AB 1019, as amended, Ammiano. State prisons: correctional education and vocational training.
Existing law requires the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to appoint a Superintendent of Correctional Education to oversee and administer all prison education programs, set long-term and short-term goals for inmate literacy and testing, and establish priorities for prison education. Existing law also establishes the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board to review the mental health, substance abuse, educational, and employment programs for inmates of state prisons.
This bill would require goals for career technical education to be set by the Superintendent of Correctional Education, and would establish factors that are required to be taken into account when establishing a career technical education program, including the demand for the skills being trained and the availability of employment in those fields.begin delete The bill would require the department to develop standards and criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of career technical education programs with review by the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board.end delete
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Given that, as of June 2012, 60.8 percent of state
2prison inmates have a medium to high need for academic or career
3technical programs, and it has been shown that career technical
4education programs are both effective at reducing recidivism and
5cost effective to the state, it is the intent of the Legislature in
6enacting this act that the Department of Corrections and
7Rehabilitation shall, within its existing resources, set both short-
8and long-term goals for career technical education programs.
Section 2053.4 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and
11Rehabilitation shall appoint a Superintendent of Correctional
12Education, who shall oversee and administer all prison education
13programs. The Superintendent of Correctional Education shall set
14both short-term and long-term goals for inmate literacy and testing
15and career technical education programs, and shall establish
16priorities for prison academic and career technical education
17programs.
Section 2053.5 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
begin delete(a)end deletebegin delete end deleteBased upon the goals and priorities of the
20department, a career technical education program established,
21given the department’s goals and priorities, shall take into account
22all of the following factors:
24 23(1)
end delete
24begin insert(a)end insert Whether the program aligns with the workforce needs of
25high-demand sectors of the state
and regional economies.
26 26(2)
end delete
27begin insert(b)end insert Whether there is an active job market for the skills being
28developed where the inmate will likely be released.
28 29(3)
end delete
30begin insert(c)end insert Whether the program increases the number of inmates who
31obtain a marketable and industry or apprenticeship board
32recognized certification, credential, or
degree.
31 33(4)
end delete
34begin insert(d)end insert Whether there are formal or informal networks in the field
35that support finding employment upon release from prison.
33 P3 1(5)
end delete
2begin insert(e)end insert Whether the program will lead to employment in occupations
3with a livable wage.
4(b) Using data to support evidence-based policymaking, the
5department shall develop standards and criteria for evaluating the
6effectiveness of career technical education programs with review
7by the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board.
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