To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: Sheriff Eddie Engram - 565-2650, Tory Callaway - 565-2872
Vote Requirement: Informational Only
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Annual Electronic Monitoring Program Policy Review
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Receive and complete the annual review of the administrative policy for the Sheriff’s Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP) to comply with electronic monitoring program regulations as required by Penal Code 1203.016, 1203.017, and 1203.018.
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Executive Summary:
The Sheriff is requesting the Board of Supervisors perform its annual review of the rules, regulations, and administrative policy of the Sheriff’s Electronic Monitoring Program, allowing the Sheriff to lawfully provide a voluntary detention alternative at no cost to eligible incarcerated adults. There have been no revisions to the Policy since the Board’s last review.
Discussion:
Background:
Penal Code 1203.016(b) states that “The board of supervisors, in consultation with the correctional administrator, may prescribe reasonable rules and regulations under which a home detention program may operate”. In 2011, as part of the County’s Community Corrections Partnership Plan, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Sheriff, as the correctional administrator, to offer a home detention program to eligible low/moderate pre-trial and sentenced risk offenders in lieu of incarceration in the County’s adult detention facilities. The Sheriff’s program, called the Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP), provides a cost-effective detention alternative for participants who might otherwise be incarcerated at much greater expense. The Program helps the offender population by keeping them in the community, allowing them to work, provide for their families, receive care from their own providers, and engage with their personal support systems. It also helps Sonoma County manage its adult jail population and provides enhanced public safety via the continuous monitoring of offenders in the community. Participant eligibility for the EMP is based primarily on a risk assessment tool. The risk assessment tool evaluates potential program participants on the following criteria:
• Must be in custody for a minimum of 10 days
• No warrants or holds
• No pending cases
• Must have a permanent residence
• No ”Jail Alternatives Denied” by the courts
• No violent or firearms charges
• Cannot have three DUI convictions within the last 10 years unless enrolled in DUI Court
In addition, the following factors are taken into consideration:
• Length and seriousness of criminal history
• Prior performance on probation or EMP
• History of drug/alcohol use
• Treatment History
• In custody behavior
• Nature of the offence committed
Sheriff’s Detention Division EMP staff use the risk assessment tool to determine who is eligible. Once eligibility has been determined, individuals sentenced to County jail time may voluntarily participate and be placed on EMP for their entire sentence in lieu of confinement in jail at no cost to the participant. The Sheriff uses a contractor to provide EMP services.
Administrative Policy:
The requested action of this Board Item pertains to the annual requirement for the Board to review the Sheriff’s Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP) Policy. Penal Codes 1203.016(d)(1), 1203.017(d)(1), and 1203.018(e) state that “The rules and regulations and administrative policy of the program shall be written and reviewed on an annual basis by the county board of supervisors and the correctional administrator”. There have been no revisions to the Detention Alternatives Monitoring Policy since the Board’s last review on November 5, 2024.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
EMP is a voluntary jail alternative program offered to eligible incarcerated persons.
Prior Board Actions:
The Electronic Monitoring Program Policy has been reviewed and approved annually since 2020.
Fiscal Summary
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FY27-28 Projected |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are no fiscal impacts as a results of the Board’s EMP Policy review.
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Detention Alternatives - Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP) Policy
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A