The County of Alameda, home to 1.6 million people, is committed to innovative and restorative solutions to stop the cycle of crime, incarceration, unemployment, and recidivism. Individuals who commit low-level realigned “AB 109” or 1170(h) felonies are re-arrested almost 70% of the time within two years of release from jail custody. ACJRP is designed to pair these individuals with trained coaches with similar cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds and develop a case managed plan for community re-entry. ACJRP will deliver 18 months of consistent outreach and coaching, navigation support, and evidence-based therapies, intrinsic motivation, and SUD treatments with the goal of meaningfully improving recidivism (re-arrest) outcomes, among others.
ACJPR aims to serve approximately 175 participants between the ages of 18-34 throughout all of Alameda County through the Pilot, Ramp Up, and Launched phases of the project from September 2017 through September 2021.
The Project
The Project
- La Familia Counseling Services, an East Bay community based organization, will deliver the Individualized Coaching Model by connecting released individuals to a mentor (a “Coach”) who has similar lived experiences to those in the reentry population, having experienced incarceration and/or substance abuse directly or through a family member. Coaches will be trained to provide intensive case management and navigation support, with a commitment to the needs, goals, strengths, and potential of each enrolled individual. The Individualized Coaching Model is designed to address key contributing factors to recidivism, which include: 1) chronic unemployment and poverty; 2) substance abuse; 3) criminogenic thinking 4) limited access to a wide array of services and supports such as subsidized housing, mental and physical health care, and education; and 5) lack of positive peer relationships and role models.
- The geographic area of the ACJRP Program includes all of Alameda County. ACJRP Program Services will be provided at times, and at locations throughout the County that are accessible, convenient, and comfortable for Enrolled Individuals. Service settings will include individual homes; institutional settings such as hospitals and jails; public locations such as encampments, parks, coffee shops; and other preferred locations, including any of the 15 La Familia locations.
- The PFS Center, established by La Familia, will house all of the data and administrative functions of ACJRP. Whether the location is used for staff training, service delivery, administrative, or community functions, the PFS Center provides the staff with the capacity to ensure that La Familia develops a highly integrated system of services that is sustainable and replicable.
- The evaluation of ACJRP is led by WestEd, Inc. A two-year randomized control trial (RCT) evaluation will assess the recidivism rates (defined as re-arrests due to any new felony or misdemeanor arrest) for each individual in the participant and control groups. Other metrics, including convictions, sentences, and petition violations, in addition to service provider data, will be assessed to improve service delivery and policy in the future. All data will be gathered from CA Department of Justice, CRIMS, Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, Alameda County Probation Department, and La Familia.
- ACJRP is a self-sustaining model. Prior recipients of La Familia’s services who have avoided recidivism and incorporated themselves into the community are serving as trained Coaches for participants. This is a unique model that goes beyond recidivism reduction, but also establishes a long-term pathway for community building and employment for participants that become Coaches.
- The County of Alameda invested in the long-term sustainability of the processes and data infrastructure for ACJRP by providing an equal match to the $1.25mm from the BSCC. The County funded the majority of the evaluation, project management, and fiscal management technical assistance, in addition to a portion of the service delivery costs during the Pilot and Ramp Up phases. Funding from The Nonprofit Finance Fund, the James Irvine Foundation, and the Social Innovative Fund also supported the development stages, and ensured that all project partners would be engaged in co-designing the project from the onset. Funding to collaborate from “idea to launch” enabled a true government and community collaboration that upheld the values of inclusion and diversity in the planning and policy making process, while building a foundation for continuous learning and improvement.
Additional Information
Additional Information
- Read Alameda County's Press Release about the project
- Read Fact Sheet about the project
- Read Voices from PFS Pioneers: Alameda County Justice Restoration Project (ACJRP) from Nonprofit Finance Fund blog
- Read Alameda County Justice Project from Nonprofit Finance Fund blog
- Listen to Episode 2 Part 1 of the Justice for All podcast to learn more about individuals impacted by this project
For more information or inquiries, please contact info@thirdsectorcap.org.
Partners
Partners
Government
Government
Alameda County, California
ACJRP has been developed and spearheaded by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office in collaboration with the Probation Department, the County Administrator’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Office, among other county partners. The Project’s success payments are $1.37mm, $1.25mm of which is funded in part by the $1.25mm Board of State and Community Corrections (“BSCC”) award authorized through Assembly Bill (AB) 1837. The remaining success payments is funded through Alameda County. Alameda County will make success payments to Reinvestment Fund, the project’s Funder, if the independent evaluator determines that recidivism rates decrease for program participants.
Service Provider
Service Provider
La Familia Counseling Services
La Familia has a 40 year history of providing high-quality mental health and community support services in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization started as part of a grassroots movement and its ties to the community remain deep and passionate. La Familia is committed to building a vibrant and multicultural agency to provide services that meet the needs of the individuals and families in its community.
Other Organizations
Other Organizations
Evaluator
WestEd
Project Manager
Third Sector Capital Partners, Inc.
Fiscal Manager
Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (BOSS)
Government Advisor
Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab
Legal Counsel
Nixon Peabody
Supported by
Supported by
This material is based upon work supported by Nonprofit Finance Fund and the Corporation for National and Community Service (“the Corporation”) under Social Innovation Fund Agreement No.14PSHNY001. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of, or a position that is endorsed by, the Corporation, NFF, or Social Innovation Fund Program.