Reentry Advisory Committee.

Existing law requires the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish, until January 1, 2011, a Reentry Advisory Committee, comprised as specified, to advise the secretary on matters related to the successful planning, implementation, and outcomes of all reentry programs and services in the department, with the goal of reducing recidivism. Existing law provides that the committee shall meet at least quarterly and that committee members shall receive compensation for travel expenses but no other compensation. This bill would change the qualifications for one of the committee members, and would expand the membership of the committee by 7 members, as specified. The bill would provide that the committee shall meet upon call of the secretary. The bill would remove the requirement that committee members receive compensation for travel expenses, as specified, and instead provide that committee members shall serve without compensation. The bill would require the secretary, in consultation with the committee, to apply for specified federal grants. The bill would authorize the secretary to develop a comprehensive strategic reentry plan containing annual and 5-year performance goals, as specified, or to satisfy specified federal grant funding eligibility criteria by other means. The bill would require the secretary, in consultation with the committee, to apply for any federal financial hardship exemptions available to states struggling to identify matching funds for specified federal grants, and to submit a report to the Legislature and the United States Attorney General detailing the progress toward achieving strategic performance outcomes, as specified. The bill would extend the operation of the committee until January 1, 2016.