Summer 2023 Fellows: Sophia Bi ’26, Christine Kang ’26
Office Description
The Office of Diversion and Reentry Services (DRS) promotes effective policies, practices and services to implement the Public Safety Realignment Program and the Reentry Strategic Plan approved by the Board of Supervisors. These plans are countywide efforts to reduce recidivism and ensure public safety through effective cross-system integration with health and human services and the criminal justice systems. DRS is responsible to coordinate, facilitate, and perform follow-up in all aspects of the Program and Plan, which include budget and fiscal oversight; policy and legislative oversight; departmental coordination; participation on various working groups, councils, networks, partnerships; data and evaluation oversight. Most importantly, the DRS is responsible for overseeing the operations of the County of Santa Clara Reentry Resource Centers (RRC) in San Jose and Gilroy, a centralized assessment and resource facility, where individuals released from custody and/or on Probation or Parole can receive service referrals and wrap around services to assist them in becoming stable and self-sufficient as they reintegrate into the community.
Description of the Work
- Assist with Development of Town Hall and Client Conversation (cross representation of stakeholders) about health inequities and reentry efforts reaching out to our previous reentry medical directors;
- Identify best practices in coordinating family services for clients using client navigators;
- Prepare an inmate survey (Jail Custody Programming) and Reentry Resource Center surveys (for Probation releases);
- Attend virtual (in-person) public meetings as requested by Director;
- Opportunity to design and implement a project in consultation with ORS over the summer as per funding requirements;
- Research on the benefits of offering domestic violence or anger management courses in custody;
- Assist with the implementation of a guaranteed basic income program to alleviate poverty and how this addresses racial disparities and identify best practices that provide basic income to formerly incarcerated individuals enrolled in career training;
- Research on the Alternatives to Incarceration programs in San Diego County as whether these types of programs work and whether other counties have established these programs;
- Support a reentry-contracted provider’s program and/or event at the correctional facility or in the community;
- Assist with community event National Night Out in August;
- Any other related tasks and responsibilities that may be required of the Fellow.
Desired Skills
- Strong research skills;
- Strong organizational skills;
- Strong written and verbal communication skills;
- Excellent interpersonal skills;
- Experience working collaboratively in a team structure;
- Excellent skills in Microsoft applications; and Computer literate in other standard software applications.
