OC Cares

A comprehensive strategy and implementation plan to enhance the community corrections system of care was developed addressing various opportunities to engage individuals in treatment or services to address underlying mental health or substance use issues contributing to criminal behavior.   This became known as the OC CARES, Justice through Prevention and Intervention 2025 Vision and is built around the following five pillars:

1. Prevention: Developing public informational and communication campaigns, interventions, and diversion opportunities, particularly related to substance use and mental health, to prevent individuals from being involved in or returning to the criminal justice system.
2. Courts: Enhancing or developing diversion programs, including the expanded use of Specialty Courts, for individuals in the criminal justice system from the point of arrest to sentencing.   
3. In-Custody: Developing in-custody programming and providing access to treatments, and services to individuals residing in the County jails to address mental health, substance use, education, job readiness or other basic and support other that link to post-custody services, in addition to trainings to prepare them for successful reentry.
4. Reentry: Providing accessible and supportive services to justice-involved individuals to facilitate their reentry back into the community that includes a comprehensive coordinated system to ensure continuity in treatments or programs received while in-custody continue post custody to maintain engagement and lead to self-sufficiency.
5. Juvenile & Transitional Aged Youth (TAY): Providing a continuum of information, programs, and enhanced services for youth, juveniles, and the TAY population to prevent them from entering the juvenile justice system, providing options away from being detained, and to support and encourage positive outcomes outside of the juvenile justice system.