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Program Enhancements and Other Budget Adjustments
Department of Justice
The Governor's Budget includes $825.2 million ($402.7 million General Fund) for the Department of Justice (DOJ), which reflects an increase of $25.6 million (a reduction of $4.8 million General Fund) above the revised 2006-07 budget. The Attorney General serves as the state's primary legal representative and chief law enforcement officer and is responsible for ensuring that California's laws are uniformly enforced.
The Governor's Budget proposes 5,538.3 positions and includes $224.6 million for law enforcement programs, $361.4 million for legal service programs, $185.9 million for the California Justice Information Services program, $20.4 million for the Division of Gambling Control, $16.7 million for the Firearms Division, and $16.2 million for Executive Programs.
The Governor's Budget includes an augmentation of $2.5 million ($1.2 million General Fund) and 2.8 positions to help address DOJ's capacity needs in order to accommodate the additional sample load expected when all-felon arrestees will be required to submit DNA samples pursuant to the provisions of the DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act (Proposition 69) beginning in 2009. The DOJ has made significant progress in addressing the Proposition 69 DNA sample backlog, and, by July 2007, will maintain a backlog below the level contemplated in Proposition 69. This will ensure that the DOJ is prepared for the increased samples expected to be received in 2009.
Specifically, the Governor's Budget includes $2 million DNA Identification Fund to implement a DNA Live Scan Automation Project to provide automated fingerprint verification systems throughout all California law enforcement agencies; $489,000 General Fund and 2.8 positions to establish a satellite office of the California Criminalistics Institute in Southern California (currently located only in Sacramento) to provide critical training to state and local forensic scientists and law enforcement personnel to meet the scientific needs of state and local crime laboratories; and a shift of $694,000 of expenditures from the Sexual Habitual Offender Program Fund to the General Fund to maintain the DOJ's Cal DNA Databank Casework Program at its current level.
Within existing resources, the DOJ will establish a loan assumption program to address recruitment issues for DNA Criminalists; implement program and workflow management efficiencies to accommodate increased sample volume expected in 2009, including the automatic review of data generated by genetic analyzers to reduce the amount of time criminalists are required to review sample data; and assign three existing criminalists as field representatives to assist local law enforcement with training and technical assistance associated with Proposition 69, which will be critical in the implementation of the DNA Live Scan Automation Project.
The Strategic Growth Plan (SGP) proposes to address the state's critical facility needs to ensure adequate functionality and capacity to enable the delivery of services to the public. The SGP proposes to expand and relocate the DNA laboratory currently located in Richmond, which is necessary to address DOJ's long-term response to the increasing demands related to DNA analysis and testing. Given the high cost of living and the competing salaries of private and public laboratories in the Bay Area, the DOJ faces significant recruitment and retention issues in its DNA Program. Relocation of the Richmond DNA laboratory is critical to ensure the success of the DNA Program as envisioned in Proposition 69.
CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS for
Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Back to Top
PRINTABLE BUDGET DOCUMENTS Back to Top
Budget Summary - Legislative, Judicial, and Executive (pdf * - 57K)
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Provides this entire Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Chapter in pdf format.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Back to Top
Proposed Budget Detail - Legislative, Judicial, and Executive
Displays Proposed Budget Detail information for Legislative, Judicial, and Executive.
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