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Meeting Date:	02/08/2021
Office of the Governor Grant Application
Submitted for:	Olga Sciaraffa	Submitted By:	Olga Sciaraffa
Department:	County Attorney

Subject:

Discussion and possible action to rescind action taken by Commissioners Court on January 25, 2021, Item #12 (i) under the District Attorney Isidro Chilo Alaniz; and further approve the submission of a grant application to the Office of the Governor Public Safety Office Criminal Justice Division for a County Innovations Grant estimated at $250,000 over the term of the contract. The County Attorney's Office along with the District Attorney's Office will utilize this funding opportunity to prevent, investigate, and/or prosecute the commercial sexual exploitation of people in Texas. This formal request shall authorize the County Judge to act as the County's Executive Officer and Authorized Representative in all matters pertaining to the County's participation in this grant. There is no cash match requirement for this grant. All grant documents were sent for review through the Economic Development Department and the solicitation is compliant with the Webb County Single Point of Contact (SPOC) procedures. Contract term: October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022. [Requested by Marco Montemayor, County Attorney]

Issue: There is a need for resources to address the issue of sexual exploitation in our community. Persons who have suffered abuse in childhood or adolescence are susceptible to being sexually trafficked or exploited. There is a need to train those involved in the criminal justice system on how to identify potential and current victims and stop the cycle of exploitation. The Office of the Governor of Texas has provided available resources through a grant opportunity to enhance awareness, intervention and prevention of this serious issue.

Solution: Authorize the submission of the grant application as set forth above to ensure that the County Attorney's Office, District Attorney's Office, CPS Court and 406th District Court may create a diversion program for potential and current victims of sexual exploitation.

Result: The County Attorney's and District Attorney's Office will have the opportunity to receive additional resources to continue its work in identifying and fighting for victims of sexual exploitation. This will also result in a reduction of criminal activity related to sexual exploitation in our community.

Background:

In addition to diverting adult offenders away from this harmful lifestyle, The County Attorney's Office and District Attorney's Office will utilize this grant to conduct early identification of juveniles who may be susceptible to victimization and prevent them from entering the adult criminal justice system. This is an application for a new grant. There is no funding currently in place for such an initative.

Previous Court Action:

01/25/2021- court approved under District Attorney's Office.

Fiscal Impact

Budget Account Number:	N/A
Funding Source:	N/A
Balance:	N/A
Financial Impact:
N/A