REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 10, 2025
FROM
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
SUBJECT
Title
Agreement with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools for Vocational Inmate Education Programs
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve agreement with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools to provide vocational education programs to inmates at the County’s detention facilities, for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2030, with no projected cost to the County.
(Presenter: Carolina Mendoza, Chief Deputy Director 387-3760)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) receives an Average Daily Attendance (ADA) apportionment per student inmate to fund inmate education programs. Should costs exceed the ADA funding available, SBCSS can request supplemental funding from the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator’s (Department) Inmate Welfare Fund (IWF). SBCSS’s revenues have historically been sufficient to recover its costs, with no supplemental funding required.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department provides adult education programs for inmates housed at the County’s detention facilities. The goal of these programs is to aid in providing inmates with skills and abilities to assist them with employability and life skills, so they can become productive citizens. The SBCSS, through the Department’s Inmate Rehabilitation through Occupational and Academic Development Systems program (INROADS), provides vocational education programs including bakery, restaurant operations, custodial, introduction to construction trades, and certified Microsoft Office specialist. Approximately 1,000 inmates attend vocational programs offered by SBCSS each year.
On December 7, 1993 (Item No. 14), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the first agreement with SBCSS to provide vocational education services to inmates, and continued its approval for additional agreements. The most recent contract (No. 20-512) was approved by the Board on June 23, 2020 (Item No. 78), for a three-year term of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2023, with two one-year options to extend the term. On June 27, 2023 (Item No. 107), the Board approved the first amendment to Contract No. 20-512, extending the term by one year through June 30, 2024. Subsequently, on June 25, 2024 (Item No. 103), the Board approved the second amendment to Contract No. 20-512, extending the term by an additional year through June 30, 2025.
The Department recommends continuing the long-standing relationship to provide educational programs for the inmates with the proposed new agreement period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2030. The agreement may be terminated by either party upon 30 days’ advance written notice.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Grace B. Parsons, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on March 26, 2025; Risk Management (Gregory Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst, 396-9008) on March 25, 2025; Finance (Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on May 20, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on May 20, 2025.