Strategies for Serving Individuals
with Frequent Justice System
Involvement
A Joint Meeting of the
City of San José Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support Committee and the
County of Santa Clara Public Safety and Justice Committee February 15, 2024
1. a. Introductory Remarks & Review
of City/County Collaboration for
Calendar Year 2022-2023
3 Alternatives
to
Incarceration
Informed Bail
Decisions
Mental Illness,
Substance
Abuse,
Behavioral
Health
HighFrequency
Offenders
4 Informed Bail Setting Pilot
Program Update
• Affidavit of Probable Cause and Bail Setting
• Law Enforcement Risk / Mitigation Factor
Worksheet
Initial
Development &
Collaboration
Santa Clara
County Sheriff’s
Office Pilot
San Jose Police
Department
Pilot
Final Revisions County-Wide
Implementation
County’s Summary of
Collaborative Efforts
in 2022-2023
Presenter: Chief Operating Officer Greta Hansen
5 Individuals with
Frequent Justice
System
Involvement
Presenters: Office of the Public Defender
Avanindar Singh, Supervising Deputy Public Defender
Brett Hammon, Deputy Public Defender
6 Individuals with Frequent Justice System
Involvement
Countywide data from the
Santa Clara County Public
Defender Office’s (PDO) case
management system
identified 70 clients with
frequent justice system
involvement, defined as
clients who had 15+ case
referrals to the PDO during
the 3-year period between
November 2020 and October
2023.
These 70 clients comprised
0.2% of the approximately
32,217 adult clients referred
to the PDO during this
period.
Santa Clara County
Census Data indicates
2.33% of Santa Clara
County Residents are
Black/African American
7 Characteristics of Individuals with Frequent
System Involvement*
*Individuals with frequent system involvement are clients who had 15+ referrals to the PDO between November 2020 and October 2023. They represent 0.2% out of the approximately 32,217 unique adult clients referred during this period. 8
Case Type Breakdown for Individuals with
Frequent System Involvement*
*Individuals with frequent system involvement are clients who had 15+ referrals to the PDO between November 2020 and October 2023. They represent 0.2% out of the approximately 32,217 unique adult clients referred during this period.
• This reflects all PDO case referrals for
individuals with frequent system
involvement, without a year restriction.
• A case is designated a “Misdemeanor” if the
charges in the docket are exclusively
misdemeanor charges.
• A case is designated a “Felony” if at least
one count in the docket is a felony.
• “Probation Violation” refers to
misdemeanor or felony grants of probation.
• Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS)
• The light blue refers to Lanterman Petris
Short (LPS) Act matters (11 total).
• Cases that begin as felonies often resolve
for misdemeanors or infractions.
9 Case Type Breakdown for Individuals with
Frequent System Involvement*
Most common charges by docket in the last ten years for this population**
1. Misdemeanor Petty Theft
• Penal Code Section 484-488
2. Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Health and Safety Code Section 11364
3. Misdemeanor Trespass
• Penal Code Section 602
*Individuals with frequent system involvement are clients who had 15+ referrals to the PDO between November 2020 and October 2023. They represent 0.2% out of the approximately 32,217 unique adult clients referred during this period.
**The charge data is not limited by the last three years. Instead, it reflects all cases for individuals with frequent system involvement, without a year restriction. 10