Corrections and rehabilitation: sentencing.

Under existing law, the Legislature finds and declares that the purpose of sentencing is public safety achieved through punishment, rehabilitation, and restorative justice, and that programs should be available for incarcerated persons, including educational, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs that are designed to promote behavior change and to prepare all eligible offenders for successful reentry into the community. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations relating to corrections and rehabilitation, including that the deprivation of liberty satisfies the punishment purpose of sentencing. The bill would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to facilitate access for community-based programs in order to meaningfully effectuate the principles outlined in the findings and declarations. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1170 of the Penal Code proposed by SB 852 to be operative only if this bill and SB 852 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.