Santa Clara County staff on Oct. 15 outlined a plan to consolidate several justice‑system improvement initiatives into a single multiyear strategic plan that covers alternatives to incarceration (ATI), reentry services, treatment court improvements and the CalAIM justice‑involved initiative.

Deputy County Executive Kaylee summarized the county's approach and said the proposed plan will rely on an outcomes framework recommended by the Council of State Governments Justice Center. That framework focuses on recidivism but also broader outcome measures—housing stability, employment, health care access and other reintegration indicators—that the county can use to evaluate programs and make funding decisions. Kaylee said the ATI and reentry strategic plan is in development, staff has engaged stakeholders and the committee should expect staff to return in January with a draft and to request Board adoption in 2026.

Staff described four overlapping initiative areas to be encompassed by the strategic plan: the reentry services plan; ATI work‑group recommendations; treatment‑court process and capacity improvements; and CalAIM justice‑involved activities (Medi‑Cal enrollment and discharge planning). Staff stressed that those efforts address different stages of the system—diversion, alternatives to custody, reentry supports and in‑custody discharge planning—but can be aligned to reduce duplication and improve outcomes.

"Developing a clear framework for outcome measures that either reduce recidivism or reduce risk of recidivism will be important," Kaylee said, explaining the county's fiscal constraints and the need to prioritize services that show results. Staff included an analytical attachment from the Justice Center on reentry success measures and said that housing and employment outcomes can be tracked alongside recidivism measures.

The committee asked for clarity about how the combined annual report will preserve the integrity of each component initiative. Staff and committee members agreed the public facing annual report should explain the distinct goals and metrics for ATI recommendations, reentry programs and treatment courts even where reporting is consolidated for clarity. Committee members also requested transparency about any program reductions driven by external funding cuts.

The committee voted to receive the report. Staff said they will return to the Public Safety and Justice Committee in January to continue development of the draft strategic plan and recommended an annual public report that catalogs the county's major justice‑system improvement initiatives and their outcomes.

Ending

Staff will continue stakeholder engagement and return with a draft ATI and reentry strategic plan in January 2026; the committee asked that the annual public report clearly indicate when reductions in services result from external funding changes.