Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Juvenile Justice topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Supervisors approve juvenile reentry grants and vocational training contracts
Summary
The board approved multiple juvenile justice grants and a probation contract for automotive vocational services intended to provide job training, mentorship and reentry support to justice‑involved youth, after staff outlined a multi‑year procurement and performance‑metric process.
The Board of Supervisors approved a set of grant agreements and contracts aimed at reducing recidivism by funding job training, mentorship and reentry services for justice‑involved youth.
Chief Probation Officer Daniel Hernandez detailed a two‑year procurement process for an automotive vocational program after only one qualified respondent applied. Hernandez told the board the county set high standards and outcome measures aimed at delivering “gold‑standard” certificates that youth can use to secure employment after release.
Supervisor Katrina Foley, who chairs the Orange County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, said the approved programs—ranging from hands‑on job training to mentoring—are evidence‑based and include institutions such as carpenter training partners, Project Kinship and the Boys & Girls Club. “We were all very impressed with this group, and we look forward to offering these services to our youth,” Foley said.
A member of the public raised concerns about vendor vetting; county staff and the probation chief described outreach and rigorous procurement steps and said contract performance will be monitored through defined metrics. The board approved the probation contract and the juvenile justice grants unanimously and directed staff to track performance and return if benchmarks are not met.
Supervisors emphasized the goal of connecting training to real jobs and reducing recidivism by ensuring certificates and training meet community‑industry standards. The board also approved related community support program expenditures and district discretionary awards to pilot family‑focused shelter vouchers and other services.
