BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                    Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
          
                                          SB1987  (Vasconcellos)
          
          Hearing Date:5/15/00            Amended:5/1/00 and as  
          proposed to
                                                                       
                   be amended                 
          Consultant: Lisa Matocq         Policy Vote:Pub Saf 5-0
          ____________________________________________________________ 
          ___
          BILL SUMMARY:  SB 1987 (1) requires Department of  
          Corrections (DOC) to conduct a three-year demonstration  
          project, beginning April 1, 2001, to provide employment  
          preparation services to enhance current substance abuse  
          treatment services, as specified, to persons who are to be  
          paroled, and (2) appropriates $11.9 million from the  
          General Fund to DOC, as specified, for this purpose.
           
                              Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
           Major Provisions                 2000-01           2001-02              
           2002-03               Fund  
          Demonstration project         $  825*           $4,800*              
          $ 6,300*        General
          *Appropriated in the bill.
          
          STAFF COMMENTS:  This bill meets the criteria to be placed  
          on the Suspense File.   Under current law, DOC operates the  
          Preventing Parolee Crime Program, a $21 million program,  
          which provides services such as job placement assistance,  
          and drug treatment networks, to parolees.  In addition,  
          existing law requires DOC to operate 3 pilot projects to  
          provide intensive training and counseling programs to  
          female parolees.  Current law also requires the DOC to  
          report to the Legislature by December 31, 2000 a plan to  
          provide all prisoners and parolees who are substance  
          abusers with appropriate treatment.  Among other things,  
          this bill:

           specifies that the services shall cost no more than  
            $1,500 per participant,
           specifies how many participants are to be served each  
            year, 
           requires DOC to report to the Legislature by July 1, 2004  
            on the program and its impact on recidivism, etc. and  
            include a cost-benefit analysis, and










           specifies that services to be offered may include, but  
            are not limited to, relapse prevention and recovery  
            services, job development and placement services, and  
            vocational assessment and skills identification. 
                 
          To the extent that the program is successful in reducing  
          recidivism and in securing employment for participants,  
          there are potential incarceration and state welfare cost  
          savings.  STAFF NOTES (1) that the Governor's Budget  
          contains $15.3 million to expand the number of in-prison  
          substance abuse treatment beds from 6,514 to 8,014 and to  
          provide community based residential aftercare treatment to  
          50% of the program graduates, and (2) that the bill is  
          being amended to further define "substance abuse treatment  
          services".