CA AB 788

Title: Prisons: facilities for female offenders.
Author: Sharon Quirk-Silva

Summary
AB 788, as amended, Quirk-Silva. Prisons: facilities for female offenders. Existing law creates within the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, under the Undersecretary for Operations, the Division of Adult Institutions, among others, and requires each division to be headed by a director, who is appointed by the Governor, as specified. Existing law also requires the Governor to appoint 4 subordinate officers to the division, as specified. Existing law requires each subordinate officer appointed to oversee an identified category of adult institutions, one of which oversees female offender facilities.This bill would instead require the Governor to appoint 3 subordinate officers, as specified, who would oversee an identified category of male adult institutions, and one subordinate officer, as specified, who would oversee female adult institutions. The bill would create within the department, and under the Undersecretary for Operations, the Division of Female Programs and Services. The bill would require the director of this division to be responsible solely for female adult institutions and community facilities housing female offenders. The bill would require the director to report to the undersecretary and to have a minimum of 5 years of experience serving the female correctional population. The bill would also require this new division to manage and provide oversight of adult female programs, including prisons, conservation camps, and parole and community programs and to develop gender-responsive, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive approaches to program and policy development.Existing law requires the department to create a Female Offender Reform Master Plan and present it to the Legislature by a specified date. Existing law requires the department to, among other things, create policies and operational practices that are designed to ensure a safe and productive institutional environment for female offenders. Existing law also requires the department to contract with nationally recognized gender-responsive experts in prison operational practices staffing, classification, substance abuse, trauma treatment services, mental health services, transitional services, and community corrections to, among other things, develop programs and training for department staff in correctional facilities.This bill would require the department to provide a report to the Legislature on the implementation of the plan, and update statistics contained in the plan, by March 1, 2026, and every 3 years thereafter. The bill would also require the department to post the plan, any reports, and any updates to the plan to the department’s internet website. The bill would require the department to establish the Gender Responsive Strategies Commission to develop active partnerships, involving the community, treatment experts, and related agencies in its efforts toward gender-responsive practice.Existing law requires the secretary of the department to expand the existing prison ombudsperson program to ensure the comprehensive deployment of ombudspersons throughout the state prison system with specific focus on the maximum security institutions.This bill would instead require the Undersecretary for Operations to perform this duty and would require the undersecretary to appoint an ombudsperson solely assigned to adult female institutions.

Status
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

Bill Documents
CA AB 788 - 04/03/25 - Amended Assembly
04/03/25 - CA AB 788 (04/03/25 - Amended Assembly)