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County and GEO describe parolee reentry placements; STOP/Day‑Reporting report placements but wait lists persist
Summary
GEO Reentry Services and STOP Area 2 told the committee that they place parolees into housing and treatment placements and that the county has some local beds but demand and waiting lists persist.
The committee received a verbal report from GEO Reentry Services and STOP Area 2 on April 10 about housing and services for people released from state prison.
Vanessa Bonilla, program manager for GEO Reentry Services at the Santa Clara Day Reporting Center, described programming that includes cognitive behavioral interventions (including MRT), substance‑use education and treatment referrals, life skills, parenting and trauma‑informed classes. Bonilla said GEO is “slotted for a 15” (the program design cap) while her team currently serves a larger population; she reported 29 participants currently housed through program placements and a short wait list for additional beds. GEO is linked with local residential providers and with legal partners (public defender and three‑strikes programs) to identify people needing residential placements.
Mahanoor (STOP Area 2) said STOP receives parolee referrals across 15 counties and functions principally as a placement office for parole referrals; STOP places people into detox, residential, emergency and rapid rehousing and outpatient programs by subcontracting with community providers. STOP said it had placed roughly 264 people across its 15‑county region and that roughly 50 of those placed were from Santa Clara County; STOP reported ten local contracted facilities (nine housing sites and one outpatient provider) in Santa Clara County.
Staff clarified that parolees who have supervision or who are connected to parole agents may be referred directly to reentry housing and that transportation is available in many cases (GEO and STOP reported working with parole officers and sometimes providing transport). GEO said state funds support its program and STOP said the program operates under state revenue contracts.
The committee voted to receive the report; supervisors thanked GEO and STOP for the services and asked staff to continue coordinating with county housing and reentry partners to reduce transportation barriers and increase local placements.
Why it matters: Reentry placements and placement navigation affect whether people leaving state prison immediately receive housing and treatment supports that lower reoffending risk. The county relies on county reentry centers, GEO placements and STOP placements to connect parolees to local housing and clinical services.
What’s next: Staff will continue to coordinate with parole and community providers to expand local placement capacity and report back as necessary.
