BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 343
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB
343 (Hancock)
As Amended June 1, 2015
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE: 39-1
------------------------------------------------------------------
|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Public Safety |7-0 |Quirk, Melendez, | |
| | |Jones-Sawyer, Lackey, | |
| | |Lopez, Low, Santiago | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |16-1 |Gomez, Bigelow, |Gallagher |
| | |Bloom, Bonta, | |
| | |Calderon, Chang, | |
| | |Nazarian, Eggman, | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Holden, Jones, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
------------------------------------------------------------------
SB 343
Page 2
SUMMARY: Requires the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation (CDCR) to strongly consider the use of libraries
and librarians in its literacy programs. Specifically, this
bill:
1)Requires CDCR, in complying with its goals to reduce
illiteracy, to give strong consideration to the use of
libraries and librarians in its prison literacy programs.
2)Repeals provisions of law concerning the fiscal formula for
supporting the academic education program for inmates.
3)Includes the completion of a community college or four-year
academic degree by an inmate in the existing requirement that
CDCR incentivize inmate participation in educational
programming.
EXISTING LAW:
4)Requires CDCR to implement literacy programs designed to
ensure that upon release inmates are able to achieve specified
goals, such as, increasing reading levels to at least a
ninth-grade level, obtaining a general education development
certificate or its equivalent, or a high school diploma.
5)Requires CDCR, in complying with its goals to reduce
illiteracy, to give strong consideration to computer-assisted
training.
6)Provides for $40 per inmate for each fiscal year to be
provided, upon appropriation, to CDCR to support academic
programs for inmates.
SB 343
Page 3
7)Specifies proportional increases or decreases to the funding
level in relation to median salaries for full-time high school
teachers.
8)Requires CDCR to determine and implement a system of
incentives to increase inmate participation in academic and
vocational education.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Potential future moderate cost pressure (General Fund) on CDCR
to the extent the consideration of the use of libraries and
librarians in CDCR literacy programs results in the future
funding for additional materials, training, and staff. If
three institutions hire a librarian each, the cost to CDCR
would exceed $200,000.
2)Potential unknown savings (General Fund) if the inmate
education incentives encourage inmates to pursue and obtain a
college education, which may allow for their earlier release,
thereby reducing incarceration costs and the likelihood of
recidivism.
COMMENTS: According to the author, "SB 343 requires the CDCR to
strongly consider integrating its libraries and correctional
librarians into the department's prisoner literacy program.
Prison libraries foster literacy, self-improvement, insight,
pro-social behavior, the ability to navigate an information age
society and provide valuable parole planning resources."
1)Educational Programs in Prisons: According to the CDCR Web
site, "As part of CDCR's Division of Rehabilitative Programs,
SB 343
Page 4
the Office of Correctional Education (OCE) offers various
academic and education programs at each of California's adult
state prisons. The goal of OCE is to provide offenders with
needed education and career training as part of a broader CDCR
effort to increase public safety and reduce recidivism."
(.)
One of the services offered through the OCE is library
services. The CDCR Web site states the following in regard to
its library services: "Library services are offered at all
institutions, and provide inmates with an extensive collection
of recreational fiction and non-fiction books as well as
reference reading materials; e.g. selected periodicals,
encyclopedias, selected Career Technical Education and College
level textbooks, and basic literacy materials recommended by
the American Library Association and the American Correctional
Association. Additionally, institution libraries provide
legal research materials, as required by the courts, along
with rehabilitative support services which include resources
on employment, community reentry, and life skills."
(< http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/library-services.html >.
)
2)California Rehabilitation Oversight Board (C-ROB)
Recommendations: C-ROB is required to regularly examine and
annually report to the Governor and the Legislature regarding
rehabilitative programming provided to inmates and parolees by
CDCR. (Penal Code Section 6141.) In its last report issued
September 2014, C-ROB noted the following regarding CDCR
libraries:
"The current vacancy rate for CDCR librarians is approximately
25 percent. Libraries are a fundamental program support area
for literacy, reentry resources, continuing education,
tutoring, legal research, and recreational reading. Many
librarians from non-reentry institutions have independently
created reentry binders for inmates containing information on
housing, employments, social services agencies, family
services, and other reentry information specific to counties
in California. Not all institutions offer this type of
SB 343
Page 5
service, yet inmates are released from non-reentry
institutions on a regular basis. Libraries are a logical
nexus to find information specific to the county the inmate
will be released, regardless of whether the inmate is released
under county supervision or assigned to a parole agent.
(Sept. 15, 2014 Annual Report, p. 13,
.) The C-ROB report noted that there
were 87 budgeted librarian positions, but only 68 filled.
(Id. at p. 40.) C-ROB recommended that CDCR "develop a
strategy to address the chronic staffing shortages of CDCR
librarians across the state." (Ibid.) "The strategy should
address recruitment and retention of qualified librarians and
plans to increase librarian positions to provide access to
library programs." (Ibid.)
Analysis Prepared by:
Sandy Uribe / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744 FN: 0001610