLE THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE, THE MENTAL HEALTH AND DIVERSION, UM, THAT'S OUT THERE, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO WORK WITH THE CITY PROSECUTOR DIRECTLY TO WORK WITH THE PACIFIC GATEWAY, TO WORK WITH THE, UH, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
SO WE ARE ALL DOING THIS WORK TOGETHER AND MOVING, UM, OUR REENTRY COMMUNITY FORWARD.
GREAT INFORMATION, UH, GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, I THINK ANYBODY WATCHING HERE TODAY OR WATCHING AT HOME, WE'LL WALK AWAY ENLIGHTENED.
AND, UH, I THINK APPRECIATING, YOU KNOW, JUST THE, THE OVERALL SPECTRUM WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND THIS IMPORTANT ISSUES RELATED TO REENTRY, BUT, BUT ALL THE GREAT SERVICES THAT ARE, UH, REALLY AVAILABLE THAT, THAT, UH, FOLKS CAN BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF.
UM, WITH THAT, UH, IS THERE ANY FURTHER PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS MATTER? COME ON,
HEARING NONE, NO FURTHER COMMENT.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN MOTIONED AND SECONDED.
PLEASE, UH, MEMBERS VOTE TO RECEIVE AND FILE THIS MATTER.
SO, UM, NOW WE GO INTO OPEN PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF ANYONE WANTS TO COMMENT ON ANYTHING THAT HASN'T BEEN ON THE AGENDA, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO, TO DO SO.
HEARING, SEEING NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Public Safety Committee on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.]
OH, THERE'S ONE.UM, MY NAME IS KIMBERLY LETHAM.
THIS IS MY FIRST, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I AM A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH.
AND, UH, I GUESS I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT FEEL UNSAFE.
UM, WE ARE THE DOORS THAT ARE OPEN TO OUR PUBLIC, SO WE SEE WHAT GOES ON, UM, ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND, UM, I'M SPECIFICALLY AM ON A STREET WHERE THERE ARE, UM, MAJORITY WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND, UH, THERE IS A SENSE ON THE STREET OF, UM, UNREST AND VIOLENCE.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, WE HAVE A GROUP TEXT THAT WE ALL KEEP EACH OTHER IN THE LOOP WHERE WE TAKE PICTURES AND WE SAY, HEY, WATCH OUT FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL.
OR THIS PERSON, UM, HAS COME IN AND STOLEN STUFF.
UM, BUT THERE IS LIKE A GROUP OF POPULATION,
[01:45:01]
UH, ON OUR STREETS THAT I DON'T FEEL LIKE IS GETTING REACHED.AND, UM, WE'RE KIND OF AT A LOSS OF WHAT WE DO.
UH, SO AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WAS LIKE LAST FRIDAY.
UM, AND I KEEP MY DOORS LOCKED, UH, UNTIL, BECAUSE THERE'S A PORTION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, UM, THAT LIKE, IT'S NOT UNTIL LIKE 10 11 DOES IT SEEM LIKE OUR STREETS ARE MORE BALANCED WITH, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE MENTALLY HEALTHY THAN UNHEALTHY.
AND SO I KEEP MY DOORS LOCKED, UM, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I'M A WORKING MOTHER AND I HAVE A 3-YEAR-OLD, SO HE'S WITH ME.
UM, AND, UH, SO OF AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WAS FRIDAY.
THE SUN WAS COMING OUT, SO I UNLOCK MY DOORS.
UM, IT'S LIKE THE TEMPERATURE WAS LOOKING GOOD.
I DON'T BRING A LOT OF MY STUFF OUT BECAUSE, UM, IT GETS VANDALIZED.
UM, AND, UH, THEN I GO IN AND, UH, TEND TO, MY CHILD IS THERE, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I, UM, HEAR SOMEONE SCREAMING IN THE PATIO OUTSIDE BY OUR, UM, IT'S A TACO SHOP BUSINESS AND THEY'RE SCREAMING.
SO THEN I SHUT MY DOOR AND I MAKE A PHONE CALL.
I CALL, UM, IMMEDIATELY WE HAVE, UH, THE RED JACKETS AND THE, UM, DOBA THAT COME.
AND SO I PUT THAT CALL IN AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEAR PATIO FURNITURE LIKE FLYING INTO THE SIDEWALK.
AND SO THEN, THEN THAT'S WHEN I CALLED 9 1 1, AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS ON HOLD.
AND SO I WAS LIKE, WELL, THIS IS STRANGE.
