In 2021, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors created a new task force forge a plan for the Care First Jails Last policy the supervisors had just unanimously approved. Over the next two years, this task force worked diligently to create 58 recommendations. On June 26, 2024, before a packed room, the Care First Task Force presented these recommendations to a joint meeting of the Board's Health and Public Protection Committees.
After the Task Force's presentation, more than 30 members of the public spoke in support of the Task Force's vision, and called on the Supervisors to approve and support all recommendations. Many of the speakers referenced their experiences with mental health, either as caretakers or directly. Several speakers noted the lack of even the most basic support for caretakers navigating mental healthcare for their loved ones.
Public comment in support of Care First Task Force recommendations"Mental illness can happen to anyone. But Black and Brown people are at a higher risk. That's why these recommendations are so critical."
The three supervisors present listened closely to the presentation and remarks from the public before beginning their own deliberations.
Supervisor Keith Carson offered his support for the recommendations. "For the record, I'm going to support the recommendations that have come out of the last several-year process of the Task Force. We need to reinforce [the recommendations] with more substantive outcomes that get shared with the community."
Supervisor Lena Tam welcomed the community's support for the Care First Task Force, and noted the need for in-county services, including housing and wraparound services. She also pointed out the need for more regular communication on the progress to community.
Supervisor Elisa Marquez expressed her excitement for the timing of the Care First recommendations in light of the county's upcoming strategic plan discussions, and the opportunity to see the recommendations adopted with the funding needed to fully implement them. "I'm highly supportive of the recommendations, and want to see updates on a quarterly basis. You have my support, and we will work on the funding issues."
While this was an informational hearing with no scheduled vote, the three supervisors voted unanimously to agendize the issue to a full Board of Supervisors meeting for adoption. This motion was prompted by Supervisor Carson and seconded by Supervisor Tam.
American Friends Service Committee and the Care First Community Coalition strongly urge the Board of Supervisors to adopt and fund all 58 of the Care First Task Force's recommendations, and to move with urgency. Lives are on the line. As Care First Community Coalition member Tash Nguyen soberly observed in their public comment, twenty-one people have died in Santa Rita Jail since the task force was created.
Former Supervisor Tom Bates (1972-1976)"What I want you to do is to act. To make motions. To take action."