BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1387
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1387 (Solorio)
As Amended May 27 , 2011
Majority vote
PUBLIC SAFETY 7-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Ammiano, Knight, Cedillo, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Blumenfield, |
| |Hagman, Hill, Mitchell, | |Bradford, Charles |
| |Skinner | |Calderon, Campos, Davis, |
| | | |Gatto, Hall, Hill, Lara, |
| | | |Mitchell, Solorio |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby, Wagner |
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SUMMARY : Requires the California Emergency Management Agency
(Cal-EMA), subject to the appropriation of funds, to establish a
Youthful Offender Reentry (Cal-YOR) competitive grant program
specifically targeting offenders who will be between 16 and 23 years
of age upon release from a juvenile facility or correctional
facility, probation, or parole, to assist in community reintegration
upon release, as specified.
1)Provides that grantees shall pre-enroll eligible youths into
eligible community programs, as defined in this section, with
priority given to programs that have existed for at least one year
prior to the effective date of this section and to those eligible
community programs that have operated at any time in the previous
three years.
2)Provides that each grantee shall officially enroll youths into its
program no more than 72 hours after release from a described local
or state facility. Participation of an eligible youth in any
eligible community program shall commence no more than 72 hours
after release, parole, or discharge from a facility operated by
the department or the local entity.
3)Enrollment and participation are subject to the approval of each
program or local entity.
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4)Defines an "eligible community program," at a minimum, as a
program that provides all of the following:
a) Integrated education and job training services and
activities on an equally divided basis, with 50% of
participants' time spent in classroom-based instruction,
counseling, and leadership development instruction, and 50% of
participants' time spent in experiential job training;
b) The education component described in this paragraph shall
include basic skills instruction, secondary education services,
and other activities designed to lead to the attainment of a
high school diploma or its equivalent. The curriculum for this
component shall include math, language arts, vocational
education, life skills training, social studies related to the
cultural and community history of the participants, and
leadership skills;
c) Bilingual services shall be available for individuals with
limited English proficiency and an English learning curriculum
shall be provided where feasible and appropriate;
d) A program shall have a goal of a minimum teacher-to-student
ratio of one teacher for every 18 students; and,
e) The job training component, as specified, shall involve work
experience and skills training apprenticeships related to
construction and rehabilitation activities, as specified.
5)States that assistance in attaining postsecondary education and in
obtaining financial aid shall be made available to participants
prior to graduation from the program.
6)Provides that counseling services designed to assist participants
in positively participating in society shall be made available,
including all of the following, as necessary:
a) Outreach, assessment, and orientation;
b) Individual and peer counseling;
c) Life skills training;
d) Drug and alcohol abuse education and prevention; and,
AB 1387
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e) Referral to appropriate drug rehabilitation, medical, mental
health, legal, housing, and other community services and
resources. A program shall have a goal of a minimum
counselor-to-participant ratio of one counselor for every 28
participants.
7)States that the program shall provide acquisition, rehabilitation,
acquisition and rehabilitation, or construction of housing and
related facilities to be used for the purpose of providing home
ownership for disadvantaged persons, residential housing for
homeless individuals and very low-income families, or transitional
housing for persons who are homeless, ill, deinstitutionalized, or
who have disabilities or special needs.
8)States that the program shall provide participants with leadership
development skills, including decision-making, problem solving,
and negotiating. The program shall encourage participants to
develop strong peer group ties that support their mutual pursuit
of skills and values.
9)Provides that each eligible community program shall work
cooperatively with local probation and parole offices to ensure
appropriate oversight of any eligible youth who enrolls and
participates in the program for the duration of the eligible
youth's participation and term of probation or parole. Eligible
community programs shall meet the requirements in the Unemployment
Insurance Code, as specified.
10)Defines "eligible youth" as a person between 16 and 23 years of
age, who is economically disadvantaged, as defined in federal law;
and, who is under the custody and control of the California
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's (CDCR) Division of
Juvenile Justice (DJJ) or a county.
11)States that priority for enrollment shall be given to eligible
youths whom DJJ or local entity has determined to be gang
affiliated, or who have an immediate family member who has been
identified as gang affiliated.
12)Requires Cal-EMA to maintain statistical information on the
success of the program, including, but not limited to, the number
of eligible youths served and the rate of return to custody for
those eligible youths who enroll and participate in an eligible
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community program. The information shall be provided to the
Legislature upon request.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Directs the DJJ to administer the Juvenile Justice Community
Reentry Challenge Grant Program to award grants on a competitive
basis to applicants that demonstrate a collaborative and
comprehensive approach to the successful community reintegration
of juvenile parolees. The purposes of the program are improving
the performance and cost-effectiveness of post-custodial reentry
supervision of juvenile parolees, reducing the recidivism rates of
juvenile offenders, and piloting innovative reentry programs
consistent with DJJ's focus on a rehabilitative treatment model.
2)States that the programs awarded grants through the Juvenile
Justice Community Reentry Challenge Grant Program shall provide
wrap-around services which may include, but are not limited to,
transitional or step-down housing, including, but not limited to:
group homes; occupational development and job placement;
outpatient mental health services; substance abuse treatment
services; education; life skills counseling; restitution and
community service; case management; and, intermediate sanctions
for technical violations of conditions of parole.
3)Provides that CDCR shall operate the Preventing Parolee Crime
Program with various components including, at a minimum,
residential and non-residential multi-service centers, literacy
laboratories, drug treatment networks and job placement assistance
for parolees.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:
1)Unknown costs for grants to youthful offender reentry programs,
presumably from the hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions
of dollars. The program is contingent upon a subsequent
appropriation for this purpose.
2)Administrative costs for a $2 million grant program would be in
the range of $100,000.
COMMENTS : According to the author, "There is general agreement
that increased services reduce recidivism. What we are lacking are
sustained programs to fund these services. This bill establishes
AB 1387
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the basic groundwork for programs that deliver consistent results
and that help youth effectively reenter society remain operable.
"Last year, we took the first step in addressing this gap by
creating the California Youthful Offender Reentry Program (Cal-YOR);
however that was a one-time program - and yet the need for it
continues. Assembly Bill 1387 will allow this successful program,
known as Cal-YOR, to continue on an ongoing basis instead of having
to reauthorize it year after year. This ongoing program, as federal
funding is available, will demonstrate California's commitment to
reducing recidivism amongst our youth."
Please see the policy committee for a full discussion of this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Stella Choe / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744 FN:
0001046