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Reentry mentoring program warns of June 30 closure; asks Santa Clara County for transition funding
Summary
Speakers at the county Public Safety Committee urged supervisors to provide interim budget support after a grant ending May 5 threatened the Path to Expungement mentoring program, which organizers said serves dozens of people released from custody and was a substantial portion of the group's budget.
Jessie Mahire, who identified herself as the projects manager for a mentoring and support program serving people released from custody in Santa Clara County, told the Public Safety Committee that a grant that funded much of the group's work ended May 5 and the program could shut down on June 30 without help. “We were notified on May 5th that the grant would be coming to an end,” Mahire said, adding the grant represented “a substantial portion of our budget.”
Other speakers with the program described the reentry services they provide, including pre-release planning, transportation, supplies, and mentor support based on lived experience. Omar, who identified himself as a recent law school graduate and volunteer case manager, described meeting clients before release and helping build post-release plans, saying, “without hesitation that the program works.” Irvin Tatum, a program client and formerly incarcerated person, said case management helped him stabilize housing and employment.
Program staff asked county supervisors to consider transitional funding while they seek other sources, emphasizing the need for a secular option distinct from faith-based reentry services. They asked for budget assistance to avoid abrupt service interruptions and to allow time to identify alternative grants or revenue.
The public comment underscored both the reliance of local reentry services on time-limited grants and the potential service gap for people leaving custody if interim support is not provided. The committee did not take immediate formal action on the request during the public-comment period; members and the sheriff later expressed general support for funding reentry handoffs during related agenda items.
The next step for advocates is to follow up with county staff and supervisors’ offices to request a briefing or budget item; program leaders said they would also look for private and philanthropic alternatives.
