BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2414
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Date of Hearing: April 17, 2012
Counsel: Stella Choe
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY
Tom Ammiano, Chair
AB 2414 (Solorio) - As Amended: March 29, 2012
As Proposed to be Amended in Committee
SUMMARY : Extends the California Youthful Offender Reentry
(Cal-YOR) competitive grant program until January 1, 2018.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA), to
the extent that funds are appropriated, to administer these
grants to eligible community programs.
2)Defines an "eligible community program" as, at a minimum, 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.
i) 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.
ii) Bilingual services shall be available for
individuals with limited English proficiency, and an
English learning curriculum shall be provided where
feasible and appropriate.
iii) A program shall have a goal of a minimum
teacher-to-student ratio of one teacher for every 18
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students.
iv) The job training component, as specified, shall
involve work experience and skills training
apprenticeships related to construction and
rehabilitation activities, as specified.
b) Assistance in attaining postsecondary education and in
obtaining financial aid shall be made available to
participants prior to graduation from the program.
c) Counseling services designed to assist participants in
positively participating in society, including all of the
following, as necessary:
i) Outreach, assessment, and orientation;
ii) Individual and peer counseling;
iii) Life skills training;
iv) Drug and alcohol abuse education and prevention; and
v) 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.
d) Acquisition, 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.
e) Leadership development training that provides
participants with meaningful opportunities to develop
leadership skills, including decisionmaking, problem
solving, and negotiating. A program shall encourage
participants to develop strong peer group ties that support
their mutual pursuit of skills and values.
3)Provides that priority for the grants shall be given to
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programs that have existed for at least one year prior to the
effective date of this title and to those eligible programs
that have operated at any time in the three years prior to the
effective date of this title.
4)States that participation in the programs by youthful
offenders is voluntary. Participating offenders shall be
enrolled by grantees no later than 72 hours after discharge,
subject to approval by the grantee.
5)States that priority for enrollment shall be given to eligible
youths who the custodial entity determined to be gang
affiliated, or who have a family member who has been
identified to be gang affiliated.
6)Provides that in addition to funds appropriated for the
purposes of this title, the agency may accept private
contributions to fund these grants.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Declares the Legislative intent to support the systematic and
cultural transformation of the Division of Juvenile Justice
(DJJ) into a rehabilitative model that improves youthful
offender outcomes and reduces recidivism. As a key component
of meeting these goals, it is further the intent of the
Legislature to support the development of local infrastructure
that provides comprehensive reentry services for juvenile
parolees. These services shall be complementary to, and
consistent with, the long-term objective of providing a
continuum of state and local responses to juvenile delinquency
that enhance public safety and improve offender outcomes.
�Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 749.6.]
2)Directs 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. �WIC
Section 749.7(a).]
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3)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. �WIC Section 749.7(b).]
4)Requires that each recipient of the Juvenile Justice Community
Reentry Challenge Grant to track outcome measures, including,
but not limited to:
a) Annual recidivism rates, including technical parole
violation and new offenses;
b) The number and percent of participants successfully
completing parole;
c) The number and percent of participants engaged in
part-time or full-time employment, enrolled in higher
education or vocational training, receiving drug and
substance treatment, or receiving mental health treatment;
and,
d) The number and percent of participants that obtain
stable housing, including the type of housing. �WIC
Section 749.95(a).]
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
1)Author's Statement : According to the author, "Established in
2010 through a one-time allocation of funds, the California
Youthful Offender Reentry program (Cal-YOR) offers grants to
nonprofit organizations on a competitive-basis that provide or
coordinate services necessary to address the needs of youthful
offenders reentering society. Cal-YOR is based on an award
winning re-entry model developed by YouthBuild USA, a national
coalition of job training programs specializing in at-risk
youth. Currently administered by the California Emergency
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Management Agency (Cal EMA), the Cal-YOR program is designed
to support the local infrastructure that provides
comprehensive re-entry services for youthful offenders.
Program services are complementary to, and consistent with,
the long-term objective of delivering effective responses to
juvenile delinquency that enhance public safety and improve
outcomes, thereby reducing recidivism.
"Youthful offenders are defined as individuals aged 16 through
23, who were convicted of a crime and entered the juvenile
justice system prior to adulthood. Youthful offenders who
elect to participate in the voluntary program are interviewed
during the final 30-45 days of serving their terms, with
priority given to youthful offenders that are gang affiliated,
or who have an immediate family member who has been identified
as gang affiliated. Within 72 hours of release through
discharge, probation, or parole from a local county juvenile
facility or a Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
facility, the youth are enrolled into Cal-YOR funded programs.
"The Cal-YOR programs provide integrated education and job
training services on an equally divided basis, with 50 percent
of participants' time spent in classroom-based instruction,
counseling, and leadership development instruction, and the
rest of the participants' time spent in experimental job
training.
"The counseling services are designed to enable participants to
positively reintegrate into society, which include all of the
following as necessary: assessment, life skills training, and
individual and peer counseling. Additional services offered
include drug rehabilitation, mental health assessment, and
legal and housing resources. The job training aspects of
these programs must meet specialized requirements under the
authority of the United States Department of Labor and the
California Employment Development Department.
"Assembly Bill 2414 would provide authorization for the
continued operation of a cost-effective, innovative program
that targets youthful offenders who are reentering society.
"Specifically, AB 2414 would codify the existing Cal-YOR program
within the California Emergency Management Agency and would
ensure that the program continues its critical role in
reducing crime by offering young men and women a second chance
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and by rebuilding communities victimized by crime. The
provisions of this bill are scheduled to sunset on January 1,
2018."
