The state’s 2011 shift of criminal justice responsibility to counties under AB 109 has generated extensive commentary and analysis about how well it’s working. As it happens, “Smart Justice” is the theme for the National Association of Counties’ County Government Month, and counties are indeed working smarter to manage these new responsibilities. Many counties are [...]
In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) has a noble and practical purpose: help the most vulnerable Californians with significant health issues stay as long as possible in their homes by providing some level of caregiving assistance. Yet the system, designed with the best intentions, is still susceptible to fraud from persons who prey on the sick and elderly. In response to concerns about fraud, Los Angeles County instituted a model IHSS Anti-Fraud effort developed by the Department of Public Social Services in partnership with the District Attorney and State Investigative Section.
Ask Santa Cruz County Chief Probation Officer Scott MacDonald about the value of thinking outside the box and his eyes light up. If you want someone to promote the effectiveness of the current corrections system, then you better find someone else to talk to. MacDonald is quick to repeat the quote that “the corrections system needs to do more correcting and less collecting.”
For the past seven years, Santa Cruz County has been thinking outside the box on how it treats technical parole violators. Their program is called the Warrant Reduction Advocacy Program (WRAP) — and it’s working. Since the program’s inception, Santa Cruz County has been able to reduce warrants by more than 60 percent.
At a recent CSAC Institute course, the topic was county information technology services. A key message delivered during the course was how counties need to work toward better use of information technology to efficiently deliver services to residents. And that’s exactly what Nevada County is doing through its My Neighborhood GIS Application. This isn’t a program for which you need an IT degree to figure it out. It’s very user-friendly.
San Diego County has a solid track record for being a CSAC Challenge Award Recipient. The County embraces innovation and the three programs featured here are prime examples of their objective of improving the lives of all San Diego residents.