Sonoma County gets state funds to help with influx of inmates

Sonoma County supervisors Tuesday accepted $100,000 in state funds to expand and develop local programs in response to realignment, the court-ordered shift of inmates from state prisons to county jails that’s aimed at reducing crowding in correctional facilities.

The Board of State and Community Corrections, a state agency that helps local governments comply with realignment, has advised supervisors on how Sonoma County can spend its portion of $8 million in state funding offered to counties, divvied out based on population.

The state agency charged the county with developing a competitive grant program, allowing community organizations to create programs to reduce crime and reduce the number of inmates cycling in and out of incarceration. Programs could include housing assistance, mentoring and educational services, and delinquency prevention.

Supervisor Shirlee Zane said she’d like to see additional investment in programs that benefit people with behavioral health issues.

“We need to continue to address underlying problems,” Zane said, that lead “people to commit crimes in the first place.”

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 526-8503 or angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@ahartreports.