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San Francisco outlines AB109 realignment plan and warns funding will fall short
Summary
Chief Adult Probation presented a multi-agency realignment plan to receive people returning from state prison under AB109, estimating an initial annualized local population of roughly 700 and projecting a funding shortfall beyond initial state allocations; supervisors approved position additions and a funding package to proceed but asked for further monitoring and metrics.
The Budget and Finance Committee advanced a multi-department implementation plan for California—9s AB109 public safety realignment, approving related budget items and positions while flagging funding and operational risks.
Chief Wendy Still of Adult Probation described the changes created by AB109 and the practical implications for San Francisco: a shift of certain nonserious, nonviolent offenders and a post-release supervision population from state to local responsibility. Still said the county—9s initial estimate is about 700 annualized supervised offenders, a figure she and partners characterize as likely understated, and forecast a building population that could range up to 1,000 in subsequent years. She described necessary prerelease casework, risk-and-needs assessments, a proposed caseload ratio target of 50:1 for the PRCS population and a phased ramp-up to supervising cases that law requires be provided 180 days before release.
The Budget Office and the budget analyst said available funding for FY 2011–12 is roughly $10.5 million (including $4.7 million in general fund previously appropriated plus about $5.8 million in state AB109 allocations). The budget analyst recommended approval of most requested positions but proposed deleting one senior administrative analyst (saving about $95,906) and placing the funds in reserve pending a short report-back to the committee because workload and implementation details were still being finalized.
Chief Still defended the full staffing request, saying administrative, analytic and contracting capacity will be essential to stand up prerelease planning, award service contracts (treatment, electronic monitoring, day reporting), build a data system (COMPAS) for risk/needs and outcomes measurement, and protect staff and public safety by ensuring clear policies.
Under Sheriff Jan Dempsey said the county currently has open capacity (roughly 400 beds available in the open jails and additional beds in an unopened unit) but warned that growing local custody responsibilities will likely require opening more housing and additional staffing; she urged that the state allocation is a starting point and additional general fund or grant support will probably be necessary.
The committee approved the ordinances adding positions and appropriating AB109 funds and advanced the items to the full Board with recommendation after supervisors and departmental leaders negotiated technical amendments and clarifications on start dates and line-item allocations.
What happens next: the full Board will consider the ordinances; departments must implement prerelease planning and build out services while the Controller, DPH and other partners monitor caseloads and spending.
