Spotlight with the Mayor: March 2024

March 21, 2024

March 2024 Spotlight: Services that Heal

Hello Gilroy! Following last month’s Spotlight that focused on public safety services, I’d like to Spotlight this month two of Gilroy’s government partners who bring resources of healing and practical assistance to victims of crime and to those seeking to start anew. The Mariposas Resiliency Center in downtown Gilroy is a resource provided by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and offers trauma recovery services for victims of violent crime. The South County Reentry Resource Center off Leavesley Road in Gilroy is operated by the Santa Clara County Office of Diversion and Reentry Services and aims to build safer communities by bringing services to those who have been or are at-risk of being incarcerated that help them find paths to positive and productive change. Assistance with job readiness, drug treatment, completing a high school degree, and having a place to celebrate achievements are just a few of the practical and emotional support resources found at the Reentry Resource Center. Both the Mariposas Resiliency Center and the South County Reentry Resource Center are here to help people find hope, to bring back or find for the first time the self-esteem and self-love we all need to succeed, to overcome obstacles, and to keep fear and doubt at bay.

Join me at the next Conversation and Coffee with the Mayor on Saturday, April 6 at 9:30am in Council Chambers with Adam Flores, Supervising Deputy District Attorney, and Juan Guevara, South County Reentry Resource Center Program Manager, each of whom contributed what you’re about to read below, and both of whom are dedicated to our Gilroy community. Let’s welcome, support and promote the services of healing and hope that are right here in Gilroy.

Mayor Marie Blankley, CPA

The Mariposas Resiliency Center:

Helping Victims Find Their Way Toward Tomorrow

by Adam Flores

Supervising Deputy District Attorney

Community Prosecution Unit

Mariposa, or “butterfly” in Spanish, is the symbol of a small office in downtown Gilroy with a big mission. The Mariposas Resiliency Center is run by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and offers support for victims and community and is a place of healing and new beginnings for those harmed by violence.

Following the terrible shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in 2019, the District Attorney’s Office opened the Family Assistance Center (FAC). Those impacted by the shooting could immediately access counseling, resources, and victim compensation – all in one location. The District Attorney’s Office and many partners helped over 600 victims in the 11 days the FAC was open. Now, years later, that center and our efforts have evolved – like a butterfly – into a colorful space where victims of violent crime can find peace and programs.

Supporting it and our neighbors is a group of lawyers who spend no time in courtrooms and lots in our community. The District Attorney’s Office Community Prosecutors work with community, schools, and law enforcement agencies to solve problems and prevent crime, and when appropriate, support in the aftermath of violent crime. They often team with the Office’s Victim Advocates, who are trained in supporting crime victims and guiding them through the criminal process.

Community Prosecutors, Victim Advocates, and others alike agree that violent crime not only impacts the victims, family, and friends, but also an entire community. Achieving justice is the District Attorney’s Office central goal, and achieving that justice also means healing those impacted by violence.

Because that healing may need a special place, a safe location, a center for resiliency, the District Attorney’s Office opened the first community resiliency center in California, the Gilroy Strong Resiliency Center (GSRC). The GSRC provided long-term support for those impacted by tragic events. The healing did not stop there.

The District Attorney’s Office saw the need to expand how it can support victims of crime in South County. In October 2023, the GSRC became the Mariposas Resiliency Center, a trauma recovery program for victims of all violent crime. Mariposas provides victims with support that emphasizes safety and stability. Free services include individual and group counseling, care coordination to help meet basic needs, and legal advocacy.

One of the most unique aspects of Mariposas is that a crime does not have to be reported to law enforcement or prosecuted for a victim to access services. In some cases, a person is a victim of a crime, but the perpetrator may not be identified or found. That victim still needs and deserves justice and healing. They can find it at Mariposas.

That healing process has its challenges, and Mariposas is here to help overcome them. Understandably, a recent incident near one of Gilroy’s elementary schools caused feelings of fear, distress, and insecurity within the Gilroy community, to which Mariposas responded by working with partners and the school district to offer extended hours for students and families to seek counseling and support.

The core of the District Attorney’s Office is a commitment to seeking justice and supporting victims. At the opening of Mariposas in October 2023, the Brownell Middle School Choir sang “Two Oruguitas,” or “Two Caterpillars,” a song from the Disney movie Encanto. The final lyrics provide encouragement for the mariposas: “Wonders surround you / Just let the walls come down / Don’t look behind you / Fly till you find / Your way toward tomorrow.”

