AB 1006

This bill provides additional funding for and makes changes to the treatment

alternatives and diversion (TAD) grant program administered by the Department of

Justice.

Under current law, DOJ awards grants to counties that have established

qualifying TAD programs for persons who are or may be charged with, or who are

convicted of, offenses related to the person's use or abuse of alcohol or other drugs.

Under current law, a TAD program is intended to offer alternatives to prosecution

or incarceration for offenders with substance abuse problems in order to reduce

recidivism, promote public safety, and reduce prison and jail populations.

Under current law, in order to qualify for a TAD grant, a county's program must

meet certain criteria, including offering treatment alternatives for the offender's

substance use, and coordinating with other specialists, including mental health

treatment providers, social services providers, and case workers in order to provide

intensive case management. Each qualifying program must be developed in

collaboration with representatives from the judicial system, law enforcement and

corrections, social and welfare service providers, and mental health and substance

abuse treatment providers. Further, under current law, each county that receives

a TAD grant creates an oversight committee with representatives from those

agencies or services to administer and evaluate the program.

Under current law, a TAD program that receives a grant is subject to state

audits and each county that receives a TAD grant must submit an annual report to

DOJ and to the oversight committee that details its progress in promoting public

safety, reducing recidivism and lowering costs, and meeting the treatment and other

needs of program participants.

Current law allows counties to administer a TAD program jointly and requires

any county that receives a grant to provide matching funds that are equal to 25

percent of the amount of the grant. Eligible programs must require participants to

pay a reasonable amount for their treatment within the program.

This bill makes several changes to the TAD grant program. Under the bill, a

program funded by a TAD grant need not focus solely on alcohol and other drug

treatment, but must employ evidence-based practices and must be designed to

promote effective criminal justice policies to reduce prosecution and incarceration

costs, reduce recidivism, and enhance justice and public safety.

The bill requires each program to be designed to integrate and coordinate

services from several providers, including a participant's behavioral health

treatment providers, case managers, and compliance monitors. The bill requires

each program to use eligibility criteria based on risk, need, and responsivity

assessments and to tailor its services to the needs of each participant or target

population.

The bill allows, but does not require, an eligible program to require participants