BILL ANALYSIS
AB 932
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 932 (Jeffries)
As Introduced February 22, 2007
Majority vote
PUBLIC SAFETY 6-0 APPROPRIATIONS
(vote not
available)
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|Ayes:|Solorio, Aghazarian, | | |
| |Anderson, Leno, Ma, | | |
| |Portantino | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the Secretary of the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to provide inmates
assigned to fire suppression efforts access to weight training
equipment in correctional facilities. Specifically, this bill :
1)States that weight training equipment shall be made available
to inmates assigned to fire suppression efforts, as specified.
2)Provides that the weight training equipment shall be used in
accordance with the provisions of Penal Code Section 5010.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires CDCR to require of every able-bodied prisoner
imprisoned in any state prison as many hours of faithful labor
in each day during his or her term of imprisonment, as
specified.
2)Provides that the CDCR is authorized to cause state prisoners
to be employed in the rendering of emergency services for the
preservation of life and property within the state, whether
that property s owned by public entities or private citizens,
when a county level state of emergency has been declared due
to a natural disaster and the local governing board has
requested the assistance of CDCR.
3)States that the Director, CDCR shall determine which prisoners
are eligible for employment under Penal Code Section 2780.
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CDCR may return to prison any prisoner transferred to a camp
when the need for the prisoner's labor has ceased, or when the
prisoner is guilty of violation of any rules and regulations
of the prison or camp.
4)Provides that the agency providing work for convicts shall
designate and supervise all work done. States that the agency
shall provide, erect and maintain the necessary camps, except
when no funds are available to the agency, the Director, CDCR
may provide, erect, and maintain the necessary camps.
5)States that the Director of CDCR shall have full jurisdiction
and control over the discipline of the convicts performing
work at the camps.
6)Provides that inmates shall be personally screened by a
medical officer before receiving medical clearance for
assignment to a camp or fire fighting assignment. Such
inmates shall be in generally good health and physically
capable of strenuous and prolonged heavy labor without danger
to the inmate's health and safety or the safety of others when
involved in hazardous work such as forest firefighting.
7)States that inmates eligible to earn day-for-day work time
credits under Penal Code Section 2933 shall be awarded two
days credit for each day of qualifying performance. An
inmate's ability to earn two-for-one credit shall not begin
until he/she is assigned and reports to an established
position in the conservation camp setting.
8)Provides that inmates and wards may be assigned to perform
public conservation projects, as specified.
9)Provides that conservation camps shall provide recreation and
physical education program opportunities for their respective
inmate populations. These opportunities shall be compatible
with camp operations, staffing and the geographic location of
the camp.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, one-time General Fund or Inmate Welfare Fund costs in
the range of $170,000, assuming a cost per camp of about $4,000,
to outfit each of 42 CDCR/CDF conservation camps with weight
training equipment. This assumes no facility modifications are
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necessary, which could more than double the cost of the
equipment.
COMMENTS : According to the author: "The California Department
of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CDF) is currently authorized to
operate 39 conservation camps statewide that house around 4,300
inmates and wards. These crews, also referred to as hand crews,
are available to respond to all types of emergencies, including
wildfires, floods, search and rescue. These fire crews perform
several million hours of emergency response each year, saving
the State of California hundreds of millions of dollars each
year.
"Obviously, the work performed by these crews is often
physically taxing and requires a substantially high level of
physical fitness. However, under current law, these inmates are
not allowed access to weight training equipment that other
firefighters use to help attain the appropriate level of
physical fitness required.
"AB 932 would direct the CDCR to provide (low risk) inmates
assigned to wild fire fighting teams with access to weight
training equipment. This will help ensure that they reach
appropriate levels of physical fitness required by those working
in fire suppression efforts."
Please see the policy committee analysis for full discussion of
this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Kathleen Ragan / PUB. S. / (916)
319-3744
FN: 0001014