BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  AB 1049|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 1049
          Author:   Solorio (D), et al
          Amended:  7/17/07 in Senate
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE  :  5-0, 6/26/07
          AYES:  Romero, Cogdill, Cedillo, Margett, Ridley-Thomas
           
          ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  75-0, 6/5/07 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Parole reentry programs:  YouthBuild model

           SOURCE  :     California YouthBuild Coalition


           DIGEST  :    This bill enacts the "Rebuilding Communities and  
          Rebuilding Lives Act of 2007."  This bill establishes,  
          dependent on an appropriation of funds, a parole reentry  
          program for youthful offenders ages 16-23 that includes  
          construction training, academic services, counseling, and  
          tracking of those who have completed the program.

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law, until January 1, 2010, requires  
          the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation  
          (CDCR) to establish a pilot program in East Palo Alto for  
          parolees returning to East Palo Alto to conduct needs-based  
          assessments of the individual parolees, partner with East  
          Palo Alto police officers, and blend enforcement and  
          programming services, as specified.

          This bill directs CDCR, to the extent funds are  
                                                           CONTINUED





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          appropriated, to establish reentry programs through the  
          Division of Juvenile Programs (DJP) as specified.  This  
          bill requires DJP to preenroll eligible youths into  
          eligible community programs, as specified below.  This bill  
          requires CDCR, through DJP, to work with counties to  
          facilitate the preenrollment of eligible youth from county  
          detention facilities into eligible community programs.   
          This bill:

          1. Requires CDCR, beginning January 1, 2008, to identify  
             and by December 31, 2008, to enroll eligible parolees no  
             less than 45 days prior to their scheduled release dates  
             from a facility or program operated by the DJP into  
             eligible programs.

          2. Specifies that priority should be given to programs  
             which have been in existence for at least one year prior  
             to enactment of this provision, and programs which have  
             been operational at any time over the previous three  
             years.

          3. Requires an eligible parolee to be released to an  
             eligible program no more than 60 miles from his/her last  
             known address or intended release city.

          4. Participation in the program shall commence no less than  
             72 hours upon release or discharge from a CDCR facility.  
              Enrollment is subject to approval by each program.

          This bill defines an "eligible youth" as a person between  
          the ages of 16 to 23 years, who is economically  
          disadvantaged, under the control of CDCR or a county on or  
          after January 1, 2008, and who is scheduled for release any  
          date prior to January 1, 2010:

          1. Limits enrollment to no more than 200 youths.

          2. States that priority of enrollment shall be given to an  
             eligible youth who CDCR has determined to be gang  
             affiliated or who has an immediate family member who has  
             been identified as gang affiliated.

          This bill defines "eligible program" as having the  
          following minimum provisions:







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          1. Integrated education and job training services and  
             activities on an equally-divided basis. 

          2. The job training component shall involve work experience  
             and skills training apprenticeships related to  
             construction and rehabilitation activities.  The  
             construction and rehabilitation shall consist of  
             construction and rehabilitation of housing and related  
             facilities to be used for the purpose of providing home  
             ownership for disadvantaged persons, disabled persons,  
             and low-income families.

          3. The education component shall include basic skill  
             instruction, secondary education services, and  
             activities designed to lead to the attainment of a high  
             school diploma or its equivalent.  The curriculum shall  
             include math, language arts, vocational education, life  
             skills social studies, and leadership skills.

          4. Bilingual services and English learning curriculum shall  
             be provided where feasible and appropriate.

          5. Programs shall have a goal of one teacher for every  
             eight students.

          This bill requires assistance in attaining postsecondary  
          education and in obtaining financial aid upon graduation  
          from the program.

          This bill provides counseling services to assist  
          participants through peer counseling, life skills training,  
          substance abuse prevention, and referral to appropriate  
          drug rehabilitation, medical, mental health, legal,  
          housing, and other community resources.  The program shall  
          have a goal of one counselor for every 28 participants.

          This bill directs programs to work cooperatively with local  
          parole offices to oversee participants.

          This bill provides that participating community programs  
          shall meet the requirements of the YouthBuild Program, as  
          defined and described in Section 9800 et seq. of the  
          Unemployment Insurance Code.







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          This bill provides that CDCR shall allocate $20,000 per  
          year (or a fraction thereof) per-enrollee to each eligible  
          program that enrolls an eligible youth for each year of  
          participation.  CDCR shall provide no less than 50 percent  
          of each annual payment at the time of enrollment of the  
          eligible youth, and the remainder shall be paid upon the  
          completion of each year of participation by the youth.  The  
          eligible program shall return any fraction of the payment  
          to CDCR commensurate with the participant's actual  
          participation.  This bill provides that funding shall be  
          used to supplement, rather than supplant existing programs.

          This bill requires mandated maintenance of statistical  
          information on the success of the programs, specifically  
          the number of eligible youth served and the rate of return  
          to prison for those who participate.  The statistics shall  
          be provided to the Legislature upon request.     

          This bill includes a January 1, 2011 sunset date.
          
           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  9/10/07)

          California YouthBuild Coalition (source)
          California Adelanto YouthBuild
          California Catholic Conference
          California Correctional Peace Officers Association
          California Peace Officers' Association
          California Police Chiefs Association
          Century Center for Economic Opportunity
          Coalition for Effective Public Safety
          Community Action Partnership
          Crime Victims United
          Crime Victims United of California
          Glide Memorial YouthBuild Program
          LACAUSA YouthBuild
          Los Angeles Conservation Corps & YouthBuild Program
          Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
          MACC Project
          Mojave Basin Youth Corps
          National City YouthBuild







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          New Haven Youth and Family Services
          North Richmond YouthBuild
          San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps
          San Joaquin County Office of Education
          San Jose Conservation Corps & Charter School
          Santa Rosa YouthBuild
          Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety
          Venice Community Housing Corp YouthBuild
          YouthBuild San Jose
          Yuba County Office of Education


           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    According to the author:

            "AB 1049 is modeled on YouthBuild, a nationally  
            recognized organization focused on improving the lives of  
            at-risk youth.  YouthBuild (YB) has an impressive track  
            record of helping at-risk youth follow a career path out  
            of poverty instead of the cycle of poverty.  With 50%  
            classroom training and 50% vocational training at the job  
            site, youth graduating from the program learn valuable  
            and life-sustaining skills in the construction trades.   
            These youth in turn make lasting contributions to their  
            communities by building affordable housing units,  
            becoming role models for other youth and children, and  
            learning from private industry mentors how to lead  
            productive, successful lives."


           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  : 
          AYES:  Adams, Aghazarian, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall,  
            Benoit, Berg, Berryhill, Blakeslee, Brownley, Caballero,  
            Charles Calderon, Carter, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre,  
            De Leon, DeSaulnier, DeVore, Duvall, Dymally, Emmerson,  
            Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fuentes, Fuller, Gaines, Galgiani,  
            Garcia, Garrick, Hancock, Hayashi, Hernandez, Horton,  
            Houston, Huff, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Karnette, Keene,  
            Krekorian, La Malfa, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber, Lieu,  
            Ma, Maze, Mendoza, Mullin, Nakanishi, Nava, Niello,  
            Parra, Plescia, Portantino, Price, Richardson, Ruskin,  
            Salas, Saldana, Silva, Smyth, Solorio, Spitzer, Swanson,  
            Torrico, Tran, Wolk, Nunez
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Sharon Runner, Soto, Strickland,  
            Villines, Walters







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          RJG:mw  9/10/07   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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