SO I WAS LIKE, AM I STILL? SO I HUNG UP AND THEN, UM, WHEN I HAD A CUSTOMER IN THE SHOP AND THEY'RE LIKE, CAN YOU LOCK THE DOOR? SO THAT'S THE SECOND TIME IN LIKE THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME TO LOCK THE DOOR, LIKE CUSTOMERS THAT AREN'T REGULARS.
LIKE, I'VE, UH, OPENED MY SHOP IN 2011, SO I'M GOING ON 13 YEARS AND WE'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT, LIKE WHERE I'VE HAD CUSTOMERS AFTER I SHUT THE DOOR SAY, CAN YOU PLEASE LOCK IT AS WELL? UM, AND THEN, UH, AFTER WE GET THAT CALL TAKEN IN AND STUFF, THEN WE DON'T EVEN GET THE PATIO FURNITURE PUT BACK ON THE PATIO.
AND THEN ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL COMES BY AND, UH, THEY JUST START GRABBING STUFF FROM RACK.
AND SO THEN I'M OUT THERE AND I GRAB IT BACK FROM THEM AND THEN THEY, UH, UH, START LIKE GRABBING A NECKLACE OFF OF THE MANKIN.
AND SO THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'VE EXPERIENCED WHERE PEOPLE ARE JUST STEALING IN FRONT OF ME.
USUALLY YOU DO IT WHEN LIKE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING, BUT, AND THEN THERE'S JUST NO REGARD.
LIKE THEY JUST KEEP ON MOVING.
UM, I DO APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'M SORRY WE, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
THE TIME HAS EXPIRED AND THANK YOU.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU AFTERWARDS IF YOU WANNA TALK, TALK MORE.
UM, WE'LL, WE'LL STICK AROUND A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? NOPE, THANK YOU.
UM, ALSO MY FIRST TIME, UM, SPEAKING WITH YOU HERE.
UM, I AM A, A HOMEOWNER IN DOWNTOWN, UH, LONG BEACH.
AND, UM, I HAVE TO JUST TALK ABOUT SOMETHING WHICH HAPPENED ON THE WEEKEND.
UM, THE CONDO PRESENT TO MYSELF ARE DOING SOME WORK OUTSIDE OUR BUILDING AND, UM, A GENTLEMAN WHO HAS, IS WELL KNOWN IN OUR AREA AS BEING VIOLENT AND AGGRESSIVE, UM, ACTUALLY CONFRONTED US WITH A METAL PIPE AND WAS SMASHING EVERYTHING AROUND AND LITERALLY WITHIN FEET OF US THREATENING TO BASH OUR HEADS IN WITH THIS METAL PIPE.
AND, UM, I HAD TO RESORT TO CALLING 9 1 1, WHICH I USUALLY WOULDN'T DO.
UM, BUT WHEN THE OFFICERS ARRIVED, THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS BASICALLY NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO ABOUT THIS PERSON WHO IS WELL KNOWN TO BE DANGEROUS.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT, UH, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO? THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR BUILDING THAT ARE ACTUALLY, AS KIM SAID, AFRAID TO BE OUT ON THE STREETS.
AND, UM, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING.
AND WE CALL THE POLICE AND THEY CAN DO NOTHING.
SO ANY INPUT, ANY ADVICE WOULD BE MORE THAN LIKELY.
I, I KNOW THAT, THAT THERE'S A, THIS ARE YOU DONE WITH YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT? YES.
WELL, I'LL JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR COMMENT.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME LAW ENFORCEMENT FOLKS AT WITHIN THE, UM, HEARING THE MEETING.
IT MAY BE OUT BACK, UH, SPEAKING WITH THE, THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER.
UH, I DO THINK THAT IS A PUBLIC SAFETY LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, SPECIFIC, UH, ISSUE.
AND, UH, I DO APPRECIATE THOSE INSIGHTS, REAL WORLD EXAMPLES 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT THAT HELPS US, YOU KNOW, MAKE DECISIONS TO, TO MOVE RESOURCES AND HOW RESOURCES SHOULD BE, UM, UH, MOVED HERE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
[01:50:01]
TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT AND SPEAKING, COMING OUT AND SITTING THROUGH THIS TWO HOUR PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING, WHICH I THINK WAS VERY SUBSTANTIVE, UH, FOR, FOR ALL INVOLVED.UH, ANY FURTHER COMMENT, HEARING NONE FROM BEHIND THE RAIL, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.