BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



           ------------------------------------------------------------ 
          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   SB 525|
          |Office of Senate Floor Analyses   |                         |
          |1020 N Street, Suite 524          |                         |
          |(916) 651-1520         Fax: (916) |                         |
          |327-4478                          |                         |
           ------------------------------------------------------------ 
           
                                         
                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 525
          Author:   Padilla (D)
          Amended:  12/16/09
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE  :  7-0, 1/12/10
          AYES:  Leno, Cedillo, Hancock, Huff, Steinberg, Wright,  
            Cogdill
           
           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8


           SUBJECT  :    Cell phones and wireless communications devices  
          in prisons

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill provides that (1) except as  
          authorized, any person, except as provided, who possesses  
          with the intent to deliver, or delivers, to an inmate or  
          ward in the custody of the Department of Corrections and  
          Rehabilitation (CDCR), any cellular telephone or other  
          wireless communication device, is guilty of a misdemeanor,  
          punishable by a fine not to exceed $5,000 for each such  
          device; (2) notwithstanding the provisions stated above,  
          when any person visiting an inmate in the custody of the  
          CDCR who, upon being searched or subjected to a metal  
          detector, is found to be in possession of a cellular  
          telephone or other wireless communication device, that  
          device shall be subject to confiscation; and (3) notice of  
          this provision shall be posted in all areas where visitors  
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                                                                SB 525
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          are searched prior to visitation with an inmate in the  
          custody of the CDCR.

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law provides the conditions under  
          which inmates in state prisons may make telephone calls.   
          CDCR is required to provide inmate telephones for use by  
          general population inmates.  Inmates may place collect  
          telephone calls to persons outside the facility at  
          designated times and on designated telephones, as set forth  
          in local procedures.  Limitations may be placed on the  
          frequency and length of such calls based on the inmate's  
          privilege group as specified, and to ensure equal access.   
          (15 Cal. Code of Regs. Section 3282(b).)

          Existing law provides that inmates may possess only the  
          personal property, materials, supplies, items, commodities  
          and substances, up to the maximum amount, received or  
          obtained from authorized sources, as permitted in these  
          regulations.  Possession of contraband as defined in  
          Section 3000 may result in disciplinary action and  
          confiscation of the contraband.  (15 Cal. Code of Regs.  
          Section 3006.)

          Existing law defines "contraband" in a prison as "anything  
          which is not permitted, in excess of the maximum quantity  
          permitted, or received or obtained from an unauthorized  
          source."  (15 Cal. Code of Regs. Section 3000.)

          This bill provides that, except as otherwise authorized by  
          law, or when authorized by the person in charge of the  
          prison or other institution subject to this section, or by  
          an officer of the institution empowered to give that  
          authorization, except as noted below, any person who  
          possesses with the intent to deliver, to an inmate or ward  
          in the custody of the CDCR, any cellular telephone or other  
          wireless communication device, is guilty of a misdemeanor,  
          punishable by a fine not to exceed $5,000 for each such  
          device.

          This bill provides that, notwithstanding the provisions  
          stated above, when any person visiting an inmate in the  
          custody of the CDCR who, upon being searched or subjected  
          to a metal detector, is found to be in possession of a  
          cellular telephone or other wireless communication device,  

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                                                                SB 525
                                                                Page  
          3

          that device shall be subject to confiscation.  Notice of  
          this provision shall be posted in all areas where visitors  
          are searched prior to visitation with an inmate in the  
          custody of the CDCR.

           Prior Legislation

          SB 434 (Benoit) - 2009-10 Session  - Passed the Senate on  
          5/6/09 with a vote of 35-0.  Currently on suspense in  
          Assembly Appropriations Committee.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  Yes

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  1/19/10)

          Association of California Cities Allied with Prison
          California Correctional Peace Officers Association
          California Correctional Supervisors Organization
          Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    According to the author's office,  
          "Cell phones in a prison pose an obvious security threat.   
          While many inmates might try to gain access to a cell phone  
          just to communicate with friends or family members, others  
          could include gang-related activity ranging from drug  
          dealing to murder.  CDCR has provided the following data to  
          indicate the number of cell phones recovered in state  
          prisons in the last three years:

              -------------------------------------------------- 
             |             |           |            |           |
             | Institution |   2006    |    2007    |   2008    |
             |             |           |            |           |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |ASP          |           |            |           |
             |             |  3        |34          |393        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CAL          |           |            |           |
             |             |  2        |16          |103        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CCC          |           |            |           |
             |             |  4        |  3         |   1       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|

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                                                                SB 525
                                                                Page  
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             |CCI          |           |            |           |
             |             |  1        |  2         | --        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CCWF         |           |            |           |
             |             |  0        |  1         | --        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CEN          |           |            |           |
             |             |  0        |  2         | 42        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CIM          |           |            |           |
             |             |  3        |  6         | 26        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CIW          |           |            |           |
             |             |  1        |  2         | --        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CMC          |           |            |           |
             |             |  0        | 10         | 14        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CMF          |           |            |           |
             |             |  1        |   7        | 28        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |COR          |           |            |           |
             |             |  0        |   5        | --        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CRC          |           |            |           |
             |             |  5        |   8        | 24        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CTF          |           |            |           |
             |             | 45        |130         |315        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |CVSP         |           |            |           |
             |             |   1       |  47        |155        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |DVI          |           |            |           |
             |             |   0       |    1       |    5      |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |FSP          |           |            |           |
             |             |   0       |  27        |144        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |HDSP         |           |            |           |
             |             |   1       |    1       |  --       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |ISP          |           |            |           |
             |             |   3       |    4       |173        |

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                                                                SB 525
                                                                Page  
          5

             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |KVSP         |           |            |           |
             |             | 10        |  31        |  --       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |LAC          |           |            |           |
             |             |   0       |    1       |  11       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |MCSP         |           |            |           |
             |             |   0       |    0       |    1      |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |NKSP         |           |            |           |
             |             |   0       |    2       |    4      |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |PBSP         |           |            |           |
             |             |   0       |    2       |    0      |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |PVSP         |           |            |           |
             |             |   4       |    5       |  10       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |RJD          |           |            |           |
             |             |   0       |    4       |  27       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |SAC          |           |            |           |
             |             | 29        |  12        |  --       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |SATF         |           |            |           |
             |             |   1       |    6       |  31       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |SCC          |           |            |           |
             |             | 20        |  30        |  59       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |SOL          |           |            |           |
             |             |102        |553         |801        |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |SQ           |           |            |           |
             |             |   5       |    9       |  11       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |SVSP         |           |            |           |
             |             | 20        |  31        |  --       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |VSPW         |           |            |           |
             |             |   0       |    8       |  --       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |WSP          |           |            |           |

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                                                                SB 525
                                                                Page  
          6

             |             |   0       |    2       |  --       |
             |-------------+-----------+------------+-----------|
             |             |           |            |           |
             |      TOTAL  |           |            |           |
             |             |261        |992         |2629       |
             |             |           |            |           |
              -------------------------------------------------- 


          RJG:cm  1/20/10   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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