The Pasadena Police Department is seeking a Pasadena-based nonprofit organization as a partner to apply for grant money provided under Proposition 47.
Prop 47 was approved by California voters in 2014. The measure recategorized some nonviolent offenses, including drug and property offenses, as misdemeanors, rather than felonies.
The goals of limiting the causes for incarceration were to lighten the corrections system’s burden and save money.
The measure also required that resulting savings be spent on school truancy and dropout prevention, victim services, mental health, drug abuse treatment, and programs designed to keep offenders out of jail.
A Jan. 23 letter from Perez addressed to “Community Partners” said the Prop 47 grant would be used to provide mental health services, substance abuse disorder treatment, and diversion programs for people in the criminal justice system.
Perez said the grant might also provide housing-related assistance and other community-based supportive services, including job skills training, case management, and civil legal services.
“While only public agencies, e.g. a city or a county, may apply for the grant, it is required that a minimum of 50 percent of the grant funds be allocated to non-governmental community partners,” Perez wrote.
Past grants have been in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and up to $20 million. During the last grant submission, Pasadena received $2.5 million.
“The money is being used to break the cycle of recidivism,” said department spokesman Lieutenant Jason Allen Clawson, “by providing previously incarcerated men and women with life skills, mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, financial literacy, trauma-informed care, housing assistance, tattoo removal, etc.,…with help from our local partners and the Pasadena Health Department.”
With a March 18 application deadline looming for the police department, Perez said Pasadena-based non-profit organizations may submit “letters of interest for participation” no later than February 15, 2019. These should outline the organization’s experience in providing the required services and other pertinent information.
“We are looking for service providers centric to Pasadena,” said Clawson, “as we know from ongoing experiences that transportation remains a daily challenge for my of those who are in need.”
A copy of the RFP can be viewed on the Board of State and Community Corrections website, www.bscc.ca.gov.
Prospective applicants can contact Police Lieutenant Jason Clawson at jclawson@cityofpasadena.net, or by phone at (626) 744-7875.
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