Alameda County Public Protection Committee Meeting - March 27, 2026
Alameda County Public Protection Committee Meeting - March 27, 2026
Note: The transcript indicates the meeting was held on Thursday, March 26, 2026, but the provided date is March 27, 2026. This summary uses the provided date.
The Alameda County Public Protection Committee met on March 27, 2026, to receive two informational presentations: an update on women's programming at Santa Rita Jail and the 2025 annual review of the District Attorney's Office. The meeting included public comments on both items.
Presentation 1: Santa Rita Jail Women's Programming and Programming Pod
Sergeant Priscilla Silva presented an update on programs for women at Santa Rita Jail, based on a January 2025 survey of inmates. Key findings: 44% wanted entrepreneurship, 35% culinary arts, 30% cosmetology/music, 29% first aid/CPR. Barriers included average 3-day stay, classification restrictions, and mental health issues. Programs developed include: mixed-classification courses (a first at the jail), partnerships with Chabot College, Las Positas College (starting in 2026), Five Keys, Juilliard School of Music, Airmark Food Company (culinary certification), Freedom Braiders (braiding with life skills curriculum), and a doula certification program. A women's programming pod was established in summer 2025, currently housing 22 women who wrote a letter praising the safe environment. The presentation highlighted success stories, including Kennedy (former inmate now employed and winning braiding competitions). Funding concerns were raised: Las Positas funding ($328,000 from Rising Scholars) ends July 31, 2026; Freedom Braiders operates without stable funding.
Public Comments on Item 1
- Norma Arrozco (Ella Baker Center) acknowledged programming value but argued no amount of programming makes Santa Rita safe, citing over 70 deaths in the last decade, including Kayona Farr who died after three days in custody. She urged investment in diversion and community-based programs.
- A speaker (unidentified) praised Freedom Braiders and asked why funding for the program is not continued.
- Tanisha Cannon (Legal Services for Prisoners with Children) questioned why tax dollars are spent on 72-hour incarceration and called for diversion before jail.
- John Jones III (formerly incarcerated) thanked the sheriff's office and Sergeant Silva for believing in people.
- Brianna Reggles (Freedom Braider) advocated for programs centering women.
- Maya (Freedom Braider) stressed the need for long-term funding to reduce recidivism.
Presentation 2: Alameda County District Attorney's 2025 Annual Review
District Attorney Ursula Jones Dixon presented the 2025 annual review, emphasizing her office's mission to ethically prosecute, uphold victims' rights under Marcy's Law (California Constitution), and rebuild community trust. She highlighted: 12,962 misdemeanor and 5,856 felony in-custody referrals reviewed in 2025 (up significantly due to clearing backlog). Gun charge referrals rose between 2023 and 2025. The office provided 39 services on average to each of 7,646 new victims in 2025. Death case backlog: 322 pending death cases, 262 homicide/murder cases, 60 manslaughter cases awaiting trial. Average time to resolution is 2 years 9 months. The DA's office lost a federal Trauma Recovery Center grant. The office is working on a gun violence prevention grant for a young women's empowerment program and expanding the CARES Navigation Center (currently 16-20 clients per month, with a second mobile team starting April 1, 2026). The DA responded to questions about data dashboard (system is outdated, hiring coders), resentencing (slowed to ensure victim notification), juvenile transfers (no direct files; only fitness hearings requested as allowed by law), and police accountability cases (cases dismissed when cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt; families have been met with).
Public Comments on Item 2
- Madeline Stacy asked how the office serves victims of police violence, citing Stephen Taylor's case.
- Michelle Monterosa asked about resources for families impacted by police violence.
- Aces Hart Bell questioned why petitions to prosecute children as adults were filed only for non-white children.
- Tanisha Cannon asked why prosecutor-initiated resentencing stopped, referencing a UC Berkeley study showing 165 sentences reduced, saving 2,792 years of incarceration and millions annually.
- A speaker (unidentified) asked why the public data dashboard was removed and about racial disparities in Prop 36 enforcement.
- Derek Benson asked why police accountability cases were dismissed and what pathways exist for accountability.
- Maria Sopeda (Urban Peace Movement) said the DA refuses to meet with community groups, unlike prior DAs.
- Norma Arrozco (again) repeated calls for meeting and for halting youth transfers to adult court.
- Kate Tellerico (San Francisco Chronicle) requested data on sex trafficking cases, noting a delayed public records request.
- John Jones III praised the DA but urged prevention.
- Simone Renee (Urban Peace Movement) called for halting youth transfers and resuming resentencing.
- John Lindsay Poland (American Friends Service Committee) asked about the CARES Navigation Center data and urged the DA to submit a plan to the CARES First ad hoc committee.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken. The committee received the presentations as informational.
- Supervisor Marquez requested a timeline of the women's programming for the next year and emphasized tracking data on recidivism and employment post-release.
- Supervisor Miley expressed support for the programs and offered to help find funding.
- The DA committed to continuing quarterly reports and improving data transparency.
- The next Public Protection Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 10:30 AM, with updates on medical quality assurance at Santa Rita Jail and procurement timeline for comprehensive medical services.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning, everyone. We'll get started shortly. We're just working out some kinks. Are we good? Oh, we're good. Okay. All right. Good morning, everyone. I'm going to call this meeting to order. Thank you, everyone, for your patience. Apologize for the delay. There was a fire drill this morning. I hear an echo. Can we fix the audio? Testing one two. Okay. Are we Tisa, am I hearing the echo just because your volumes up? Do you guys hear the echo? Give us a minute. Sorry about that. Welcome to the remix party, everybody. Okay. Is that better? Yes. Okay. All right. Thank you everyone for your patience. We will now start the public protection committee meeting for Thursday, March 26th. Can we please start with a roll call? Supervisor Miley here. Supervisor Marquez. Present. We have a quorum. Thank you so much. And if the clerk can please provide the announcement, how individuals can participate remotely or in person. For in-person participation, the meeting site is open to the public. If you'd like to speak on an item, fill out a speaker's card in the front of the room and hand it to the clerk for remote participation. Follow the teleconferencing guidelines posted at www.acgo.org and use the raise your hand function. Thank you, Tisa. Before we get started, can we just make sure that the audio is clearly for those that are listening remotely? Someone could give us a thumbs up that everything is coming through clearly. Can you raise your hand online if you can hear us? Yes. Okay, great. Good morning, everyone. And happy women's history month. Today we have two informational items. The first one is going to be a Santa Rita Jail Women's Programming and Programming Pod presentation by Sergeant Priscilla Silva and Programs Director, Reentry and Supportive Services Unit with Alameda County Sheriff's Office. It's the 2025 annual review of Alameda County District Attorney's Office presented by our district attorney, Ursula Jones Dixon. And just wanted to give some opening remarks.
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