California Assembly Bill AB526 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 526AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 4, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Dickinson FEBRUARY 15, 2011 An act to amend Section  13827   6027  of the Penal Code, relating to crime prevention. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 526, as amended, Dickinson.  Gang and youth violence:   Delinquency and gang intervention and prevention grants:  evidence-based practices.  Existing law, commencing July 1, 2012, establishes the Board of State and Community Corrections to provide statewide leadership, coordination, and technical assistance to promote effective state and local efforts and partnerships in California's adult and juvenile criminal justice system, including addressing gang problems. Under existing law, the board is required to annually review and approve, or review, revise, and approve, the comprehensive state plan for the improvement of criminal justice and delinquency and gang prevention activities throughout the state, establish priorities for the use of available federal funds, and approve the expenditure of all funds pursuant to the plans or federal acts.   This bill would additionally require the board to identify delinquency and gang intervention and prevention grant funds and programs for the purpose of consolidating those grant funds and programs and moving toward a unified single delinquency intervention and prevention grant application process. The bill would require the board to develop incentives for units of local government to develop comprehensive regional partnerships in order to deliver services to a broader target population and maximize the impact of state funds at the local level. The bill would also require, by July 1, 2013, the board to develop a plan to ensure that within 3 years no less than 85% of state gang intervention and prevention funding is used in juvenile justice programs that utilize evidence-based practices.   Existing law establishes the Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy to, among other things, identify and evaluate gang and youth violence suppression, intervention, and prevention programs and strategies and funding. Existing law requires the Secretary of Emergency Management to take certain measures to identify and promote best practices to address gang and youth violence.   This bill would instead require the secretary to identify and implement evidence-based practices to address gang and youth violence. The bill would also require the California Emergency Management Agency to make recommendations on the most effective role of the agency in developing a plan to shift state-funded crime prevention and juvenile justice programs toward evidence-based practices over a 3-year period.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 6027 of the Penal Code, as amended by Section 33 of Chapter 36 of the Statutes of 2011, is amended to read:  6027. (a) It shall be the duty of the Board of State and Community Corrections to collect and maintain available information and data about state and community correctional policies, practices, capacities, and needs, including, but not limited to, prevention, intervention, suppression, supervision, and incapacitation, as they relate to both adult corrections, juvenile justice, and gang problems. The board shall seek to collect and make publicly available up-to-date data and information reflecting the impact of state and community correctional, juvenile justice, and gang-related policies and practices enacted in the state, as was well as information and data concerning promising and evidence-based practices from other jurisdictions. (b) Consistent with subdivision (c) of Section 6024, the board shall also: (1) Develop recommendations for the improvement of criminal justice and delinquency and gang prevention activity throughout the state. (2) Identify, promote, and provide technical assistance relating to evidence-based programs, practices, and innovative projects consistent with the mission of the board. (3) Receive and disburse federal funds, and perform all necessary and appropriate services in the performance of its duties as established by federal acts. (4) Develop comprehensive, unified, and orderly procedures to ensure that applications for grants are processed fairly, efficiently, and in a manner consistent with the mission of the board.  (5) Identify delinquency and gang intervention and prevention grants that have the same or similar program purpose, are allocated to the same entities, serve the same target populations, and have the same desired outcomes for the purpose of consolidating grant funds and programs and moving toward a unified single delinquency intervention and prevention grant application process.   (5)   (6)  Cooperate with and render technical assistance to the Legislature, state agencies, units of general local government, combinations of those units, or other public or private agencies, organizations, or institutions in matters relating to criminal justice and delinquency prevention.  (7) Develop incentives for units of local government to develop comprehensive regional partnerships whereby adjacent jurisdictions pool grant funds in order to deliver services to a broader target population and maximize the impact of state funds at the local level.   (6)   (8)  Conduct evaluation studies of the programs and activities assisted by the federal acts.  (7)   (9)  Identify and evaluate state, local, and federal gang and youth violence suppression, intervention, and prevention programs and strategies, along with funding for those efforts. The board shall assess and make recommendations for the coordination of the state's programs, strategies, and funding that address gang and youth violence in a manner that maximizes the effectiveness and coordination of those programs, strategies, and resources.  By July 1, 2013, the board shall develop a plan to ensure that within three years no less than 85 percent of state gang intervention and prevention funding is used in juvenile justice   programs that utilize evidence-based practices.  The board shall communicate with local agencies and programs in an effort to promote the best practices for addressing gang and youth violence through suppression, intervention, and prevention.  (8)   (10)  The board shall collect from each county the plan submitted pursuant to Section 1230.1 within two months of adoption by the county boards of supervisors. Commencing January 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, the board shall collect and analyze available data regarding the implementation of the local plans and other outcome-based measures, as defined by the board in consultation with the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Chief Probation Officers of California, and the California State Sheriffs Association. By July 1, 2013, and annually thereafter, the board shall provide to the Governor and the Legislature a report on the implementation of the plans described above. (c) The board may do either of the following: (1) Collect, evaluate, publish, and disseminate statistics and other information on the condition and progress of criminal justice in the state. (2) Perform other functions and duties as required by federal acts, rules, regulations, or guidelines in acting as the administrative office of the state planning agency for distribution of federal grants.  SECTION 1.   Section 13827 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 13827. (a) There is within the agency, the Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy. (b) (1) The Office of Gang and Youth Violence Policy shall be responsible for identifying and evaluating state, local, and federal gang and youth violence suppression, intervention, and prevention programs and strategies, along with funding for those efforts. The secretary shall be responsible for monitoring, assessing, and coordinating the state's programs, strategies, and funding that address gang and youth violence in a manner that maximizes the effectiveness and coordination of those programs, strategies, and resources. The secretary shall communicate with local agencies and programs in an effort to identify and implement evidence-based practices for addressing gang and youth violence through suppression, intervention, and prevention. (2) The agency shall develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to define its mission, role, and responsibilities as a statewide entity dedicated to reducing violence and the proliferation of gangs and gang violence in California communities. (3) In developing this set of recommendations, the agency shall collaborate with a wide range of state and local stakeholders, including, but not limited to, community-based organizations serving at-risk populations and neighborhoods, law enforcement, educators, the courts, policy experts and scholars with expertise in the area of criminal street gangs, and local policymakers. (4) The agency, in collaboration with the stakeholders specified in paragraph (3), shall include in its deliberations the most effective role for the office with respect to the following: (A) The collection and analysis of data on gang membership statewide and the effectiveness of various gang prevention efforts. (B) The development of reliable and accurate sources of data to measure the scale and characteristics of California's gang problems. (C) The development of a clearinghouse for research on gangs, at-risk youth, and prevention and intervention programs in order to identify evidence-based practices, and in order to promote effective strategies for reducing gang involvement and gang violence. (D) The development of a plan to shift state-funded crime prevention and juvenile justice programs toward evidence-based practices over a three-year period. (E) Assisting state and local governmental and nongovernmental entities in developing violence and gang prevention strategies, including built-in evaluation components. (F) The development of sustained coordination mechanisms among state, local, and regional entities. (G) The identification of available or needed federal, state, regional, local, and private funding resources. (H) Providing or otherwise promoting public education on effective programs, models, and strategies for the control of violence and serving as a clearinghouse for information on gang violence prevention issues, programs, resources, and research. (I) Providing or otherwise promoting training and technical assistance to help build the capacity of organizations, communities, and local government to develop, implement, and evaluate gang violence prevention programs. (J) Providing information and guidance to state and local governmental and nongovernmental entities on accessing state and federal resources to prevent gang violence. (K) Facilitating greater integration between existing entities with respect to gang prevention efforts.