BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 494|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 494
Author: V. Manuel Pérez (D)
Amended: 5/21/13 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE : 7-0, 5/14/13
AYES: Hancock, Anderson, Block, De León, Knight, Liu, Steinberg
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 4/18/13 (Consent) - See last page for
vote
SUBJECT : Prisoners: literacy and education
SOURCE : SEIU Local 1000
DIGEST : This bill updates the literacy program goals in the
state prisons, as specified.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. States that the Legislature finds and declares that there is
a correlation between prisoners who are functionally literate
and those who successfully reintegrate into society upon
release.
2. Requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
CONTINUED
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(CDCR) to implement in every state prison literacy programs
that are designed to ensure that inmates are able to read at
a 9th-grade level upon parole.
3. Requires CDCR to make the literacy program available to at
least 25% of eligible inmates by July 1, 1991, and at least
60% of eligible inmates by January 1, 1996.
This bill:
1. Provides that the CDCR's literacy program shall be
implemented as follows:
A. CDCR shall offer academic programming throughout an
inmate's incarceration that shall focus on increasing the
reading ability of an inmate to at least a 9th grade
level.
B. For inmates reading at a 9th grade level or higher,
CDCR shall focus on helping the inmate obtain a general
education development certificate, or its equivalent, or a
high school diploma.
C. CDCR shall offer college programs through voluntary
education programs or equivalent programs.
D. While CDCR shall offer education to target
populations, priority shall be given to those with a
criminogenic need of education, those who have a need
based on their educational achievement level, or other
factors as determined by CDCR.
1. Makes legislative findings and declarations.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/24/13)
SEIU Local 1000 (source)
American Civil Liberties Union
California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
California Catholic Conference
California Correctional Peace Officers Association
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California Public Defenders Association
Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
The National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter
OPPOSITION : (Verified 6/24/13)
Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : SEIU, the sponsor of this bill, states,
"The literacy goal in current law conflicts with the fact that
inmates leaving prison with a ninth grade education will have a
difficult time of navigating an ever more complex world, and in
particular, finding employment. This is an area of the Penal
Code that needs to be revisited and updated given the changing
goals of CDCR and the growing need for an education workforce.
Studies continue to show a strong correlation between decreasing
rates of recidivism as education levels increase. Setting higher
standards for inmate literacy will enhance public safety, reduce
the impact of crime, lower incarceration costs and support the
opportunity for prison inmates to turn themselves into
productive citizens."
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : Taxpayers for Improving Public
Safety
Writes:
This legislation represents the ultimate example of spinning
wheels unnecessarily. This legislature created the California
Rehabilitation Oversight Board ("CROB") which twice a year
provides the very information which this legislation demands
be duplicated. What is worse, it is not possible in the
foreseeable future for this legislature to ever provide the
funds necessary to provide the vocational or basic education
which this legislation envisions because of the need to return
funding to the social safety net, public education, municipal
public safety services, public health and infrastructure.
This legislation places an additional burden of preparing a
report on the limited number executive staff and researchers
remaining at the CDCR headquarters after three consecutive
layoffs reduced the headquarters staff by 70%. The State
should be using its limited employee resources to solve the
problems of realignment rather than writing duplicative
reports.
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ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 4/18/13
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom,
Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown,
Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway,
Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox,
Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell,
Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Jones,
Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Maienschein, Mansoor,
Medina, Melendez, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian,
Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, V. Manuel Pérez,
Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting,
Torres, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams,
Yamada, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Holden, Lowenthal, Mitchell, Vacancy
JG:k 6/25/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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