BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2357
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 30, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                AB 2357 (Skinner) - As Introduced:  February 21, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                              Public  
          SafetyVote:  7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Department of Corrections and  
          Rehabilitation (CDCR) to add an inmate's service in the United  
          States military to the list of factors - including substance  
          abuse, medical and mental health, education, family history - to  
          be used in assessing inmates for programming purposes. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable costs to CDCR.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . The author contends including an inmate's military  
            service in CDCR programming assessment will help veterans  
            access services - inside and out - that will reduce  
            recidivism. 

           2)Incarcerated Veterans in California  . Historically, data on the  
            number of incarcerated veterans has been difficult to obtain  
            as the information was generally self-reported.  CDCR,  
            however, can now verify prior military service through a data  
            exchange with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA).  
             As of April 2014, there are 4,627 currently-incarcerated  
            inmates at CDCR verified by the USDVA as having prior military  
            service.

           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081 










                                                                  AB 2357
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