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
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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