BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 494
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 10, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                   AB 494 (VM Perez) - As Amended:  April 1, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              Public  
          SafetyVote:  7-0 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:   
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill restates academic education objectives for the  
          Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).   
          Specifically, this bill:

          1)Requires CDCR literacy programs be designed to reflect the  
            goals of the department's 2012 master plan, "The Future of  
            California Corrections:  A Blueprint to Save Billions of  
            Dollars, End Federal Oversight, and Improve the Prison System  
            (Blueprint)."

          2)Requires CDCR to help inmates who read at a ninth-grade level  
            or higher obtain a general education development (GED)  
            certificate or high school diploma.

          3)Requires the CDCR to offer college programs through voluntary  
            education programs.

          4)Requires the CDCR to give priority in offering academic  
            programming to those inmates with a "criminogenic:              
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            
                                                                            








                                                                  AB 494
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                                                                  AB 494
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                    need for education.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          No direct state costs as the requirements in the bill are  
          consistent with current departmental policy and practice. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . The intent of the author and proponents is to  
            update and expand the statute that requires CDCR to implement  
            educational programs designed to ensure a ninth grade reading  
            level, to reflect the goals of the recent CDCR Blueprint.    

           2)The CDCR Blueprint  states, "Academic education will be offered  
            throughout an inmate's incarceration and will focus on  
            increasing an inmate's reading ability to at least a  








                                                                  AB 494
                                                                  Page  4

            ninth-grade level. For inmates reading at ninth-grade level or  
            higher, the focus will be on helping the inmate obtain a  
            general education development certificate. College programs  
            will be offered through the voluntary education program. While  
            education will be offered to all inmates, priority will be  
            given to those with a criminogenic need for education."


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081