BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1987|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1987
Author: Vasconcellos (D), et al
Amended: 5/1/00
Vote: 27
SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE : 5-0, 4/25/00
AYES: Vasconcellos, Johnston, McPherson, Polanco, Rainey
NOT VOTING: Burton
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 13-0, 5/25/00
AYES: Johnston, Alpert, Bowen, Burton, Escutia, Johnson,
Karnette, Kelley, Leslie, McPherson, Mountjoy, Perata,
Vasconcellos
SUBJECT : Parolees: substance abuse treatment and
employment
training
SOURCE : California Association of Re-Entry and
Employment
Services
DIGEST : This bill appropriates $4,000,000 in funding to
the State Department of Corrections for the first fiscal
year of a three-year project which would be used for
enhanced substance abuse treatment and employment skills
training to felons who are to be paroled, with the
objective of parolee crime prevention and recidivism.
ANALYSIS : Existing law provides that the State
Department of Corrections shall establish three pilot
CONTINUED
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programs that provide intensive training and counseling
programs for female parolees to assist in successful
reintegration of those parolees into the community upon
release or discharge from prison and after completion of
in-prison therapeutic community substance abuse treatment.
Existing law provides that the aforementioned pilot
projects shall include a comprehensive case management
component, and may include, but not be limited to, drug and
alcohol abuse treatment, cognitive skills development,
education, life skills, job skills, victim impact
awareness, anger management, family reunification,
counseling, vocational training and support, residential
care, and placement in affordable housing and employment
opportunities.
Existing law provides that the director of Corrections
shall determine the counties in which those pilot programs
are established.
Existing law provides that the State Department of
Corrections shall operate the Preventing Parolee Crime
Program which includes residential and nonresidential
multiservice centers, literacy labs, drug treatment
networks and job placement assistance for parolees.
Existing law requires the State Department of Corrections
to contract with an independent consultant to conduct an
evaluation regarding the impact of the Preventing Parolee
Crime Program to additional parole units on public safety,
parolee recidivism, and prison and parole costs, and report
the results to the Legislature by January 1, 2004.
Existing law states that the State Department of
Corrections shall develop and report, utilizing existing
resources, to the Legislature by December 31, 2000, a plan
that would ensure by January 1, 2005, that all prisoners
and parolees who are substance abusers receive appropriate
treatment, including therapeutic community and academic
programs. The plan shall include a range of options,
estimated capital outlay and operating costs for the
various options, and a recommended prioritization,
including which persons shall receive priority for
treatment, for phased implementation of the plan.
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This bill:
1.Appropriates $4,000,000 in funding for an employment
preparation program to be administered by the State
Department of Corrections as an in-prison parallel
service to enhance existing substance abuse services.
Employment training services will be provided to persons
already participating in substance abuse programs.
Training will be provided by employment training,
placement, retention and re-entry specialists.
2.Requires that in-custody employment preparation training
shall be provided for at least five hours per week for
in-custody offenders that are 180 days from release and
shall include the following: vocational assessment and
skills identification, life skills training (including
goal setting, resume development and job-seeking and
retention skills).
3.Requires that services be provided to parolees after the
transition back to the community, in a community
employment training, placement, and retention service
setting. These services will include integrated case
management, serving the parolees through recidivism
reduction programs including employment preparation, job
placement and retention.
4.Requires that recidivism reduction services be provided
to parolees by a community employment facility (two
located in Northern California, two located in Southern
California, four in total) that includes relapse
prevention and recovery services, including drug use
prevention and the recidivism retention measures,
vocational assessment and career counseling, transition
assistance, job retention services and placement
services.
5.Requires that the enhanced substance abuse treatment and
parallel employment preparation training programs within
this pilot project will commence on April 1, 2001 and
continue for three years.
6.Gradually implements the pilot project, serving 500
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participants in the first year, 3000 participants in the
second year and 4000 participants in the third year.
7.Requires a study to be submitted by the Legislature no
later than July 1, 2004 by the State Department of
Corrections to determine the impact of substance abuse
treatment services and parallel employment preparation
training, placement, and retention services on parolee
stability, employment retention, recidivism and a
cost-benefit analysis.
