In May of this year Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill (AB) 900, the Public Safety and Offender Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007. This agreement represents a shift in California’s correctional system, provides for the largest prison capital outlay program in decades and provides opportunities to fundamentally improve corrections systems throughout California. Chief among the shifts of AB 900 are funding for increased offender programming, authorization for 16,000 beds in secure reentry program facilities (SRPF), and an appropriation of $1.2 billion in jail construction funding through state lease revenue bonds.
The mission and goals of AB 900 appear congruent with contemporary issues of overcrowding, recidivism reduction, gender response programming and planning for new county jail faculties that are currently being considered in San Mateo County. On April 24, 2007, through Resolution No. 68667, your Board expressed support of the notion allowing counties to “opt-in” on the construction of additional local jail beds as well as on the construction and operation of county-located state re-entry beds, anticipating the passage of legislation of this nature.
The SRPF model funded by AB 900 is one in which smaller facilities and stronger rehabilitation programs prepare offenders for life outside of prisons and jails. The provisions of AB 900 include funding opportunities for local jail beds as well. The governor intends to expedite construction of new beds to reduce unsafe overcrowding conditions. Inherent in the Governor’s plans are provisions for counties, cities, and CDCR to work together to devise programs that will assist inmates, reduce recidivism and enhance public safety. An antecedent step to that collaboration is through the establishment of non-binding Agreements to Cooperate among counties willing to sign such documents and CDCR.
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Based continuing conversations with CDCR Secretary James Tilton and other members of his department since April of this year, we anticipate the State of California to be in the planning process to release approximately $750 million in funding for Phase I of the AB 900 earmarked monies. At present, there has been no announcement of a projected timeline for Phase II, an offering of $470 million in funding. Phase I is anticipated to include funding for the construction of 6,000 secure re-entry beds and 4,000 local jail beds; a local fund match of at least 25% is expected for the local jail beds. The RFP for Phase I is anticipated to be released in the fall or winter of 2007 and the associated award announcements to be made in the spring or summer of 2008.
CDCR has indicated that the first preference in consideration of the distribution of AB 900 funds will be given to those counties who have signed non-binding Agreements to Cooperate with CDCR. A later process of the funding mechanism will be to sign construction agreements—these are specifically not addressed in this resolution or the agreement sought at present.
The agreement submitted for your approval provides that the CDCR and the Office of the San Mateo County Sheriff shall jointly plan for a state constructed secure reentry facility in conjunction with a new San Mateo County Jail to house adult offenders.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the resolution and non-binding agreement as to form.
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