DECARCERATE ALAMEDA COUNTY

DAC's Care First Resolution Passed: Next Steps

After powerful testimony by family members, providers and advocates from Decarcerate Alameda County, and a Los Angeles leader of a similar process, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Health Committee enthusiastically voted for the full Board to consider the Care First, Jails Last policy resolution. A date has yet to be set for that full Board's hearing on the policy.

The resolution that passed to the full Board does not include an interdepartmental, community-partnered implementation body as DAC had proposed, which was cut from the resolution at the behest of County staff. Our DAC testimony and many public comments spoke to the importance of creating such a committee. At the end of the hearing, Supervisor Chan expressed interest in creating such a committee in collaboration with a philanthropy or nonprofit, based on the experience of Los Angeles.

Stay tuned for next steps. Coming soon!

*Updated May 12, 2021

Surviving COVID-19 in Santa Rita Jail

Check out this brief explainer video about what's been happening — and not happening — in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, California since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DAC Small Victory: No Cuts to Healthcare, Defund the Sheriff

Decarcerate Alameda County (DAC) organized to win significant budget demands this week—preventing cuts to healthcare and permanently cutting 12 sheriff positions. The County also cut $11.9M to public protections departments (sheriff, district attorney, probation, fire, and public defender). The Board of Supervisors voted on November 10, 2020, to close a $72.9 million budget gap, resulting from reduced revenues from the State of California. The sheriff's department took the biggest hit in cuts and we know this would not have happened without the months of calls, mobilizations, and public engagement from coalition members of DAC. Thank you for fighting with us! Let's keep organizing to build a robust community-base mental health care system that prioritizes care over punishment.

*Updated 11/12/20