History of Available Employment Services
Background provided by the sponsor asserts that:
CDC's Parole and Community Services Division
(PCSD)provides for a variety of employment services
programs that include the Jobs Plus Program, Employment
Development Department services, and most recently the
Offender Employment Continuum. There has also been an
effort by OSAP to provide employment-related services for
females who have participated in in-prison treatment
programs. It has been estimated that only about 5% -10%
of the 135,000 parolees statewide would be able to
receive services even if all of these programs operated
at top capacity.
The Jobs Plus Program has operated since 1986 when it
started as a pilot project in the LA area. The Jobs Plus
program was temporarily suspended and began again on
March 1, 2000. It is currently operating at nine sites
throughout the state and goals for FY 99/00 are 1,960
placements statewide. The goal of Jobs Plus is to
increase employability of offenders by providing
pre-employment training, job placement into full-time
jobs, and referrals for support services.
The EDD program is designed to have EDD representatives
in area parole offices. The program has been under
contract with CDC through PCSD since 1993. At its peak
there were 90 parole units with an EDD representative
although the program has been scaled back considerably
since that time. EDD representatives refer parolees to
temporary, seasonal, part-time, and full time work using
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the statewide database of EDD employers called CALJOBS.
The CALJOBS database is now available to the general
public through the Internet.
The Offender Employment Continuum (OEC) began this year
in October 2000. Designed by PCSD staff, OEC was suppose
to place approximately 5000 parolees a year in jobs
through 6 sites throughout the state. The program was
designed so that each site worked with paroles from only
one "feeder" institution. Parolees must attend a 40-hour
(20 hour per week for two week) class before given any
job leads. As of March of 2000, no OEC site had come
close to meeting any monthly contractual goals or
objectives. Most OEC providers had placed less than 5
parolees in jobs since the beginning of the contract.
The contract is under revision at this time to expand the
OEC sites to enable them to work with parolees from any
institution.
The Governor's Budget
In the Public Safety section of the Governor's Budget
Summary for the Year 2000-01, the following is indicated:
Substance Abuse Treatment Program Expansion
Substance abuse is often cited as being a primary or
contributing cause of criminal behavior. The budget
contains $12.3 million and 23 personnel years to expand
in-prison substance abuse treatment beds from 6,514 to
8,014 including residential aftercare treatment for 50
percent of the program graduates.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: Yes Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
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
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SUPPORT : (Verified 5/25/00)
California Association of Re-Entry and Employment Services
(source)
Attorney General
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, "the goal
of SB 1987 is to reduce recidivism by providing a
comprehensive continuum of care from prison through parole.
This will be accomplished by combining existing substance
abuse treatment services with job placement, job retention,
and critical support services.
"The Governor has proposed an expansion of drug treatment
beds and the commitment to expand drug treatment services
for inmates already exists. SB 1987 would allow for a
parallel track of job preparation, placement, and
retention services thereby creating a comprehensive
effort between treatment and employment services that
will enhance and build upon the successes of each in
reducing recidivism. SB 1987 is needed to meet these
goals for the following reasons:
1.Treatment programs and employment/reentry services will
operate cooperatively and in tandem maximizing their
benefits to reduce recidivism.
2.An expansion in services is needed to provide parolees
with assistance in finding and keeping a job and staying
substance abuse and crime free.
3.Needed is a comprehensive program designed to meet the
complex employment retention and aftercare needs of
parolees.
4.SB 1987 will allow treatment and employment service
providers to combine efforts in using best practices
techniques and will be evaluated for effectiveness.
"It is imperative that only validated and best practices
methods be used to provide proven and effective services in
reducing recidivism. Current research indicates many
effective best practices for employment services and drug
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treatment. Using these methods helps to increase the
standard of services in all areas while effectively
reducing the recidivism rate. Evaluation ensures that
taxpayer's money is not wasted on efforts that do not
produce results. The definition of effective aftercare
services means more than just on-going drug treatment. It
also means comprehensive transitional employment and
retention services. The combined effort of best practices
by substance abuse treatment and also offender employment
and re-entry services will maximize the potential for a
successful transition into the community. SB 1987 will
help parolees to beat the odds and create a safer community
for everyone."
RJG:sl 5/27/00 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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