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5225 Corrections and Rehabilitation
Major Program Changes
- Adult Inmate and Parolee Population-The average daily inmate population is projected to increase from 173,401 in 2006-07 to 177,577 in 2007-08, an increase of 4,176 inmates, or 2.4 percent. The average daily parole population is projected to increase from 119,148 in 2006-07 to 122,148 in 2007-08, an increase of 3,000 parolees, or 2.5 percent. The fiscal impact of these population increases in 2006-07 is $9.7 million General Fund and -$257,000 Other Funds. In 2007-08, the fiscal impact is $53.8 million General Fund and $533,000 Other Funds.
- Population and Caseload Savings-The Governor's Budget includes estimated savings resulting from modifications to the parole structure, which will allow law enforcement to focus on those who pose the greatest risk of committing another crime. This includes automatic discharge from parole for individuals with 12 months of 'clean time', and no parole for some low level offenders. The Budget also assumes the elimination of 90-day diagnostic evaluations. In total, these changes are estimated to result in savings of $56.7 million in 2007-08 and $75.5 million in 2008-09 and ongoing.
- Juvenile Offenders and Parolee Population-The Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) projects a juvenile institution population of 2,630 youthful offenders by June 30, 2007, 30 less than anticipated in the 2006 Budget Act. The 2007-08 year-end institution population is expected to decrease by 40 wards, resulting in a June 30, 2008 population of 2,490. Primarily due to delays in the implementation of smaller living units and associated staffing ratios called for in the Safety and Welfare and Mental Health Remedial Plans, the Governor's Budget proposes a decrease of $9.3 million General Fund and $488,000 other funds in 2006-07. There is an increase of $8.2 million General Fund and decrease of $639,000 other funds in 2007-08. The increase in General Fund is due to the ongoing implementation of the smaller living units and staffing ratios. However, the overall costs in 2007-08 are lower than the level of funding originally approved in both of the remedial plans due to slower activation than initially anticipated.
The juvenile parole population is expected to be 2,775 by June 30, 2007, a decrease of 160 from the 2006 Budget Act. By June 30, 2008, the juvenile parole population is expected to decrease by 240 from the level projected in the 2006 Budget Act to a total of 2,405. As a result, the Governor's Budget proposes decreases of $1.2 million General Fund in 2006-07 and $2.4 million General Fund in 2007-08.
The population adjustment proposed in the Governor's Budget for the Juvenile Education Program reflects staffing ratios consistent with the requirements of the Education Remedial Plan. General Fund Proposition 98 funding is projected to decrease by $1.9 million in 2006-07 and $2.6 million in 2007-08.
- Shift of the DJJ Population-The Budget reflects a net savings of $32.9 million General Fund in 2007-08 resulting from changes to the DJJ's population that will reduce the number of juvenile offenders housed in state facilities. Another $10 million General Fund savings will result from the elimination of funding for the Juvenile Justice Community Reentry Challenge Grant.
- Parole Hearings Workload-The Budget includes an additional $5 million General Fund to ensure the continued implementation of the Valdivia Remedial Plan, primarily for correctional case records services and attorney services for each parolee.
- Out-of-State Beds-The Budget includes $10.3 million in 2006-07 and $13.2 million in 2007-08 for the Department to contract with prison facilities outside of California. This augmentation will allow for the transfer of up to 2,260 inmates, enhancing the safety of prison staff and inmates by easing the population crisis.
- Sex Offender Management Plan-The Governor's Budget includes $30.4 million in 2006-07 and $122.9 million in 2007-08 and ongoing to implement Proposition 83 (Jessica's Law), enacted legislation related to managing sex offenders (SB 1178, SB 1128, and AB 1015), and recommendations from the Governor's High Risk Sex Offender Task Force. Specifically, this augmentation includes funding to provide active Global Positioning System (GPS) monitoring and 20:1 parole agent ratios for 3,300 high-risk sex offender parolees, and passive GPS monitoring and 40:1 parole agent supervision ratios for 5,700 non-high risk sex offender parolees. This augmentation also includes funding to provide treatment for high-risk sex offenders, provide biannual polygraph testing of high-risk sex offenders on parole, and provide additional parole agents to coordinate with Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Teams.
- Adult Probation Funding-In order to increase the effectiveness of the adult probation services in California, particularly with offenders in the 18 to 25 year old range, the Budget includes $50 million in 2007-08 for local assistance grants to fund the California Adult Probation Accountability and Rehabilitation Act program. This program will be modeled after the successful Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act program, which has deterred countless thousands of juveniles from becoming state prison and county jail inmates. This investment will increase to $100 million in 2008-09.
- Consolidated Information Technology Infrastructure Program-The Administration proposes $32.4 million General Fund to upgrade the information technology infrastructure of the Department's correctional facilities. This program will centralize and standardize the Department's wide-area-network and local-area-network.
- Teacher Pay and Schedule Parity-The Budget includes $4.9 million General Fund in 2007-08 to provide schedule and pay parity to teachers and vocational instructors in adult institutions. Teachers and vocational instructors in the Division of Juvenile Justice previously received a similar package that has proven successful as a recruitment and retention tool.
- Sentencing Commission-The Governor proposes to create the California Sentencing Commission to review and make recommendations on sentencing guidelines and parole policies. The Commission will act as a clearinghouse and information center for sentencing and submit recommendations on sentencing guidelines to the Legislature each year. The Budget includes $457,000 General Fund for the Commission.
- Strategic Offender Management System-The Budget includes $3.6 million General Fund in 2007-08 for the Strategic Offender Management System, an integrated offender database that will allow the Department to centrally maintain information related to an offender's institutional and parole time, including housing, classification, sentencing information, custody status, program outcomes, gang affiliation, education, vocational training, scheduling, and revocation.
- Court Orders and Lawsuits-The Budget includes $130 million in 2006-07 and $278.9 million in 2007-08 to comply with court orders and lawsuits, including the health care Receiver in the case of Plata v. Schwarzenegger.
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