On behalf of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, I write to express our opposition to AB 505 (Ting). Tulare County is fully invested in a strong, vibrant, and responsive juvenile justice system that produces improved, sustainable, and positive outcomes for system-involved youth, resulting in less children being referred to the adult court system. As counties are now responsible for the entirety of the juvenile justice system pursuant to SB 823 (DJJ realignment, 2020), it is imperative that county authority and responsibility remain connected to ensure the system can respond appropriately - AB 505 impedes county efforts in this regard.
Counties remain consistent throughout DJJ realignment discussions, that a fiscal structure with certainty and
protections is needed to assure adequate and sustainable funding over the long-term. This bill would change the fiscal framework adopted in SB 823 (2020) and would instead require the State's approval of local plans in order for counties to receive annual realignment funding and dictates how the Board shall make local allocations for rehabilitative, housing, and supervision services. This contrasts with the framework passed by the Legislature which requires the development of a local plan to set forth locally responsive priorities to guide the allocation of funding for services.
AB 505 adds barriers to stable funding as counties look to build out the responses necessary to implement critical services to youth at the higher end of the system upon the state closing DJJ . Additionally, there are other programmatic changes proposed in this bill that create instability and significant changes to the juvenile justice continuum. There has not been a demonstrated need to make the changes proposed in this bill, and we urge the Legislature to take caution in making concurrent changes to programs currently under implementation as counties are working diligently to best serve the youth in our communities.
Sincerely,
Dennis Townsend, Chairman
Tulare County Board of Supervisors
cc: Senator Portantino, Honorable Members and Consultants of the Senate Appropriations Committee