POMONA, Sept. 11, 2014 — The Board of State and Community Corrections approved several measures today designed to help communities fund efforts to combat organized gang crime and other new public safety priority areas under the Byrne JAG grant, to help mentally ill offenders receive appropriate treatment, and to ease the need for improved jail beds and program space. The Board took the first step toward making $500 million in lease revenue bonds available to the counties for jail and program space construction authorized in Senate Bill 863 by approving co-chairs for an Executive Steering Committee. The committee will develop the Request for Proposals that counties will use to design and submit projects that best fit the intent of the Legislation and develop a rank-ordered list. The $500 million was part of Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget and was designed to help fill the need for more modern local jail facilities – including space for treatment and for programs designed to ease recidivism, which is a goal of Realignment. Sheriff Ian Parkinson of San Luis Obispo County and Sheriff Dean Growdon of Lassen County will lead the effort as co-chairs. For more information contact: Bill Crout at 916.323.8859 or Bill.Crout@bscc.ca.gov The Board also approved the release, with slight modifications, of the Request for Proposals for Fiscal Year 2014 for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants. The Executive Steering Committee has surveyed stakeholders to determine California’s needs within the federal Bureau of Justice’s priority areas. The stakeholders rated crime prevention and education, law enforcement efforts to fight gangs and problem-solving courts as the top priorities. The ESC expanded the list to include drug abuse prevention, drug enforcement and gun violence reduction, among other categories. Previously the money had been used by law enforcement to fund narcotics task forces. “The complete RFP will be released and posted to the BSCC website on September 15, 2014.” For more information contact: Colleen Curtin at 916-445-8066 or Colleen.Curtin@bscc.ca.gov or Daryle McDaniel at 916.341.7392 or Daryle.McDaniel@bscc.ca.gov The Board approved Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and San Bernardino County Chief Probation Officer Michelle Scray Brown to lead the work in setting up the $18 million Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction Grant Program authorized by Assembly Bill 1468. Hutchens and Brown will co-chair the Executive Steering Committee to oversee development of a Request for Proposals for the competitive grants designed to reduce recidivism in the state’s mentally ill offender population through intervention, supervision and services. The BSCC will award grants consistent with the language in AB 1468, with half going to adult offenders and half targeting juvenile offenders with mental health issues. The BSCC plans to hold a bidders conference in February 2015 and have proposals due in April 2015. Contracts would begin July 1, 2015. For more information contact: Helene Zentner at 916.323.8631 or Helene.Zentner@bscc.ca.gov