Santa Barbara County Community Corrections Partnership allocates funds to organizations providing hope to justice-involved residents

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with the county Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office to allocate funds to two organizations that provide opportunities for justice-involved individuals.

The CCP in chaired by Chief Probation Officer Tanja Heitman and includes membership from the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Department of Behavioral Wellness, Public Defender’s Office, Superior Court, Santa Maria Police, as well as representatives from community-based organizations.

It develops and votes on an annual spending plan to support the local needs of the county’s justice-involved individuals, according to Karyn Milligan, spokeswoman for the Probation Department.

This year, it has awarded $30,000 to Freedom to Choose for a one-year Pathways to Freedom Self-Directed Learning Program pilot within the county jail. The money was awarded in partnership with the Sheriff’s Office.

The pilot program is expected to engage up to 100 individuals in a self-study curriculum aimed to address thinking errors and learned patterns of unhealthy behavior while providing tools to build prosocial behavior, Milligan said.

“The objective of the program is to support the participants in gaining the necessary insight and awareness leading to sustainable, prosocial change,” she added.

Then, in partnership with the District Attorney’s Office, the Center for Court Innovation was awarded roughly $56,850 to provide training and technical assistance in the development and implementation of a felony diversion program for those charged with lower-level felonies.

The Center uses research-based programs to address individual needs, reduce contact with the criminal justice system, and increase connections to community-based systems of care.

“The Community Corrections Partnership unanimously approved funding these important initiatives that will support the efforts of the Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices in improving outcomes for our justice-involved community members,” Heitman said.

“Freedom to Choose is uniquely designed and focused on assisting our incarcerated population; CCI will be working to build pathways to divert appropriate individuals away from the criminal justice system while repairing the harm done to victims and the community. Through a continuum of evidence-based and promising approaches our local resources can have the greatest impact.”