Reentry providers urge board not to cut AB109 contracts as public defender, jail and reentry offices flag workload shifts under Prop 36

Reentry service providers, community advisory board members and public defenders urged the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors May 13 not to cut community contracts funded by AB 109 realignment, saying reductions would harm people reentering from custody and could increase jail pressure.

Speakers representing faith‑based and community reentry programs said proposed reductions in contracted services would reduce capacity for housing, employment and navigation services that they said reduce recidivism. Javier Aguirre, of the Office of Diversion and Reentry Services, told the board that recommended budget adjustments would reduce contract funding and that negotiations with providers were ongoing.

Why it matters: The county faces a structural deficit in AB 109 funding—state sales‑tax‑based allocations have not kept pace with local costs, county staff said—and the recommended budget includes proposed cuts to older, underutilized contract appropriations. Supervisors and community speakers said cutting reentry contracts now would undermine prevention investments the county has prioritized.

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