AB 624, as amended, Mitchell. County jail: rehabilitation credits.
Under existing law, when a prisoner is confined to county jail, an industrial farm, or a road camp, for each 4-day period in which he or she is confined, he or she may have one day deducted from his or her period of confinement, as specified.
This bill would authorize a sheriffbegin insert or county director of correctionsend insert, in addition to the credits otherwise earned, to award a prisoner program credit reductions from his or her term of confinement for successful completion of specific program performance objectives for rehabilitative programming, including academic programs, vocational programs, vocational training, substance abuse programs, and core programs such as anger management and social life skills. These program credit reductions may be for one to 6 weeks and may be forfeited in the same manner as other program credit reductions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 4019.1 is added to the Penal Code, to
2read:
(a) (1) In addition to credit awarded pursuant to
4Section 4019, a sheriffbegin insert or county director of correctionsend insert may also
5award a prisoner program credit reductions from his or her term
6of confinement as provided in this section. A sheriffbegin insert or county
7director of correctionsend insert who elects to participate in this credit
8reduction program shall create guidelines that provide for credit
9reductions for inmates who successfully complete specific program
10performance objectives for approved rehabilitative programming,
11including, but not limited
to, credit reduction of not less than one
12week to credit reduction of not more than six weeks for each
13performance milestone.
14(2) Guidelines adopted by a sheriffbegin insert or county director of
15corrections end insert pursuant to this subdivision shall specify the credit
16reductions applicable to distinct objectives in a schedule of
17graduated program performance objectives concluding with the
18successful completion of an in-custody rehabilitation program.
19Upon adopting the guidelines, the sheriffbegin insert or county director of
20correctionsend insert shall thereafter calculate and award credit reductions
21authorized by this section. A prisoner may not have his or her term
22of imprisonment reduced
by more than six weeks for credits
23awarded pursuant to this section during any 12-month period of
24continuous confinement.
25(b) Program credit is a privilege, not a right. Prisoners shall
26have a reasonable opportunity to participate in program credit
27qualifying assignments in a manner consistent with institutional
28security, available resources, and guidelines set forth by the sheriff
29begin insert or county director of correctionsend insert.
30(c) As used in this section, “approved rehabilitation
31programming” shall include, but is not limited to, academic
32programs, vocational programs, vocational training, substance
33abuse programs, and core programs such as anger management
34and social life skills.
35(d) Credits awarded pursuant to this section may be forfeited
36pursuant to the provisions of Section 4019. Inmates shall not be
37eligible for program credits that result in an inmate being overdue
38for release.
P3 1(e) This section shall only apply to inmates sentenced to county
2jail pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
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