Bexar county recast program. - bexar county, texas (includes the city of SAN antonio) is not immune to the civil unrest that makes the national news in other communities

In the past two years alone, civil unrest in bexar county has been the norm, not the exception. The impetus is threefold: 1) the relationship between law enforcement and the minority community based on high-profile incidents of police brutality; 2) the recent presidential election; and, 3) the covid-19 public health crisis. These marches, protests and riots are not without their merit. The local jail, for example, is disproportionately populated with hispanic/latino and african american individuals who come from very disadvantaged backgrounds and who have been marginalized from the larger, mainstream society. These marches, protests, and riots have highlighted the "disconnect" between the local minority community and the criminal justice system. Without opportunities to access services and consequently live productive, rewarding lives without criminal justice intervention, nothing will change. The recent presidential election exacerbated tensions based on demography and ZIP codes of individuals impacted by covid-19 speaks for themselves. The overall purpose of the bexar county recast program will be to create an integrated, seamless safety net that is accessible to marginalized individuals and families in the community. IT will focus on 1) the completion of a community-wide needs assessment; 2) the development of a strategic plan; 3) the execution of a memorandum of understanding between all major stakeholders in the community; and, 4) the provision of case management and evidence-based treatment for high risk youth and their families who have experienced some level of disenfranchisement and marginalization by various systems of intervention such as the criminal justice and public health systems. The bexar county recast program proposes to directly impact 13,175 individuals over the course of the five year period.