Prisoners: prison education programs.

Existing law establishes various prison education programs. Existing law requires the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to determine and implement a system of incentives to increase inmate participation in, and completion of, academic and vocational education, as specified. Existing law requires the department to develop and implement a plan to obtain additional rehabilitation and treatment services for prison inmates and parolees. The bill would state findings and declarations of the Legislature pertaining to inmate education. This bill would require that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation implement any funding adjustments to inmate academic and vocational education programs consistent with specified requirements, including, among others, that the department shall prioritize the preservation of programs that are effective at reducing recidivism, and that the department shall seek to place inmates and parolees into programs for which they are best suited, as specified. The bill would require the department to annually report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee specified information regarding inmate participation in, and completion of, academic and vocational education programs. The bill would render this reporting requirement inoperative on September 1, 2015.