BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2316
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 12, 2000

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 
                              Carole Migden, Chairwoman

           AB 2316 (Mazzoni) - As Proposed to be Amended:  April 12, 2000 

          Policy Committee:                              Public  
          SafetyVote:  6-1

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              


           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the California Research Bureau (CRB) in the  
          California State Library to conduct a study regarding the  
          children of the parents incarcerated in state prisons.  
             
           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Appropriates $69,000 from the General Fund to the CRB for the  
          study. 

           COMMENTS  

           Rationale  . The goal of the study is to gather basic information  
          about these children, including age, ethnicity, siblings,  
          health, academic prowess, mental and medical health issues, and  
          child care, to help determine how best to address the special  
          needs of these children.

          According to Centerforce, a nonprofit organization that works  
          with inmate families, there are more than 22,000 children  
          impacted by their mothers' incarceration, but little is known  
          about where or with whom they are living, their health status,  
          their school progress, or the combination of risk factors that  
          leads too many of these children into intergenerational  
          involvement in the criminal justice system. 

          "Last year we served over 7,600 visiting children in  
          California's five women's institutions.  If we had an accurate  
          picture of their demographics, we could begin to design programs  
          that would guide these children down a road to success rather  








                                                                  AB 2316
                                                                  Page  2

          than incarceration."

          Amendment  .  The author will offer an amendment to reduce the  
          appropriation to $69,000 to reflect receipt of a private grant.
           
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916)319-2081