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