County Seeks Applicants for Racial Justice Oversight Body

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking residents who may be interested in being part of the County’s efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities within the local criminal justice system.

Beginning in April 2017, the County’s Racial Justice Task Force worked to identify racial and ethnic disparities in the County’s local justice system and develop a set of recommendations aimed at reducing those disparities.  On July 24, 2018, the Board of Supervisors accepted their report, which included a recommendation to create a Racial Justice Oversight Body.

Public Protection Committee Chair, Supervisor John Gioia, commented on the process, “We value diversity, inclusion and racial equity in Contra Costa County, and we welcome interest from residents all across our County who want to serve the community in the cause of racial justice.”

The Racial Justice Oversight Body will be composed of the following 18 representatives:

• A representative from the Superior Court, as a non-voting member;
• The Sheriff or his designee;
• The Chief Probation Officer or his designee;
• The Public Defender or her designee;
• The District Attorney or her designee;
• A representative from a local law enforcement agency, nominated by the Contra Costa County Police Chiefs’ Association;
• A representative from the Contra Costa County Office of Education;
• A representative from a Local School District;
• A representative from Contra Costa County Health Services Department; and
• Nine community-based representatives, including:
• Two members of the Contra Costa Racial Justice Coalition,
• Two individuals with prior personal criminal or juvenile justice system involvement,
• Three representatives from community-based organizations (CBO) that work with justice involved populations, including at least one person who works directly with youth,
• One representative from a faith-based organization, and
• One representative that is either a school age young person, or from a CBO who provides services to school age youth.

This Oversight Body will be tasked with the periodic review and reporting of racial and ethnic disparities in the local criminal and juvenile justice systems, as well as the ongoing support and monitoring of efforts to implement recommendations to reduce the disparities.

The Board is now seeking applications for seven (7) of the seats identified above:

• two (2) individuals with prior personal criminal or juvenile justice system involvement;
• one (1) representative from a community-based organization that works with justice involved youth;
• two (2) representatives from community-based organizations that work with justice-involved populations of any age;
• one (1) representative from a faith-based organization; and
• one (1) representative that is either a school age youth, or from a community-based organization who provides services to school age youth.

Appointments to the Racial Justice Oversight Body will be for a term of two years.

Applicants will be interviewed by the Board of Supervisors’ Public Protection Committee:  Supervisors John Gioia, District I, and Federal Glover, District V. The nominations for the Racial Justice Oversight Body will then be forwarded to the full Board of Supervisors for action.

Below is a timeline of the recruitment process for the seven vacancies:

• September 18, 2018:          First Day of the Application Period
• November 2, 2018:             Final Day of the Application Period, due by 5:00 p.m.
• November 13, 2018:           Public Protection Committee Meeting: Interviews
• December 4, 2018:             Board of Supervisors Consideration of Nominees

Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 335-1900 or by visiting the County webpage at http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/3418/. Applications should be returned to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Room 106, County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Martinez, CA 94553.

Applications can also be emailed to [email protected].