BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1271
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1271 (Bonta and Jones-Sawyer)
As Amended January 23, 2014
Majority vote
HIGHER EDUCATION 12-1 APPROPRIATIONS 16-0
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|Ayes:|Williams, Ch�vez, Bloom, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow, Allen, |
| |Fong, Jones-Sawyer, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Levine, Linder, | |Calderon, Campos, Eggman, |
| |Dickinson, Olsen, | |Gomez, Holden, Linder, |
| |Quirk-Silva, Weber, Wilk | |Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Wagner, |
| | | |Weber |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Fox | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Allows California Community Colleges (CCC) to receive
full funding for courses offered in correctional institutions.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Waives open course provisions for CCC courses offered in state
correctional facilities.
2)Provides that attendance hours generated by CCC credit
instruction in state, city, county or federal correctional
facilities shall be funded at the credit rate, hours generated
by non-credit instruction be funded at the non-credit rate,
and hours generated by instruction in career development and
college preparation funded at the established rate.
3)Prohibits CCC from receiving state funding for attendance
hours generated in any inmate education class for which the
CCC receives full compensation from another agency or private
source, and requires the offset of state aid for partial
compensation received from any such source.
4)Prohibits use of state funding for CCC inmate education to
supplant costs incurred by the California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
AB 1271
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EXISTING LAW prohibits CCCs from claiming state funding for
classes that are not open to the public; however an exemption is
allowed for inmate education in city, county and federal
correctional facilities. Such courses are funded at non-credit
rates. Under the exemption, funding is not allowed for CCC
classes in state correctional facilities.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Ongoing General Fund (GF) (Proposition 98) cost pressure for
converting qualified existing courses to the full credit rate
at local and federal institutions. Currently, credit funding
per full time equivalent student (FTES) is $4,636, career
development and college preparation course funding is $3,283,
and non-credit funding is $2,788. According to the CCC
Chancellor's Office, in 2006-07 (most recent data available)
districts provided credit courses for 1,769 FTES in local and
federal correctional facilities. The majority (1,588 FTES)
already received full credit funding as distance education
courses open to the public. Under this bill, the remaining
FTES (181) would have received full credit apportionment at a
cost of $335,000.
2)In addition to the above costs for existing courses, the
higher funding rates could result in increased course
offerings at local and federal facilities, with resulting
state costs. Additional costs would depend on the number of
FTES taking classes in state correctional facilities. For
every 100 for-credit FTES, annual GF (Proposition 98) costs
would increase by $464,000. Community colleges are limited to
enrollment caps that arguably would make this a zero sum
change, but not all colleges are at their caps, thus expanding
access and funding rates creates enrollment and funding
pressure.
3)To the extent this bill leads to increased education
programming for inmates, the state and local governments could
realize unquantifiable savings associated with decreased
recidivism.
COMMENTS : According to the author, CDCR data from 2006 showed
28,000 paroled felons returned to prison within one year after
release. The UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research
AB 1271
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suggest that recidivism may be reduced by 10% to 20% with
educational programs at correctional facilities. Inmates who
participate in education programs are two times more likely to
be employed after release than those who do not. This can
enhance local entities ability to assist parolees in
reintegrating into the community, as required under realignment,
by releasing inmates to county supervision having obtained
skills necessary for employment.
Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0002983