It is our hope that the support victims receive at Mariposas will help them find their way forward, their way toward tomorrow.

The Mariposas Resiliency Center is located at The Neon Exchange, 7365 Monterey Road, Gilroy. For more information, please contact 408-209-8356 or Mariposas@dao.sccgov.org.

A Glimpse Inside the South County Reentry Resource Center

by Juan Guevara

Program Manager

Office of Diversion and Reentry Services Team

“We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated,” said Maya Angelou, the writer and civil rights activist. Angelou’s words capture the spirit of what our staff at the County of Santa Clara Office of Diversion and Reentry Services (DRS) try to convey to our clients: never give up the pursuit of a better future. DRS operates two Reentry Resource Centers in Gilroy and San Jose. At these centers, we witness the transformative power of second chances. From 2012 to 2022, our reentry centers have served over 20,000 clients in 100,000 visits.

The work being done at these centers play a critical role in building safer communities. Our efforts to provide second chances and enhance community well-being resonate with many, and it's with community and partner support, that we can continue to offer hope and change.

Our vision is to build safer communities and strengthen families through successful reintegration and reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals back into Santa Clara County. The services provided at our centers are important but must be accessible to all community members. Which is why we've expanded services in South County over the years. The South County Reentry Resource Center initially opened in San Martin in 2015. In 2018, the center was relocated to the City of Gilroy, achieving full-time operation in 2023. Following this, monthly client visits more than doubled.

Funding for these centers stemmed from state Assembly Bill 109 (AB109) which sought to remedy the overcrowding in California’s prisons by moving lower level, non-violent offenders from state prisons to county jails. The state provided counties funding to house and provide services for these individuals. Services like Santa Clara County’s Reentry Resource Centers have helped reduce the recidivism rate among this population from 56 percent 10 years ago to 48 percent in 2022. A recent study for the South County Reentry Resource Center found that only 29% of clients re-offended and were convicted, highlighting the significance of reentry services in lowering recidivism rates. And the majority of AB109 recidivism is non-violent, primarily misdemeanor and drug related.

In 2017, the County made another investment in jail diversion efforts by establishing the Mission Street Recovery Station on site at the San Jose Reentry Resource Center. It is an alternative to custody and provides resources and support for individuals under the influence of drugs or alcohol or suffering a mental health crisis. At least 20 percent of people in our justice system have serious mental illnesses, highlighting the urgent need for better mental health services. Additionally, many struggle with drug addiction.

Many clients visit our centers multiple times for services, including, completing their high school diploma, job readiness, case management, service navigation, drug treatment services, and probation check-ins. For clients, just having a place to go where they are not judged and where they know they will be welcomed by staff, some of whom have had experience with the justice system themselves, is a big incentive for seeking help and pushing through their challenges. At the Gilroy Center a men’s group meets once a week to support their efforts.

The process comes full circle when former clients return, not in search of services, but to celebrate and share their achievements, such as securing an exciting new job, personal milestones, or the joy of reuniting with family.

On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, we’re holding an open house for anyone interested in learning more about our centers. Staff will be providing tours and guests can meet our partners and learn about our services. DRS is committed to being community oriented and we value your attendance and feedback.

Another opportunity to support reentry efforts is our 5th annual Rise Up and Run 5K at Hellyer County Park. This annual event raises awareness and funds, providing clothing for those released from custody.

Whether you are a runner, walking with a friend, or pushing a stroller, it’s a great way to participate in community spirit and impact. Teams are welcome, making a perfect opportunity for office or family outings. We look forward to seeing you at both events and making a difference together!

Our mission at DRS is to reduce the likelihood to reoffend by using evidence-based practices to provide a seamless system of services, support, and supervision. We invite you to join us, whether that be attending our open house, participating in our 5K, or supporting our endeavors in other meaningful ways. Our work is a collective effort that can have a profound impact in providing second opportunities that lead to positive outcomes, and safer communities for everyone.

For more information about DRS: www.sccreentry.org. For more information about the 5k race and the open house: juan.guevara@ceo.sccgov.org. For all other questions: (408) 201-0690.