BILL ANALYSIS
SB 1987
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Date of Hearing: June 20, 2000
Chief Counsel: Bruce E. Chan
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY
Carl Washington, Chair
SB 1987 (Vasconcellos) - As Amended: May 26, 2000
SUMMARY : Appropriates $4 million from the General Fund to the
Department of Corrections' (CDC) Parole and Community Services
Division for the first fiscal year of a three-year project to
enhance substance abuse treatment and employment skill
development for parolees to reduce recidivism. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Requires that in-custody employment preparation training shall
be provided to inmates who are participating in existing
substance abuse treatment services. The training will be at
least five hours per week for in-custody offenders who are 180
days from release and shall include the following: vocational
assessment and skills identification, and life skills
training, including goal setting, resume development and
job-seeking and retention skills. Services, including
integrated case management, will also be provided to parolees
after the transition back to the community.
2)Requires that recidivism reduction services be provided to
parolees by four community employment facilities (two located
in northern California, two located in southern California).
The services offered by the facilities will include relapse
prevention, vocational assessment and career counseling,
transitional housing, transportation, meals, and clothing.
3)Provides 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. The project shall serve at least 500 parolees in
the first year, 3,000 and 4,000 in the second and third years
respectively.
4)Provides that CDC submit a report to the Legislature by July
1, 2004 to determine the effectiveness of the program on
parolee stability, employment retention, recidivism and a
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cost-benefit analysis.
5)Appropriates $4 million from the General Fund to the CDC's
Parole and Community Services Division for the first fiscal
year of the three-year project. Funding for subsequent years
will be obtained through the budget process. The cost of
enhanced substance abuse treatment and parallel employment
services shall cost no more that $1,500 per participant.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides that CDC shall establish three pilot 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. The projects may include a
comprehensive case management component, drug and alcohol
abuse treatment, cognitive skills development, job and life
skills, victim impact awareness, anger management, family
reunification, counseling, vocational training and support,
and placement in affordable housing and employment
opportunities. (Penal Code Section 3054.)
2)Provides that the CDC shall operate the Preventing Parolee
Crime Program that includes residential and non-residential
multi-service centers, literacy laboratories, drug treatment
networks and job placement assistance for parolees. CDC shall
contract with an independent consultant to conduct an
evaluation regarding the impact of the Preventing Parolee
Crime Program on public safety, parolee recidivism, and prison
and parole costs, and report to the Legislature by January 1,
2004. (Penal Code Section 3068.)
3)Requires CDC to develop a plan and report to the Legislature
by December 31, 2000, that would ensure by January 1, 2005 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
identifying those persons most in need of treatment. (Penal
Code Section 3070.)
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
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COMMENTS :
1)Author's Statement: According to the author, "The goal of SB
1987 is to reduce recidivism by providing a comprehensive
continuum of care from prison through parole. Efforts to
expand drug treatment beds already exist. SB 1987 would allow
for a parallel track of job preparation, placement, and
retention services creating a comprehensive effort between
treatment and employment services that will use the best
practices in reducing recidivism. Current programs operate
independently, but by working together, experts in employment
preparation, placement, and job retention of offenders will
assist in keeping parolees in treatment longer. Studies show
that success in staying substance abuse free is directly
related to the length of time in treatment.
"SB 1987 will provide for an expansion in the scope and overall
service level that is needed to provide parolees with
assistance in finding and keeping jobs while staying substance
abuse and crime free. Currently even if all of the current
employment programs operated at top capacity, only about 5% to
10% of the 135,000 parolees statewide would be served.
Attention will be focused on the job retention needs of
offenders because these services are crucial in making the
difference in long-term success in keeping a job. This
collaborative effort between treatment and employment
providers will be evaluated for effectiveness in reducing the
recidivism rate. Evaluation ensures that the taxpayer's money
is not wasted on efforts that do not produce results. SB 1987
will maximize the potential for a successful transition into
the community and help parolees to beat the odds and create a
safer community for everyone."
2)Background: According to information provided by the
sponsor, the CDC's Parole and Community Services Division
(PCSD) provides a variety of employment services programs that
include the Jobs Plus Program, Employment Development
Department (EDD) services, and most recently the Offender
Employment Continuum. There has also been an effort 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 if all of these
programs operated at top capacity.
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The Jobs Plus Program has operated since 1986 when it started as
a pilot project in the Los Angeles area. The Jobs Plus
program was temporarily suspended, resumed operation on March
1, 2000, and is currently operating at nine sites throughout
the state. The goal for Fiscal Year 1999-00 are 1,960
placements statewide and 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 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 past fiscal
year. Designed by PCSD staff, OEC was supposed to place
approximately 5,000 parolees per year in jobs through six
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 hours per
week for two weeks) class before given any job leads. As of
March 2000, no OEC site has come close to meeting any monthly
contractual goals or objectives. Most OEC providers have
placed less than five 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.
3)The Governor's Proposed Budget: In the Public Safety section
of the Governor's Budget Summary for the Year 2000-01,
substance abuse is often cited as being a primary or
contributing cause of criminal behavior. The budget contains
$12.3 million to expand in-prison substance abuse treatment
beds from 6,514 to 8,014 including residential aftercare
treatment for 50% of the program graduates.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
SB 1987
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Attorney General
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Bruce Chan / PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744