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Board OKs $34.6 million amendment to pretrial diversion contract over lone dissent
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a $14.9 million amendment to extend and expand the sheriff's contract with the San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project, despite one supervisor saying key validation studies and compliance actions remain incomplete.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 9–1 on July 30 to approve a fifth amendment to a contract between the sheriff’s office and the San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project, increasing the contract by about $14.9 million to a new not-to-exceed total of approximately $34.6 million and extending the term through June 30, 2026.
Supporters said the program is an important part of the city's criminal justice system, providing supervision and services that help people navigate the courts without unnecessary incarceration. Supervisor Chan urged colleagues to support continued funding after the budget and legislative analyst and the sheriff's fiscal monitoring found the program “generally in compliance” with city standards and recommended technical assistance to strengthen fiscal policies.
Supervisor Stephanie cast the sole no vote, saying the pretrial provider has not implemented key recommendations from a 2021 validation study by the California Policy Lab and is out of compliance with state law requiring periodic validation. Stephanie also questioned the allocation of most of the proposed amendment toward higher office rents and said she has not received sufficient data to evaluate whether the city is getting a return on the increased funding.
The sheriff’s office completed fiscal and compliance monitoring that included a review of audited financial statements through June 2023 and recommended that the city provide technical assistance to improve budget development and fiscal policies, the board heard. Stephanie said the prior validation study recommended a revalidation of the program’s public safety assessment tool and that as of June 2024 that review had not been done; she also referenced Senate Bill 36 as imposing a three‑year revalidation requirement.
Roll-call results recorded on the record identified nine ayes and one no, with Supervisor Stephanie voting no. The board adopted the resolution.
Why it matters: The amendment keeps a major community supervision program operating through mid‑2026 and increases city spending on pretrial services at a time when the board and outside reviewers are pressing for stronger programmatic validation and fiscal oversight.
What’s next: The sheriff's office and the budget and legislative analyst have been asked to provide technical assistance and follow-up monitoring; the board discussion indicated continuing oversight would be expected.
