Earlier this week, Governor Jerry Brown announced that he (in partnership with various criminal justice stakeholder groups) is taking action to amend and advance an initiative that would introduce various juvenile justice and adult sentencing reforms.
Referred to as The Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016, the proposed initiative would reform the process for making a determination as to whether a juvenile should be charged in an adult court, expedite parole hearings for potential release of certain adult nonviolent offenders that have served their base sentence, and increase the type and number of credits an individual can earn while incarcerated. These provisions are anticipated to further the State’s ability to meet the 2009 Federal court order to reduce the prison population to below 137.5 percent of design capacity.
The Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016 comes at a time when local governments are still implementing reforms made through Assembly Bill 109 (2011) and Proposition 47 which have shifted and increased responsibility – housing, rehabilitation, drug and mental health treatment – of various nonviolent criminals to local governments.
RCRC is reviewing the details of the proposed initiative closely in conjunction with our county government partners to better understand the potential impacts on the local criminal justice system. The Governor’s proposed criminal justice reform proposal can be accessed here.