REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 19, 2026
FROM
TRACY REECE, Chief Probation Officer, Probation Department
SUBJECT
Title
Purchase of Prepaid Negotiables
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Authorize the purchase of prepaid negotiables from various transportation, retail, and food vendors, for use by adult and juvenile offenders to assist with basic necessities and support adherence to program plans, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $280,000, for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
(Presenter: Tracy Reece, Chief Probation Officer, 387-5692)
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.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total amount of the prepaid negotiables of $280,000 will be funded by federal and state funds, including 2011 Realignment-Community Corrections (AB 109), 2011 Realignment Youthful Offender Block Grant, Community Corrections Performance Incentives Act (SB 678), and Juvenile Justice Crime Realignment Block Grant (AB 1913), that specifically allow for the use of prepaid negotiable items. Sufficient appropriation has been included in the Probation Department’s (Department) 2026-27 budget (4810001000).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Each year, the Department provides a variety of prepaid negotiables for basic necessities (food, diapers, clothing and transportation) to adult and juvenile justice-involved individuals and at-risk population (Clients) when needed. These items are used as rewards for program completion and as means to attend mandatory meetings by supplying bus passes.
The Department also uses prepaid negotiables to assist juvenile Clients in the Independent Living Program to facilitate the development of independent living skills as youth transition out of foster care placement and into the community.
On June 18, 2025 (Item No. 56), the Board of Supervisors (Board) authorized the Department to purchase prepaid negotiables from various vendors from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
On June 18, 2025 (Item No. 71), as the result of Invitation to Bid (ITB) AGENCY25-PURC-5654, the Board approved the purchase of Prepaid Negotiables from Blackhawk Network, Inc. (Blackhawk), InComm Digital Solutions, LLC dba InComm InCentives (InComm InCentives), and GiftCard Partners, Inc. dba Engage2Reward, LLC (EngageReward) for prepaid gasoline and retail cards effective June 18, 2025 through June 17, 2030.
The Department currently purchases prepaid negotiables for gasoline and retail cards at a fixed price from the Board-approved countywide contracts with Blackhawk, InComm InCentives and Engage2Reward. However, some prepaid negotiables, such as bus passes and those issued by certain companies that have a heavy presence in the community (e.g. Stater Brothers, In-N-Out, Del Taco, Dollar Tree, El Pollo Loco), cannot be purchased through these existing County contracts and must be purchased through the individual companies. In accordance with the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector’s Internal Controls and Cash Manual (ICCM), the purchase of prepaid negotiables of an amount greater than $2,500 requires approval from the Board.
Approval of this item is needed for the Department to purchase prepaid negotiables for the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 for various denominations, which usually range from $10, $25, or $60 per card, as reflected in the table below:
|
Description |
Quantity of Cards (Estimate) |
Total Amount |
|
Retail Stores |
6,400 |
$113,343 |
|
Food Establishments |
5,703 |
$72,080 |
|
Bus Passes |
4,969 |
$94,577 |
|
Total |
17,072 |
$280,000 |
The Department requests approval of this item to continue to provide for the safety, health and social service needs of county residents, and to continue support for Department served Clients.
PROCUREMENT
The Purchasing Department supports this non-competitive procurement based on manufacturer direct purchasing as these items are not available through the existing contracts with Blackhawk, Engage2Reward or InComm InCentives, and must be purchased directly from the establishments.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Maria Insixiengmay, Deputy County Counsel, 387-4621) on April 8, 2026; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Denise Mejico, Chief Deputy Auditor, 382-3107) on April 9, 2026; Purchasing ( Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on April 17, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Dalton, Finance Analyst, 387- 5005) on April 30, 2026.