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Santa Cruz County health agency seeks transitional housing for women released from jail

Santa Cruz Sentinel - 8/7/2017

Aug. 07--SANTA CRUZ -- The Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency is moving ahead with a new approach to break the cycle of incarceration for local women.

On Tuesday, the agency is seeking county supervisors' approval to request proposals for transitional housing for women reentering the community after incarceration. It is on the consent agenda.

The need for gender-specific services was documented in the "Gender Matters" report by researcher Susan Greene, which the Sheriff's Office presented to the supervisors April 11.

Greene interviewed 31 women ages 20 to 62 in jail and found 84 percent were addicted to drugs or alcohol, substances they began using at age 14. More than half had lived in Santa Cruz for 20 years.

She detailed the adversity in their lives:

--71 percent were sexually abused as a child.

--80 percent reported parental or caregiver violence.

--87 percent were separated from a parent.

--56 percent had a parent incarcerated.

--66 percent were suspended or expelled from school.

--33 percent lacked a high school diploma.

The goal of the new program is to provide structure and support to help women break the cycle of incarceration and recidivism, increase public safety and improve lives, according to Giang Nguyen, who heads the county's Health Services Agency.

The county plans to use the county-owned Gemma House on Ocean Street for the program. Encompass Community Services has been operating a program at this site.

Proposals are expected to be due Sept. 5, with an anticipated start in January.

Nguyen is negotiating for Encompass to continue its program until the "request for proposals" process yields results.

She expects to return in December to get approval of a contract for a gender-specific program.

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