2)Background on Cal-YOR Program : On November 15, 2010, Cal
EMA's Gang Violence Section released a Request for Proposal
soliciting grant proposals for its Cal-YOR competitive grant
program. Cal EMA intends to fund up to nine projects through
this grant program. The stated grant period for the program
will be 24 months, beginning March 1, 2011, and ending
February 28, 2013. The Cal-YOR Program is split funded
between the Federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance
Grant (JAG) and Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT)
Program. Each program will receive approximately $222,222 in
JAG funds and approximately $189,157 in RSAT funds. The
approximate total grant budget per non-profit organization
will be $474,431. �Cal EMA Request for Proposal, Cal-YOR
Program (November 15, 2010).] Starting July 1, 2012, the
Board of State and Community Corrections will take over the
function of administering some federal grants. �SB 92 (Budget
and Fiscal Review Committee), Chapter 36, Statutes of 2011.]
3)Arguments in Support :
a) According to California YouthBuild Coalition ,
"Currently, nearly 80% of youthful offenders commit new
crimes within three years. At a cost of $224,712 per ward,
per year to house a youth in the Division of Juvenile
Justice, this is a very serious problem. Fortunately, young
people are uniquely receptive to reentry programs and
studies have shown that access to education and job
training programs can play a significant role in reducing
recidivism rates especially if enrollment takes place
immediately upon release from incarceration.
"Cal-YOR YouthBuild Programs enroll a mix of youths who are
exiting both state and county correctional facilities. The
program's combined recidivism rates average less than 10%,
significantly better than the state rate of 70%. Two of
these programs have had no participants return to state or
local correctional facilities, and one program has only had
1 participant re-turn to state or local correctional
facilities.
"Cal-YOR is based on a national award winning reentry model
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developed by YouthBuild USA, a national coalition of job
training programs specializing in at-risk youth. YB
programs have attained an unparalleled level of success
throughout the country. A recent national study of 900
participants determined that after enrollment only 15%
committed a misdemeanor, and 9% com-mitted a felony. The
rate of drug use also plummeted by approximately 70%."
b) According to the California Public Defenders
Association , "AB 2414 is an example of how taxpayer dollars
can be prudently spent to enhance public safety by ensuring
that young people successfully reintegrate into our
communities following release, parole or discharge from
detention. Communities benefit when youthful offenders are
prepared for a lifetime of self-sufficiency as opposed to
government dependence. Essential life skills and
leadership skills training, along with education and job
opportunities are critical to ensure that youthful
offenders do not recidivate. Many of these youth will have
been separated from their communities for long periods of
time, and many have received little if any treatment
oriented programs or services. In addition, many have not
acquired skills, nor do they have supportive families or
resources to draw on, having never lived in the community
as an independent adult."
4)Related Legislation :
a) AB 1387 (Solorio) was substantially similar to this
bill. AB 1387 was amended in the Senate to a new subject
relating to emergency medical services.
b) AB 1122 (John A. Perez), Chapter 661, Statutes of 2011,
established a competitive grant process for gang-related
tattoo removal, administered by Cal EMA, to serve
individuals between 14 and 24 years of age, who are in
custody, who are on parole or probation, or who are in a
community-based organization serving at-risk youth.
c) AB 1294 (Furutani) requires county probation departments
to identify community reentry programs, as defined, and
enroll youth offenders prior to their release from custody.
AB 1294 was held on the Assembly Appropriations
Committee's Suspense File.
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d) SB 92 (Budget and Fiscal Review Committee), Chapter 36,
Statutes of 2011, starting July 1, 2012, eliminates the
CSA, and assigns its former duties to the newly created
12-member Board of State and Community Corrections and
assigns additional duties, as provided, including acting as
the administrative office of the state planning agency for
distribution of federal grants.
5)Previous Legislation :
a) AB 2200 (Solorio), of the 2009-10 Legislative Session,
would have mandated, to the extent that funds were
appropriated, to establish "Rebuilding Communities and
Rebuilding Lives Act of 2010" which would have mandated
CDCR, to the extend funds are appropriated, to establish a
reentry program specifically targeting offenders who will
be between 16 and 23 years of age upon their release,
parole, or discharge from either state or county custody.
AB 2200 was held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee's
Suspense File.
b) AB 1049 (Solorio), of the 2007-08 Legislative Session,
would have required CDCR to establish "Rebuilding Lives and
Communities Reentry Programs" for parolees between the ages
18 to 24 to assist parolees with community reintegration in
specified communities. AB 1049 was vetoed.
c) AB 1806 (Committee on Budget), Chapter 69, Statutes of
2006, allocated money for juvenile parolee services. AB
1806 established the Juvenile Justice Community Reentry
Challenge Grant Program to be administered by DJJ, in
consultation with the Corrections Standards Authority, to
award grants on a competitive basis to counties and
nonprofits organizations to provide specified wrap-around
services to juvenile parolees.
d) AB 643 (Wesson), Chapter 829, Statutes of 1999,
established a YouthBuild Program within the Employment
Development Department to provide grants to organizations
which employ and train disadvantaged youth in conjunction
with the construction or rehabilitation of housing for low
income and other specified populations.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
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Support
California YouthBuild Coalition (Sponsor)
California Public Defenders Association
Opposition
None
Analysis Prepared by : Stella Choe / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744