Postrelease reentry pilot program.

Existing law requires that all persons released from prison on and after October 1, 2011, after serving a prison term for a felony, be subject to postrelease community supervision provided by a county agency for a period of 3 years immediately following release, except for persons released after serving a term for a serious felony, a violent felony, an offense for which the person was sentenced pursuant to the Three Strikes law, a crime where the person is classified as a High Risk Sex Offender, or a crime where the person is required to undergo treatment by the State Department of State Hospitals because the person has a severe mental disorder. Existing law requires these persons to be subject to parole supervision by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation following release from state prison. Existing law requires the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish a parole reentry accountability program, and, subject to the availability of funding, to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Administrative Office of the Courts for the establishment and operation of reentry court programs for parolees and persons on postrelease community supervision. This bill would, until January 1, 2018, require the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish a 3-year postrelease reentry pilot program, using an existing Sacramento area-based parole reentry program as a model, in 3 additional counties to provide comprehensive, structured reentry services for offenders released from state prison. The bill would require the Counties of San Bernardino, San Joaquin, and San Mateo to participate in the pilot program, and would provide that parolees, persons on postrelease community supervision, and probationers are eligible for participation in the program. The bill would require the secretary to submit a report on the effectiveness of the program for the 3 years of its operation to the Legislature on or before March 1, 2017, and a summary of the report to the Governor and the Legislature outlining the successes of the program. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to appropriate $1,200,000 per year per site from the state General Fund for the operation of the program, subject to matching funds from the county, and to appropriate an additional amount for the cost of evaluating the program. By imposing new and additional duties on local agencies in the participating counties, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.