Amended  IN  Assembly  March 21, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 1687

Introduced by Assembly Members Jones-Sawyer and Calderon

February 22, 2019

An act relating to state prisons. to add Section 2062.5 to the Penal Code, relating to corrections.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1687, as amended, Jones-Sawyer. Corrections rehabilitation programs. Corrections: rehabilitation programs: reporting.
Existing law establishes the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and charges it with certain duties and powers, including, among other things, the operation of prisons and other specified institutions. Existing law requires the department to establish various training and rehabilitative programs for inmates, including literacy and education programs. Existing law also establishes the independent Office of the Inspector General and requires the Inspector General, when requested by the Governor, the Senate Committee on Rules, or the Speaker of the Assembly, to review policies, practices, and procedures of the department. Existing law establishes, within the Office of the Inspector General, the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board, and requires the board to regularly examine the various mental health, substance abuse, educational, and employment programs for inmates and parolees operated by the department.
This bill would require the department, the board, and the office, on or before January 10, 2020, and annually thereafter, to report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and to the public safety committees of both houses of the Legislature on the department’s implementation of the State Auditor’s recommendations as contained in the 2019 report entitled, “Several Poor Administrative Practices Have Hindered Reductions in Recidivism and Denied Inmates Access to In‑Prison Rehabilitation Programs.” The bill would require the annual report to contain specified information, including the number of sanctions or other adverse actions taken against rehabilitation program vendors in the previous year and data on inmates receiving rehabilitation programs in their areas of expressed need.

Existing law establishes the state prisons under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Existing law requires the department to establish various training and rehabilitative programs, including literacy and education programs. Existing law requires the department to develop and implement a plan to obtain additional rehabilitation and treatment services for state prison inmates and parolees, including plans to fill vacant state staff positions that provide direct and indirect rehabilitation and treatment services to inmates and parolees.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would improve corrections rehabilitation programming.

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 2062.5 is added to the Penal Code, to read:

2062.5.
 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department, the Office of the Inspector General, and the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board regularly provide information to the Legislature to allow it to better assess the performance of the department in establishing all of the following:
(1) Rehabilitative program performance targets, including an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of those programs and an analysis of the programs’ success at reducing recidivism.
(2) Systems to ensure that rehabilitative programs are evidence-based.
(3) Processes to ensure that inmates who are most in need of rehabilitative programs do in fact receive access to those programs.
(b) On or before January 10, 2020, and annually thereafter, the department, the Office of the Inspector General, and the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board shall report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and to the public safety committees of both houses of the Legislature on the department’s implementation of the State Auditor’s recommendations as contained in the 2019 report entitled “Several Poor Administrative Practices Have Hindered Reductions in Recidivism and Denied Inmates Access to In‑Prison Rehabilitation Programs.” The annual report should include all of the following:
(1) A report on the progress made toward ensuring that all rehabilitation programs are 100 percent evidence-based.
(2) The number of sanctions or other adverse actions taken against rehabilitation program vendors in the previous year.
(3) Data on rehabilitation program success, including participant testimony, as discussed in the University of California, Irvine study on the department’s rehabilitation programs entitled, “CPAP Assessment of CDCR Recidivism-Reduction Programs.”
(4) The percentage of inmates that were recommended for rehabilitation programs who actually received the rehabilitation services.
(5) Data on the placement of inmates on rehabilitation program waiting lists after they have been identified as candidates for rehabilitation programs.
(6) Data on staffing levels for rehabilitation programs and a description of current efforts to reach full staffing.
(7) Data on the Prison Industry Authority program participation and a description of efforts to increase participation.
(8) Data on infrastructure capacity for rehabilitation programs and additional space needed, if any.
(9) Data on federal recidivism funds applied for by the department in the prior year.
(10) Data on rehabilitation program completion rates.
(11) Data on inmates receiving rehabilitation programs in their areas of expressed need.
(12) Data on recidivism rates for each rehabilitation program in operation over the previous year.
(13) Data on the success of volunteer programs in rehabilitation and preventing recidivism.

SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would improve corrections rehabilitation programming.