Delinquency and gang intervention and prevention grants: evidence-based principles and practices.

Existing law, commencing July 1, 2012, establishes the Board of State and Community Corrections to provide statewide leadership, coordination, and technical assistance to promote effective state and local efforts and partnerships in California's adult and juvenile criminal justice system, including addressing gang problems. Existing law requires the board to annually review, approve, and revise, if necessary, the comprehensive state plan for the improvement of criminal justice and delinquency and gang prevention activities throughout the state, establish priorities for the use of available federal funds, and approve the expenditure of all funds pursuant to the plans or federal acts. This bill would require the board to identify delinquency and gang intervention and prevention grant funds and programs for the purpose of consolidating those grant funds and programs and moving toward a unified single delinquency intervention and prevention grant application process in adherence with all applicable federal guidelines and mandates. The bill would require the board to develop incentives for units of local government to develop comprehensive regional partnerships in order to deliver services to a broader target population and maximize the impact of state funds at the local level. The bill would also require, by January 1, 2014, the board to develop funding allocation policies to ensure that within 3 years no less than 70% of funding for gang and youth violence suppression, intervention, and prevention programs and strategies is used in programs that utilize promising and proven evidence-based principles and practices. The bill would specify that its provisions do not include funds already designated to the Local Revenue Fund 2011 pursuant to other sections of law.