Originally posted at CSAC.
The Marin County Recovery Coach Program is a creative means to engage these offenders in treatment and reentry activities. The Recovery Coach helps us address the drug, alcohol, and mental health needs of our AB109 offenders; providing mentor/“sponsor” like relationships to support the offenders and augment the supervision provided by deputy probation officers.
http://www.csac.counties.org/post/smart-justice-marin-county
In 2011, the California Legislature passed AB 109: a plan to comply with federal court orders to reduce the prison population by about 35,000 inmates. Under this plan, California’s 58 counties began incarcerating, supervising and rehabilitating non-serious, non-violent, and non-sexual criminal offenders.
Since then, California Counties have risen to the challenge, implementing evidence-based practices that identify individual offender’s risk factors and providing services, treatment and other resources to help reduce the risk of reoffending. CSAC originally four “Smart Justice” videos, highlighting Glenn, San Bernardino, San Joaquin and San Mateo counties, where staff has developed and implemented creative and successful programs that are making our communities safer and helping to reduce recidivism.
We are continuing the Smart Justice series with videos focusing in on specific aspects of AB 109 programming in six additional counties: Ventura, San Diego, Marin, Contra Costa, Merced and Colusa. In sharing these stories, we hope that other counties can see and replicate what is working.