Have questions? Need help? Call the free JCOD Support Center. Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Se habla Español. (833) 522-5263

Have questions? Need help? Call the free JCOD Support Center. Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Se habla Español. (833) 522-5263

Care First Community Investment (CFCI)

Continuing Our Commitment to Community Investment

JCOD and the Board of Supervisors are committed to advancing a “Care First” approach to best serve the justice-involved people of Los Angeles County. The Care First Community Investment (CFCI) is a significant investment that builds up our collective capacity to achieve our mission. We continue to maintain our commitment to this critical investment despite the legal challenges that underlie ballot Measure J.

For Year 1 (2020), The Board approved an unprecedented $187.7 million spending package for direct community investments and funding for alternatives to incarceration—accelerating the transformative process of creating a more just and equitable Los Angeles County for all residents. Years 2 and 3 have further advanced that mission, with an additional $100 million and $88.3 million allocated respectively.

Since the initial launch of CFCI Care Grants, nearly 400 grantee organizations across LA County have been awarded over $350 million to support their programs.
Watch to learn more

The Care First Community Investment: Explained

How does CFCI funding work?

Learn more about the methodology involved in annually calculating 10% of the County’s locally generated unrestricted revenues to address the disproportionate impact of racial injustice through direct community investment and alternatives to incarceration.

Year 3: CFCI Spending Plan Highlights

The Board of Supervisors approved a $88.3 million CFCI Spending Plan——with Year 3 allocations to further advance Los Angeles County’s “Care First, Jails Last” vision. This third annual investment adds to the first and second year’s CFCI investment of $287.7 million funding, with the total CFCI investment now at $376 million.

The approved spending plan, developed with an equity lens, funds all 45 programs recommended by the Care First Community Investment Advisory Committee. This 23-member committee held marathon public meetings and engaged the community via listening sessions, a community survey and the engagement of trusted community-based organizations.

The result is a plan that focuses on chronically under-resourced communities, and will address negative outcomes caused by racially-driven criminal justice inequities and long-term community economic disinvestment.

Highlights of the funding plan include:

  • Over $58 million will be administered by a Third-Party Administrator with the majority of funds passing through to community-based organizations.
  • Over $32 million will be dedicated to programs prioritizing youth development.
  • Over $18 million will support rental assistance and housing for our most vulnerable populations.
  • Over $13 million will provide access to funding for small, minority-owned businesses.
  • Over $9 million will fund job training and employment.
  • Over $7 million will go towards restorative justice.
  • Over $5 million will support community-based health services.
  • Over $1 million will fund programs for non-carceral diversion or to support residents returning to the community after incarceration.

View the full details of the Year 3 programs & spending plan here.

Year 2: Spending Plan Highlights

In Year 2, The Board of Supervisors approved a $100 million Care First Community Investment (CFCI) Spending Plan—with Year 2 allocations to further advance Los Angeles County’s “Care First, Jails Last” vision with direct community investments and funding for alternatives to incarceration. This second annual investment of $100 million advanced the County’s commitment to build up to the full CFCI set aside by 2024 and it added to the first year’s CFCI investment of $187.7 million, which includes American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

Highlights of the funding plan included:

  • More than $45 million dedicated to housing, with more than $42 million dedicated to permanent housing for the County’s most vulnerable populations.
  • More than $40 million administered by a third-party administrator with the majority of funds passing through to community-based organizations. County departments will be encouraged to distribute most of their funding directly to community-based providers as well.
  • Nearly $20 million dedicated to programs prioritizing youth development.
  • More than $14.5 million to fund violence prevention.
  • More than $11 million to fund programs for non-carceral diversion or to support residents returning to the community after incarceration.
  • More than $8 million to fund education or job training.

Year 1: Spending Plan Highlights

The Board of Supervisors approved an unprecedented $187.7 million spending package to advance its “Care First, Jails Last” vision with a series of direct community investments and funding for alternatives to incarceration—accelerating the transformative process of creating a more just and equitable County for all residents. The spending plan fully embraced the spirit of the voter-approved Measure J and also took the innovative step of leveraging one-time funding from the American Rescue Plan to ensure a strong foundation for programs to ramp up as full funding levels are reached by 2024.

Highlights of plan included:

  • $42 million to support the closure of Men’s Central Jail.
  • $8 million for community-based pretrial services in highly impacted communities, replacing law-enforcement supervision and pretrial incarceration for eligible individuals.
  • $20.9 million to support youth at risk of involvement with the justice system or already involved in the justice system.
  • $16 million for housing and related services to meet a variety of needs including for people experiencing homelessness with complex health needs; people with substance use disorder and at-risk and system-impacted youth and transition-age youth.
  • $15 million to support residents returning to the community after incarceration.
  • $9 million in supports for people experiencing substance use disorder and to prevent drug-related harm and death.

Meet the CFCI Team

The JCOD CFCI Team is proud to be at the forefront of positively impacting the lives of justice-involved people in LA County. For any questions or to contact our team please email us at CFCI@jcod.lacounty.gov.

Stephen Salazar Ceasar

Division Director Community Capacity Building

Julie Martinez

Justice Program Director – CFCI

Ruth Bell

Justice Program Senior Analyst – CFCI

Moorel Bey

Justice Program Senior Analyst – CFCI

CFCI Care Grant Dashboard


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Having trouble viewing our map on your device? Click here!

Timeline Highlights

Learn more about how the launch of the Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD) started with a ballot measure that was introduced in 2020.

In July of 2020, The LA County Board of Supervisors votes to place a visionary amendment on the November ballot. “Measure J” aims to allocate 10% of the County’s locally generated unrestricted revenues in the general fund to address racial injustice through community investment and alternatives to incarceration.

 

On November 3rd, 2020, LA County voters approve Measure J.

In the year following Measure J being passed, the Board establishes the Re-Imagine LA Advisory Committee. The Committee is charged with developing spending proposals for the Measure J investment. Over the course of 2021, the Committee and Board collaborate and successfully develop an allocation methodology.

 

Despite legal challenges to Measure J, the Board remains committed to the vision set forth in the Measure. In August of 2021, they vote to transform the Measure J Reimagine Advisory Committee into the Care First and Community Investment Advisory Committee. 

 

 

On November 1st 2022, The Justice, Care, and Opportunities Department (JCOD) launches to to unify the County’s efforts to serve vulnerable justice-impacted people and communities and drive forward the Board’s “Care First, Jails Last” vision.

 

JCOD provides dedicated staff and resources for the CFCI Advisory Committee to support budgeting, contracting, community engagement, program evaluations and other services consistent with the Board’s Care First Community Investment objectives.

Need help submitting your proposal for a grant?

Our third-party administrator, Amity Foundation, has shared vital information to aid in the successful submission of proposals for CFCI Care Grant funding. Click below to access the resources and feel free to submit any questions related to this information to TPAGrants@amityfdn.org.

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