The Alameda County Public Protection Committee, chaired by Supervisor Marquez, met to review informational updates on juvenile justice programming and Sheriff's Office policies regarding less lethal and chemical agents. The meeting emphasized transparency, accountability, and support for youth in custody.
Good morning, everyone. I'm going to call this meeting to order. This is Alameda County Board of Supervisors Public Protection Committee meeting for Thursday, September 25th. Can we please start with the roll call? Supervisor Miley, excuse. Supervisor Marquez. Present. Thank you. And if the clerk could please make the announcement how to participate in public comment at the end of our two informational items, either in person or remotely. For in-person participation, the meeting site is open to the public. If you'd like to speak on an item, please fill out a speaker's card in the front of the room and hand it to the clerk for remote participation. You can use the raise your hand function. And we'll have comment after both items. No, actually, let me readdress that. We'll actually take public comment after item number one is heard and then public item public comment after item number two, and then general public comments at the end for items not on the agenda. Thank you for asking for that clarification. I want to welcome everyone and good morning. Thank you for joining us today. I want to begin by recognizing the Alameda County Probation Department, which will present first with updates on juvenile justice programming, behavioral health care services, clinical treatment, and the use of OC spray. Supporting our most at-risk youth is one of my top priorities and essential to promoting public safety. That is why, since August of last year, I have convened quarterly meetings to specifically focus on behavioral health care services at the county's juvenile justice center. These convenings bring together multiple justice stakeholders, including the Superior Court, the Office of the District Attorney, and Public Defender, AC Health, including the Behavioral Health Department, Alameda County Office of Education, and Community Partners to strengthen cross-agency coordination and services for young people. These are critical areas of work, and I want to thank probation staff for their efforts to ensure that youth and our care receive the attention and support they need. I also want to acknowledge one of our young people at JJC who is attending UC Berkeley and planning to apply to law school. Javier's story is a reminder that young people not only matter, but have incredible gifts to offer our community that can only be realized when we choose to believe and invest in their future. Today's agenda will also feature a presentation from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office to review their less lethal and chemical agent policies. This is a follow-up to a request I made as a previous public protection committee meeting. Today's presentation will help inform the public about how these safety policies are applied and monitored. As the chair of the public protection committee, I remain committed to transparency, accountability, and public participation in these important county policy discussions. Thank you again to all our presenters and attendees for their contributions and partnership around today's dialogue. We're gonna go ahead and start with item number one. This is an informational item and update on the county's juvenile facilities programming. I'd like to welcome first assistant chief probation officer Shauna Connor. Welcome. And later we will be hearing from Deputy Chief Probation Officer William Mymore for Juvenile Facilities, Lucia Moritz, Executive Director for Alameda County Office of Education's Court and Community School Programs, Alameda County Behavioral Health Department's Forensic Diversion and Reentry Services Director Juan Taisan and Juvenile Justice Center Medical Director Dr. Javi Ross from UCSF Children's Hospital in Oakland. Welcome, Chief Probation Officer Shauna Connor. Good morning, Supervisor Marquez, and thank you for the opportunity to present today. My name is Shauna Connor, Assistant Chief Probation Officer with the Alameda County Probation Department, and I'm joined by my colleagues from Probation Behavioral Health, UCSF Binioff Children's Hospital Oakland, and the Alameda County Office of Education. Here's a quick roadmap of today's presentation. First, we'll review the demographics of youth in our care, giving some context about who we serve. Second, the partner agencies will share updates on the programs and services provided, showing the breadth of support available to youth and their families. Finally, we'll provide an overview of our efforts to reduce our reliance on OC spray, including the data and strategies we're implementing to reinforce safety and accountability. So this data, this slide represents a snapshot of our population in facilities as of August 31st, 2025. Between the JJC and Camp Sweeney, there were 60 youth in custody. Of note, 67 youth were in the predisposition phase, and 33% were in the post disposition programming, which is Camp or SecureTrack. The population is predominantly male. Oakland youth account for 42% of the population, followed by out of county youth at 25%. 62% of youth are African American, followed by Hispanic or Latinx youth at 27%. And in terms of age of youth in the facility, we are skewing older.