BILL NUMBER: AB 1381 CHAPTERED 10/11/07 CHAPTER 459 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 11, 2007 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 11, 2007 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 11, 2007 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 12, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 7, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 20, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 18, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 29, 2007 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Nunez (Coauthors: Assembly Members Bass, Caballero, Coto, DeSaulnier, Feuer, Hancock, Jones, Ruskin, Salas, Solorio, and Swanson) (Coauthor: Senator Romero) FEBRUARY 23, 2007 An act to add Chapter 3.6 (commencing with Section 13827) to Title 6 of Part 4 of the Penal Code, relating to crime prevention. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1381, Nunez. Gangs: Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy. Existing law establishes the Corrections Standards Authority, which administers various federally funded grant programs relating to juvenile justice and crime prevention. This bill would establish the Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy, which would be responsible for coordinating and assisting various persons and entities with strategies to prevent violence and gang involvement, and which, and to the extent feasible, would be authorized to perform related duties, including establishing an Internet Web site, as specified. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature regarding the creation of the office. The bill would also require the office to submit a report to the Legislature on or before March 1, 2009, containing recommendations and other information, as specified. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to do all of the following: (a) Address the conditions in neighborhoods and the unmet needs of children that allow gangs to take root, thrive, and expand. (b) Stop focusing on isolated incidents and instead confront the size and scope of the problems surrounding violent behavior and gang activity, and to do so with a strong, committed, and sustained political mandate to eradicate the root causes and conditions that trigger street gang activity and support entrenched neighborhood violence. (c) With this act, commit to sustained and balanced prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies. (d) Offer programs and expand services to adult gang members and parolees that provide a way out of gangs and afford former gang members a chance for a different life. SEC. 2. Chapter 3.6 (commencing with Section 13827) is added to Title 6 of Part 4 of the Penal Code, to read: CHAPTER 3.6. OFFICE OF GANG AND YOUTH VIOLENCE POLICY 13827. (a) There is within the Governor's Office of Emergency Services, the Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy. (b) (1) The Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy shall be responsible for identifying and evaluating state, local, and federal gang and youth violence suppression, intervention, and prevention programs and strategies, along with funding for those efforts. The director shall be responsible for monitoring, assessing, and coordinating the state's programs, strategies, and funding that address gang and youth violence in a manner that maximizes the effectiveness and coordination of those programs, strategies, and resources. The director shall communicate with local agencies and programs in an effort to promote the best practices for addressing gang and youth violence through suppression, intervention, and prevention. (2) The office shall develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to define its mission, role, and responsibilities as a statewide entity dedicated to reducing violence and the proliferation of gangs and gang violence in California communities. (3) In developing this set of recommendations, the office shall collaborate with a wide range of state and local stakeholders, including, but not limited to, community-based organizations serving at-risk populations and neighborhoods, law enforcement, educators, the courts, policy experts and scholars with expertise in the area of criminal street gangs, and local policymakers. (4) The office, in collaboration with the stakeholders specified in paragraph (3), shall include in its deliberations the most effective role for the office with respect to the following: (A) The collection and analysis of data on gang membership statewide and the effectiveness of various gang prevention efforts. (B) The development of reliable and accurate sources of data to measure the scale and characteristics of California's gang problems. (C) The development of a clearinghouse for research on gangs, at-risk youth, and prevention and intervention programs in order to identify best practices and evidence-based programming, as well as unsuccessful practices, and in order to promote effective strategies for reducing gang involvement and gang violence. (D) Assisting state and local governmental and nongovernmental entities in developing violence and gang prevention strategies, including built-in evaluation components. (E) The development of sustained coordination mechanisms among state, local, and regional entities. (F) The identification of available or needed federal, state, regional, local, and private funding resources. (G) Providing or otherwise promoting public education on effective programs, models, and strategies for the control of violence and serving as a clearinghouse for information on gang violence prevention issues, programs, resources, and research. (H) Providing or otherwise promoting training and technical assistance to help build the capacity of organizations, communities, and local government to develop, implement, and evaluate gang violence prevention programs. (I) Providing information and guidance to state and local governmental and nongovernmental entities on accessing state and federal resources to prevent gang violence. (J) Facilitating greater integration between existing entities with respect to gang prevention efforts. 13827.1. There is within the Office of Emergency Services, the following offices: (a) Director of the Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy. The director shall report directly to the office of the Governor. (b) Chief Deputy Director of Gang and Youth Violence Policy. 13827.2. The Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy shall establish an Internet Web site, in coordination with the Office of Emergency Services, that provides an Internet hyperlink to the various grants administered by the Office of Emergency Services and technical assistance on the process for applying for grants. SEC. 3. (a) On or before March 1, 2009, the Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy shall submit to the Legislature a report of its recommendations developed pursuant to Section 13827 of the Penal Code. (b) The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) A thorough description of the process employed by the office to develop the recommendations, including, but not limited to, meetings and hearings, use of ad hoc committees or working groups, and any other methods used for receiving public and expert input and facilitating deliberations. (2) The stakeholders involved in the development of the recommendations. (3) The set of recommendations developed by the office to define its mission, role, and responsibilities as a statewide entity dedicated to reducing violence and the proliferation of gangs and gang violence in California communities. (4) Any additional information, data, and recommendations that may further inform the Legislature on the successful operation of the office.