BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 257 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 4, 2011 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair AB 257 (Galgiani) - As Amended: March 31, 2011 Policy Committee: Public SafetyVote: 7-0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: SUMMARY This bill requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to develop a statewide e-mail victim notification system for crime victims who request notification of parole hearings and/or release dates. FISCAL EFFECT 1)Significant one-time GF costs, in the range of $1 million, for system development and implementation. 2)Significant ongoing GF costs, in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, for staffing and system maintenance. COMMENTS 1)Rationale . The author believes an e-mail notification system to respond to victim requests for offender parole and release information warrants the expense. 2)Current Law . CDCR is already required to make numerous offender release notifications, including: a) CDCR is required to release notification to local law enforcement for parolees who have committed violent offenses, crimes against minors, and stalking, generally 45 days prior to release. b) CDCR provides release notification to victims/witnesses, who have requested a notice, 90 days prior to parole/release. AB 257 Page 2 c) CDCR releases specified information - name, offense, date of birth, address, photo, and identifying information - to local law enforcement for all parolees released in their jurisdiction. d) The Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) is required, upon request, to notify crime victims at least 90 days before any hearing to review or consider parole. Victims are entitled to be notified, upon request, of any parole eligibility hearing and of the right to appear, either personally or by other means specified. e) Upon request, the victim of a domestic violence crime, as specified, must be notified of the release of the parolee and the parolee's location and parole agent or officer. f) Requires the district attorney, probation department and victim-witness coordinator to establish a policy to decide, for violent offenses, which agency shall inform each victim of the right to request and receive a notice of any hearing to review or consider parole. g) Crime victims are entitled to be informed, upon request, of the conviction, sentence, place and time of incarceration, or other disposition, scheduled release date, and the release or escape of the defendant. Analysis Prepared by : Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081