California Assembly Bill AB1236 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1236AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 16, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Fletcher FEBRUARY 27, 2009 An act to  amend Section 5000   add and repeal Section 6405  of the Penal Code, relating to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1236, as amended, Fletcher. Department of Corrections and  Rehabilitation.   Rehabilitation: United Through Reading Transitions Program.   Existing law provides that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall implement in every state prison literacy programs that are designed to ensure that parole inmates are able to achieve a 9th-grade reading level. Existing law also provides that the visitation of inmates has an important role in establishing and maintaining a meaningful connection with the inmate's family.   This bill would provide, in addition, that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, to the extent existing resources designated to family service or community partnership programs are available or additional resources are appropriated, shall establish a pilot program of unspecified duration in an unspecified number of state prisons that implements the United Through Reading Transitions Program, the purpose of which is to foster emotional bonding between inmates and their children and provide the children of inmates with a chance to see their parents in a positive light by enabling the inmates to read books aloud on DVD and send the books and recordings home.   Existing law states that any reference in code to the Department of Corrections is a reference to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.   This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to that provision.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 6405 is added to the   Penal Code   , to read:   6405. (a) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, to the extent existing resources designated to family service or community partnership programs are available or additional resources for the purposes specified in this section are appropriated, shall establish a pilot program implementing the United Through Reading Transitions Program, the purpose of which is to foster emotional bonding between inmates and their children and provide the children of inmates with a chance to see their parents in a positive light by enabling the inmates to read books aloud on DVD and send the books and recordings home. (b) The pilot program shall be established in the following state prisons: ____ (c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, ____, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, ____, deletes or extends that date.   SECTION 1.   Section 5000 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 5000. Commencing July 1, 2005, any reference to the Department of Corrections in this or any other code refers to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Adult Operations. Nothing in the act enacted by Senate Bill 737 of the 2005-06 Regular Session shall be construed to alter the primary objective of adult incarceration under the reorganized Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which remains public safety as articulated in the legislative findings and declarations set forth in Section 1170.