Public Records

SB 1002 (Yee) – Oppose Unless Amended
As Proposed to be Amended

SB 1002, by Senator Leland Yee, would amend the Public Records Act to specify, under certain circumstances, that local agencies provide electronic records in a searchable or open format.

CSAC, along with RCRC, UCC and a number of other local government stakeholders, has worked extensively with the author and sponsors on this measure to address local concerns summarized in previous legislative bulletins. The measure was heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week when it took up its Suspense File. The measure passed out of the committee, but has been converted to a study bill. CSAC staff will summarize the new content of the bill as soon as these amendments are in print.

Restitution

SB 1210 (Lieu) – Support
As Proposed to be Amended

SB 1210, by Senator Ted Lieu, would confer the necessary and appropriate authority on counties to collect restitution and other criminal fines and penalties from the new criminal offender population transferred under the 2011 public safety realignment.

As counties are aware, under 2011 realignment implementation — pursuant to AB 109, AB 117 and other implementing measures — counties became responsible for new adult offender populations at the local level. SB 1210 is necessary to establish both the local administrative structure and the express authority to collect restitution and revocation fines from those sentenced to county jail (who previously would have served a prison term) as well as those in the community on mandatory or post-release community supervision. This authority was not conferred in the initial 2011 realignment package but it is broadly understood that this oversight needed to be addressed. 

CSAC has worked with county collections officials on designing the administrative structure within SB 1210 in such a way as to maximize the local ability to recover restitution and other fines. CSAC is appreciative of the author and sponsors –the Los Angeles District Attorney, California District Attorneys Association, and the Crime Victims Action Alliance – and their willingness to consider and accept our amendments. CSAC will summarize the most recent amendments in a future Bulletin.

SB 1210 passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee on August 16, 2012 and will be considered next by the full Assembly.

Arming of Probation Officers

AB 1968 (Wieckowski) – Oppose
As Amended on August 6, 2012

AB 1968, by Assembly Member Bob Wieckowski, would require the chief probation officer of each county to develop a policy regarding the arming of its probation officers. 

While we appreciate that previous amendments remove language to require the arming of probation officers, as specified, the measure – as amended this week – authorizes probation officers to be armed if directed by their chief probation officer and continues to require the chief probation officer to develop a policy regarding the arming of its probation officers who carry high-risk caseloads by June 30, 2013. Respectfully, we do not believe this measure is necessary. CSAC remains jointly oppose this measure along with the Regional Council of Rural Counties, the Urban Counties Caucus and Los Angeles County.

AB 1968 was passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee during its Suspense File hearing on August 16 and will now go to the Senate floor for consideration. It is our understanding that the bill will be amended to reduce its scope and costs, but the specifics of the amendments are not yet known.

Realignment Resources

California Forward’s Partnership for Community Excellence has posted audio and slides for recent webinars of interest that may be of interest to counties. The Partnership Webinar Series are available here; details about the webinars currently available and those that will be aired in the future are provided below. 

Currently Available

• Wednesday, August 8, 2012 webinar with Patricia Mazzilli, Executive Director, California Board of State and Community Corrections on The Role of the New California Board of State and Community Corrections.
• Tuesday, June 5, 2012 webinar with Terri McDonald, Undersecretary of Operations, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on The Future of California Corrections: A blueprint to save billions of dollars, end court oversight & improve the prison system.

Available week of August 20, 2012:

• Thursday, August 16, 2012 webinar with Kevin O’Connell, Research Analyst, Chief Probation Officers of California on Realignment: A First Look at Statewide Data Trends and Impacts.

Upcoming Webinars (more information will be available soon)

• Wednesday, September 5, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Tanja Heitman, Deputy Chief Probation Officer, Santa Barbara County, discussing Realignment Evaluation: One County’s Experience and Stephanie James, Chief Probation Officer, San Joaquin County, discussing San Joaquin County Public Safety Realignment: Data Collection Efforts.
• Thursday, September 27, 2012, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The Center for Juvenile and Criminal Justice and Santa Cruz County Probation
• October 2012, Jessica Flintoft, Director, Reentry Division, San Francisco Reentry Council

If you have questions or need more information about these webinars, please contact Sharon Aungst, Director of The Partnership for Community Excellence.