Statewide county organization recognizes the Plumas Alternative Sentencing Program
By Debra Moore
The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) announced the recipients of its 2020 Challenge Awards spotlighting the most innovative programs developed and implemented by California counties. This year, Plumas County’s Alternative Sentencing Program received the nod for rural counties.
The award came in the Administration of Justice and Public Safety category. Santa Barbara County received the award for suburban counties, while San Diego and Ventura counties were honored in the urban segment.
Overall, 49 programs from 25 counties were honored. CSAC received a record 363 entries this year from counties throughout the state. A new entry category – Disaster/Emergency Response and Management – was added to reflect the significant work counties have undertaken the past few years.
“It’s often said that adversity is the mother of innovation, and the 2020 CSAC Challenge Awards celebrate the overwhelming spirit of innovation that abounds in California’s 58 counties,” said Graham Knaus, CSAC Executive Director. “From wildfires and the pandemic to public safety and health services, these ‘best-in-class’ programs reflect the breadth of programs and services provided to our communities by California Counties.”
This is the second high profile award for the Alternative Sentencing Program in just the past few weeks.
On Oct. 16, U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced that the program would receive a federal grant of $497,802 to fund a 36-month enhancement project for programs and services provided through the current Plumas County Community Justice Court (CJC). This highly competitive federal grant saw only four California counties named as recipients – Plumas, Marin, Santa Cruz and San Joaquin.
For that grant and this latest award, District Attorney David Hollister singled out the program’s manager, Stephanie Tanaka, for her dedicated work. He also lauded the efforts of Deputy District Attorney Kelly Styger and Fiscal Officer Sheri Johns.
“We are doing a great job for our citizens in the criminal justice system. Our partnerships with the court and defense bar have provided tremendous support,” Hollister said.
The Alternative Sentencing Program uses an innovative early intervention and reintegration approach to criminal justice. It creates a roadmap for an offender’s successful rehabilitation. By intervening in this manner, it serves the offender as well as saves the county money, which the DA estimates to be roughly $100,000 annually.
