BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 601
Page 1
Date of Hearing: July 8, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
SB 601
(Hancock) - As Amended April 20, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the Secretary of the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to develop a Data
Dashboard, and post those reports on the CDCR's web page on a
quarterly basis, containing specified information regarding each
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institution, including, among other information, the total
budget, including actual expenditures, staff vacancies and the
number of authorized staff positions, overtime, sick leave, and
the average length of lockdowns, number of inmates, total
contraband seized, information about the warden, and use of
force incidents.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Minor absorbable costs to CDCR to publish the required
information, CDCR currently collects almost all the information
required in this bill.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, "SB 601 establishes a
framework for providing better public access to key
information about the performance of California's prison
system by displaying a user friendly quarterly report on the
CDCR webpage."
SB 601 intends to develop an accessible quarterly report that
highlights management and performance of each state prison for
legislative use. By requiring the Secretary of the CDCR to
repackage the data to post online, the public and the
Legislature could hold the department accountable for the
overall management of the correctional facility, including
administrative services, expenditures, safety and security,
and program and support services."
2)Background. Comstat (short for "computer statistics") is an
organizational management tool modeled after the Los Angeles
and the New York Police Departments to monitor and reduce
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crimes and is easily accessible to the public. In 2006, the
CDCR designed and implemented Compstat to monitor and provide
operational review of prisons, parole, and CDCR as a whole.
As part of Governor Schwarzenegger's government transparency
efforts in 2009, the Compstat reports were moved from the
CDCR's Web site and made available on the Reporting
Transparency in Government's Web site; however, the Compstat
reports and audits are hard for the public to find and view
among the thicket of reports on that site. In addition, the
Compstat audits and reports are non-descriptive and difficult
to understand. This bill is intended to make Comstat
information more readily accessible and easier to understand.
3)Argument in Support: According to Legal Services for
Prisoners with Children, "SB 601's 'data dashboard' would
provide a much more accurate picture of CDCR policy and
procedure to lawmakers. Further, by requiring the CDCR to
publish the 'data dashboard' on their website on a quarterly
basis, SB 601 involves the general public and establishes a
more meaningful system of accountability within California's
correctional system. By increasing the ability of the public,
lawmakers, and the Governor to each hold the CDCR accountable
for the performance of correctional programs, SB 601's 'data
dashboard' will ultimately allow for more responsible policy
and more effective reform to follow."
4)Prior Legislation: SB 601 (Hancock) of the 2011-2012
Legislative Session, which was vetoed, would have required the
Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
to develop a Corrections Accountability Report on January 10,
March 15, and a fiscal year-end report, containing specified
information regarding each institution, including, among other
information, the total budget, including actual expenditures,
staff vacancies and the number of authorized staff positions,
overtime, sick leave, and the average length of lockdowns, and
to post those reports on the department's Internet website.
In his veto message, the Governor stated, "This measure is
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unnecessary and redundant; existing law already requires the
Department to provide this information. I am happy to work
with the author on ways the Department could better organize
its website, but I don't think this takes a law."
Analysis Prepared by:Pedro R. Reyes / APPR. / (916)
319-2081