Amended
IN
Assembly
March 12, 2024 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
June 19, 2023 |
Amended
IN
Senate
March 13, 2023 |
Introduced by Senator Umberg |
February 08, 2023 |
Existing law prescribes incarceration in the state prison as punishment for certain crimes. Existing constitutional provisions, enacted by Proposition 57 at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election, authorize the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to award credits to prisoners that are earned for good behavior and approved rehabilitative or educational achievements.
This bill would require the department to compile data regarding the relationship between the awarding of credits and the recidivism rates of inmates who were awarded credits for good behavior and approved rehabilitative or educational achievements and to submit an annual report to the Legislature commencing on or before January 1, 2025. The bill would require that report to include, among other things, an analysis of the difference between the recidivism rates
of inmates who do and do not participate in rehabilitative programming during their incarceration and who do and do not receive post-release support.
It is the intent of the Legislature to require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to compile and analyze data and report that data to the Legislature for the purpose of understanding how credits awarded to inmates during incarceration for participation and achievement in activities and programs, including, but not limited to, firefighting, library services, and postsecondary education relate to postrelease recidivism.
(a)On or before January 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the department shall compile data related to credits awarded to inmates pursuant to this article or paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 32 of Article I of the California Constitution, and shall prepare a report on its findings to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Public Safety. The report shall be submitted to the Legislature pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(b)The report shall include all of the following:
(1)An analysis of the relationship between each category of credits awarded pursuant to this article or paragraph
(2) of subdivision (a) of Section 32 of Article I of the California Constitution and the recidivism rates of inmates who received those credits.
(2)A description of how an inmate is assessed to determine whether they should participate in a particular rehabilitation program during their incarceration, and if so, which programs were determined to be appropriate for the inmate and the reasons the programs were determined to be appropriate.
(3)An analysis of the difference, if any, between the recidivism rates of inmates who do and do not participate in rehabilitative programming during their incarceration.
(4)A description of post-release support programs that individuals receive after incarceration and an
analysis of the difference, if any, between the recidivism rates of individuals who do and do not receive post-release support.
(5)An analysis of the impact of racial inequality on rehabilitation program outcomes for inmates.
(c)The report shall not include information that would disclose the identity of an inmate.