Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1036559
MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY 2017-2018 • OCTOBER 2018 MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT SUMMARIES 10 Marin County's use of alternatives to detention for youth offenders continues to be a huge success. e Marin County Sheriff 's Department, specifically the probation department, and the scores of counselors, healthcare providers, teachers, support staff and volunteers who work every day to keep Marin's youth out of the criminal justice system, are to be commended. Only Marin youth who have been convicted of (or are awaiting trial for) very serious crimes are housed at the facility for longer than two days. Alternatives to detention include a variety of diversion programs, such as drug and alcohol treatment, juvenile court, mental health treatment, employ- ment services, mentorship and more. is success has created new challenges: Juvenile Hall's population is very low and the costs are fixed. As a result, on some days Juvenile Hall has more people operating it than detain- ees, and the per day, per detainee average cost seems indefensibly high. California state law does however provide a solution: two or more counties can cooperate to provide a joint facility. Other northern California counties have also succeeded with alternatives to detention. e logical next step is to engage with them to tackle this problem on a regional scale. Napa and Sonoma counties have newer, modern facilities, while Marin's Juvenile Hall is over 50 years old, with deferred maintenance and an outdated de- sign. Replacing Juvenile Hall with a modern version would cost tens of millions of dollars. In 2018, County departments are being asked to identify budget reductions. In this climate, a pro- posal to spend millions to replace the existing Juvenile Hall appears inappropriate. THE FUTURE OF JUVENILE DETENTION IN MARIN: A Follow-Up Report RECOMMENDATIONS R1. e Board of Supervisors (BOS) should solicit input from the public regarding the future of Marin's juvenile detention services and the Juvenile Hall property. R2. e BOS should conduct a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process with all neighboring counties to determine interest in sharing juvenile detention services and facilities. R3. e BOS should commission a study to determine the highest and best use of the entire Juvenile Hall property. Photo Credit: Marin County Civil Grand Jury