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Criminal Justice Publications

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Handout

Substance Abuse Treatment Programs in the Criminal Justice System

March 10, 2010 - Presented to: Assembly Select Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Hon. Jim Beall, Chair Assembly Select Committee on Prisons and Rehabilitation Reform Hon. Alberto Torrico, Chair

Handout

Reducing the Ward and Parolee Populations at the Division of Juvenile Facilities

March 4, 2010 - Presented to: Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 4 On State Administration Hon. Mark DeSaulnier, Chair

Handout

Governor's Automated Speed Enforcement Proposal

February 3, 2010 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee Hon. Denise Moreno Ducheny, Chair

Handout

The Governor's Special Session Proposal to Reduce the Prison Population

January 28, 2010 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee Hon. Denise Moreno Ducheny, Chair

Report

The 2010-11 Budget: Automated Speed Enforcement Merits Authorization

January 27, 2010 - This policy brief examines the Governor’s special session proposal to generate additional state revenues from penalties imposed on drivers who are caught speeding through the use of automated speed enforcement (ASE) systems. In this brief, we outline how ASE systems would work, assess the administration’s estimate of new state revenues from this approach, and provide our comments and recommendations on the proposal.

Report

Prisons vs. Universities Proposal Would Unwisely Lock Up Budget Flexibility

January 26, 2010 - In his January budget, the Governor proposed a state constitutional amendment that would require reductions in spending on state corrections, with corresponding increases in spending for public universities. Beginning in 2014–15, the state would be required to dedicate no more than 7 percent of state General Fund spending to corrections and no less than 10 percent to public universities. We urge the Legislature to reject this proposal because it (1) would unwisely constrain the state’s ability to allocate funding where it is most needed each year; and (2) is unnecessary, as the state already has the ability to shift funding among programs without this constitutional amendment. Special session.

Report

The 2010-11 Budget: Assessing the Prison Population Reduction Proposal

January 25, 2010 - As part of the January 2010 special session to begin bringing the 2009‑10 and 2010‑11 budgets into balance, the Governor proposes statutory changes to reduce the state’s inmate and parolee populations. Specifically, the Governor proposes to require that offenders who have no prior serious or violent offenses and are convicted of certain property and drug felony crimes serve a maximum sentence of one year and one day in county jail in lieu of a state prison sentence. The administration estimates that, if approved by March 1, 2010, these changes would reduce state correctional costs by $25.2 million in 2009‑10 and $291.6 million in 2010‑11. In this brief, we (1) analyze the Governor’s proposal, particularly in the context of recent policy actions to reduce the inmate and parole populations, and (2) recommend modifying the Governor’s proposal to permit counties to place additional jail inmates on electronic home monitoring.

Handout

Out-of-State Correctional Facility Program

January 20, 2010 - Presented to: Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee Hon. Hector De La Torre, Chair

Handout

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: Division of Juvenile Facilities

November 30, 2009 - Presented to: Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration Hon. Mark DeSaulnier, Chair and Senate Public Safety Committee Hon. Mark Leno, Chair

Handout

Fiscal Impact of Legalizing Marijuana

October 28, 2009 - Presented to: Assembly Committee on Public Safety

Handout

Overview of Judicial Branch Budget and Operations

October 28, 2009 - Presented to: Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee

Handout

May Revision Overview: Judicial and Criminal Justice

June 2, 2009 - Presented to Budget Conference Committee

Other

Webcast: Achieving Better Outcomes for Adult Probation

May 29, 2009 - In this four-minute video, analyst Paul Golaszewski summarizes the LAO report Achieving Better Outcomes for Adult Probation.

Report

Achieving Better Outcomes for Adult Probation

May 29, 2009 - We conclude that opportunities exist to both improve public safety and reduce state costs by better aligning the county probation and state correctional systems. We recommend that the Legislature create a new program that would provide financial incentives for county probation departments to reduce their revocations to state prison. Even if the number of probation violators sent to state prison was reduced by as little as 10 percent, state corrections operating costs would be reduced by about $60 million annually when fully implemented.

(Short video summary)

Report

Implementing AB 900's Prison Construction and Rehabilitation Initiatives

May 14, 2009 - We examine the steps that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has taken to implement Chapter 7, Statutes of 2007 (AB 900, Solorio) which authorized a total of approximately $7.7 billion for a broad package of prison construction and rehabilitation initiatives in order to relieve the significant overcrowding problems facing state prisons. Based on our review, we identify several issues that merit legislative consideration. For example, we note that the department’s construction cost estimates for the infill bed projects reflect an almost quadrupling of costs since the last state prison was built about seven years ago. Moreover, we find that the cost to operate the infill bed and reentry facilities and pay the annual debt service for the lease-revenue bonds to construct these facilities will be significant. Based on the department’s estimates, when fully implemented, the infill bed and reentry facilities could increase General Fund costs by $1.3 billion annually.

Criminal Justice Staff

Anita Lee
(916) 319-8321
Courts, Department of Justice, Gambling
 
Caitlin O'Neil
(916) 319-8351
State Prisons, County Jails, Sentencing
 
Jared Sippel
(916) 319-8335
Emergency Services and Business Regulation
 
Orlando Sanchez Zavala
(916) 319-8307
Correctional Health Care, Rehabilitation Programs, Juvenile Justice, Community Corrections
 
Drew Soderborg
(916) 319-8346
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Public Safety and Business Regulation