BILL ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
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| |AB 1255 (Wright) |
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| | |
|-------------------------------+----------------------------|
|Hearing Date: 8/16/99 |Amended: 7/13/99 and as |
| |proposed to be amended |
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|Consultant: Lisa Matocq |Policy Vote: Pub Saf 5-0 |
| | |
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 1255, an urgency bill, (1) establishes,
until January 1, 2004, the Young Offender Intensive
Supervision Probation Project (YOISPP) Act of 2000, as
specified, (2) appropriates a total of $6.18 million from
the General Fund to the Board of Corrections (BOC) for this
purpose, and (3) makes related legislative findings and
declarations.
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02
Fund
YOISPP Act $ 6,180* $ 6,180 $ 6,180
General
Incarceration Unknown, potentially significant,
incarceration General/
cost savings Local
*Appropriated in the bill.
STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria to be placed
on the Suspense File. The analysis reflects author
amendments to be proposed in Committee. This bill
establishes the YOISPP Act, a grant program administered by
BOC, designed to provide intensive supervision as an
alternative to incarceration for non-violent offenders who
have substance abuse problems. Grants would be awarded to
counties for the establishment or expansion of intensive
supervision programs for offenders between the ages of 18
and 29, convicted of a drug-related offense, sentenced to
not more than 24 months in state prison, and who have not
been convicted of a prior felony offense. The components
of the program include, among other things: specified
caseload ratios, weekly officer/offender contacts, frequent
drug testing, and job training placement. The chief
probation officer of each county would be responsible for
the program and generally for determining eligibility of a
defendant. There is a reporting requirement, an evaluation
component, and a match requirement.
The bill appropriates $6 million from the General Fund to
BOC for grants, and $180,000 (about 3%) for administration
of the program. STAFF NOTES that the appropriation to BOC
for administrative costs may be inadequate since
administrative costs are generally 5%. The bill also
specifies that funding in subsequent years is contingent
upon appropriations in the annual Budget Acts, but
presumably is intended to continue at the same funding
level.
According to CDC, there were a max. of 3,405 prison
admissions during 1997-98 that could be impacted by this
bill (information about prior felony convictions is not
readily available). Incarceration costs for state prison
are about $21,000 per inmate year. Since it is unknown how
many persons would be diverted from state prison or county
jail to the intensive supervision program under this bill,
offsetting cost savings cannot be estimated, but could be
significant.