Two years ago, California implemented legislation that has sent shockwaves nationwide in the corrections industry. The state passed legislation called California Public Safety Realignment, which shifted the responsibility for incarcerating many inmates from the state to counties. Primarily incorporated in two Assembly Bills, AB 109 and AB 117, this shift from state to county responsibility is called “prison realignment.” The legislation was necessary because the U.S. Supreme Court had demanded the state reduce its prison overcrowding problem or release inmates.
BI Incorporated and GEO Reentry, both divisions of GEO Community Services, have been working closely with counties to explore a number of options for counties seeking to respond smartly and cost-effectively to the challenges of realignment. These options include day reporting centers, core model day reporting programs for smaller counties, electronic monitoring programs, in-custody programs, and even residential reentry programs.
Many counties have incorporated a mix of these solutions, including Sonoma County. In 2012, the Sonoma County Probation Department selected BI Incorporated and GEO Reentry to open and operate a day reporting program for adult probationers. GEO Reentry provides treatment and case management services at the Sonoma County Day Reporting Center for offenders who pose a risk of failing probation.
Probationers diverted to the day reporting program go through assessment, treatment and training, then aftercare. Cognitive behavior therapy designed to reduce criminal thinking is a core element of the program.
The program has made tremendous strides, as highlighted in a recent article in the Press Democrat. Click here to see how Sonoma County is doing with realignment today. Read more.