BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 1987
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   June 28, 2000

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 
                              Carole Migden, Chairwoman

                  SB 1987 (Vasconcellos) - As Amended:  May 26, 2000

          Policy Committee:                             Public  
          SafetyVote:5-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill appropriates $4 million to the Department of  
          Corrections' (CDC) for the first year of a three-year project to  
          enhance substance abuse treatment and employment skills for  
          soon-to-be-released inmates and parolees. Specifically,  this  
          bill  : 

          1)Requires in-custody employment preparation training to be  
            provided to inmates already participating in substance abuse  
            treatment programs. The training will be at least five hours  
            per week for in-custody offenders within 180 days from release  
            and shall include vocational assessment, life skills training,  
            resume development and job-seeking skills. Services, including  
            integrated case management, would be provided to parolees  
            after the transition to the community. 

          2)Requires that services be provided to parolees by four  
            community employment facilities, two northern California and  
            two in southern California. Services would include relapse  
            prevention, vocational assessment, transitional housing,  
            transportation, meals, and clothing. 
           
           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Appropriates $4 million (GF) to the CDC's Parole and Community  
          Services Division to implement the program, and limits cost of  
          the proposed services to $1,500 per person.  

          The 2000-01 budget bill proposed by the governor contained no  
          new funding for parolee services. The Senate augmented the  
          governor's budget by $22 million for parolee services and the  








                                                                  SB 1987
                                                                  Page  2

          budget conference committee reduced that increase to $10  
          million. 

           COMMENTS  

           Rationale  . The goal of SB 1987 is to reduce recidivism by  
          providing a comprehensive continuum of care from prison through  
          parole.  SB 1987 proposes to expand current services by creating  
          a parallel track of substance abuse treatment and job  
          preparation, placement, and retention to keep parolees employed  
          and drug free.  


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916)319-2081