Deaths while in law enforcement custody: reporting.

Existing law establishes a system of state prisons under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Existing law also establishes a system of county and city jails under the jurisdiction of the sheriff or chief of police. If a death occurs while a person is in custody, this bill would require the agency with jurisdiction over the state or local correctional facility with custodial responsibility for the person to post specified information, including the facility and location within that facility where the death occurred and the decedent's age, race, and gender, on its internet website within 10 days of the death. The bill would grant an agency an additional 10 days to make good faith efforts to notify next of kin if the agency seeks to notify the next of kin and is unable to do so within 10 days of the death. If any information regarding the death changes, the bill would also require the agency to update the posting within 30 days of the change. By placing a new duty on local agencies, this 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 the statutory provisions noted above.