Department: County Administration
Department Head/Elected Official: Diana Ramirez, County Administrator
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Supplemental RCA
Type of Request: Grant
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request by the Office of County Administration for approval to submit an application to the MacArthur Foundation for grant funds in the amount of $100,000, with no local match required, for the Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC) Capstone Grant.
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Background and Discussion:
Harris County is invited by the MacArthur Foundation to apply for a two-year capstone grant to help sustain the momentum of our racial disparities and jail population reduction strategies through and beyond the remaining grant period. The one-time maximum award is $100k and includes continued access to Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC) site coordinators, program officers, and other technical assistance providers, who will provide support in accomplishing capstone goals.
We propose using the anticipated award along with approximately $150k in leveraged funds from the General Fund to provide six peer support specialists to help support the jail reduction efforts and provide resources to the recently funded Associate Judges. Currently, the Peer Support Program is operating within the Responsive Interventions for Change (RIC) docket and the Success Through Addiction Recovery (STAR) court program, both of which have experienced positive outcomes. Peer support specialists build relationships, conduct needs assessments, draft wellness plans, and link defendants to community services. In addition, specialists facilitate support groups for defendants with a history of substance use.
Expected Impact:
Peer support specialists, paired with other community supervision options, have played a pivotal role in reducing recidivism, minimizing racial and ethnic disparities, and decreasing the reliance on local jails for low level felony offenders. This grant would allow Harris County to expand its cadre of peer support specialists to serve in six additional courts, further reducing the jail population, promoting public safety, and maximizing court appearance rates.
Alternative Options:
Do not apply and forfeit the opportunity to further expand a proven jail reduction strategy.
Alignment with Goal(s):
X Justice and Safety
_ Economic Opportunity
_ Housing
_ Public Health
_ Transportation
_ Flooding
_ Environment
_ Governance and Customer Service
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Insurance & Disaster Recovery |
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Total Funding Request |
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Anticipated Court Date: August 27, 2024
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): N/A
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Disaster Recovery related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Tonya Mills, Managing Director of Justice Innovation, Office of County Administration; Karen Evans, Manager of Justice Innovation, Office of County Administration; Traci Donatto, Director of Grants Management, Office of County Administration
Attachments (if applicable): MacArthur Capstone Invitation Letter