JDAI Site Updates
Santa Cruz to Receive Federal Grant of Nearly $1 Million Dollars
The JDAI Model Site in Santa Cruz County, Calif., was awarded $913,560 as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Grant was a competitive solicitation with more than 3,600 applicants.
The money will pay the salaries of probation officers and aid community-based programs, said Fernando Giraldo, Santa Cruz’s director of juvenile probation. "The focus of the grant was to preserve jobs and support our community partners," he said.
The federal stimulus money will spare the jobs of up to five probation staff who were at risk of being laid off due to county-wide budget cuts. Santa Cruz intends to use the funds for several neighborhood-based probation officers, ongoing support for its nationally recognized Evening Reporting Center, and to sustain staffing levels in community organizations that provide mentor and job services.
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| Scott MacDonald, chief probation officer, Santa Cruz County. |
"We believe our status as a model JDAI site and our work to reduce racial and ethnic disparities gave us an edge in the competition," said Scott MacDonald, Santa Cruz’s chief probation officer.
"Our detention reform efforts have turned Santa Cruz into a nationally recognized juvenile justice system. This will enable us to maintain our focus of keeping youth in the community," MacDonald added.
For more information contact Fernando Giraldo, director of juvenile probation in Santa Cruz County, at prb246@co.santa-cruz.ca.us.
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