BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 1589
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 9, 2006

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                   Judy Chu, Chair

                   SB 1589 (Romero) - As Amended:  August 7, 2006 

          Policy Committee:                              Public  
          SafetyVote:  4-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:   
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  
           
           This bill requires the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) within  
          the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to  
          "explore options" to provide specialized programming outside of  
          DJJ facilities for high-risk, high-need offenders if programming  
          is available, considering commitment offense, criminal history,  
          age, gender, medical and mental health condition, and any other  
          commitment criteria. This bill also:

          1)Requires that, given the small number of female offenders and  
            their specialized needs, DJJ "explore options" to provide  
            programming for female offenders outside of DJJ facilities.  

          2)Requires the DJJ to seek legislative approval of any proposal  
            to transfer the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility to CDCR's  
            Division of Adult Institutions.   

           FISCAL EFFECT

           1)Absorbable costs to CDCR to "explore options" for outside  
            programming. Presumably DJJ reviews all options in the course  
            of doing business, particularly in light of recent court  
            orders and settlements relating to ineffective ward housing,  
            management and programming. To the extent outside programming  
            is more effective and reduces recidivism, out-year DJJ costs  
            could decline.  

          2)To the extent DJJ is successful in placing the female ward  
            population in non-DJJ settings, net costs to the state could  
            well decrease, as it is unlikely that local government or  
            private  placements would exceed the $150,000 per year the  








                                                                  SB 1589
                                                                  Page  2

            state currently provides for the 130 young women at Ventura. 

          3)In addition, to the extent Ventura is made available for use  
            for DJJ males or CDCR adult inmates, potential ward/inmate  
            housing construction costs could be reduced or avoided.
           
          COMMENTS

          1)Rationale.  The author's intent is to provide more effective  
            programming options for DJJ wards, particularly females. DJJ  
            is under a broad court-ordered consent decree to improve  
            conditions and programming system-wide. DJJ has been the  
            subject of intense criticism affecting virtually every aspect  
            of the department:  housing, programming, education,  
            recidivism, physical and mental health treatment.

            In addition, a panel of experts convened as a result of the  
            consent decree recently recommended transferring female wards  
            into local programs and facilities. DJJ officials, who have  
            indicated support for such a transfer, continue to review the  
            situation. 

           2)Opposition . The CA District Attorneys Association (CDAA)  
            contends this bill could reduce the availability of DJJ as a  
            dispositional alternative for juvenile offenders. 

            Though this could ultimately prove true, it is hard to imagine  
            why CDAA would prefer a more costly, troubled, ineffective  
            option should DJJ's explorations result in more effective  
            options, which is the purpose of this bill. 

                

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