With Parole Reforms Working and Our Inmate Population Decreasing,
the Governor’s May Revise Eliminates Early Release Proposal
Fewer people are being sent to prison, and fewer felons are reoffending, meaning decreases in California’s prison inmate population and its parolee caseloads. This results in significant budgetary savings of approximately $300 million. Subsequently, the Governor’s May Revise has dropped the proposal included in the Governor’s proposed budget to release specified non‑serious, non‑violent, non‑sex‑offending inmates.
The Governor’s May Revise reaffirms the Governor’s commitment to public safety. The Governor’s May Revise does not include the early release plan introduced in the proposed budget due to downward inmate and parolee trends. These trends indicate that the Governor’s parole reforms are starting to have a positive impact.
Parole reforms are apparently working. The Governor is committed to parole reform, and a drop on parole caseloads is due in part to those reforms. AB 900 will continue that focus toward rehabilitation.
The downward inmate and parolee trends bring significant savings to the state’s budget. It is anticipated that these downward institutional and parolee Average Daily Population (ADP) trends will reduce costs to the General Fund by $27.9 million in the current budget year and another $78.2 million in the 2008-09 budget.
- Institutional Average Daily Population:
- Projected to drop 2,107 in 2007-08 from the level projected in the proposed budget.
- Projected to drop 6,380 in 2008-09 from the level projected in the proposed budget.
- These trends are the result of successful implementation of parole reforms, increased access to rehabilitation services, implementation of SB 1453, and a decline in new admissions
- Parolee Average Daily Population:
- Projected to drop 2,887 in 2007-08 from the level projected in the proposed budget.
- Projected to drop 10,189 in 2008-09 from the level projected in the proposed budget.
- The parole population is expected to continue to decrease due to the effectiveness of parole reforms.
The Governor’s May Revise also includes additional savings from the Summary Parole proposal.
- The May Revise includes total savings of $173.6 million for the Summary Parole proposal, which is a $75.7 million increase compared to the Governor’s proposed budget.
- The net increase in savings is due to $110 million in corresponding operational and programmatic savings.
Other Highlights:
- Activating the state’s first reentry facility. Consistent with the Administration’s commitment to rehabilitation and current efforts to implement AB 900, the May Revise includes $11.7 million to activate the state’s first secure re‑entry facility beginning July 1, 2009.
- Supporting the Prison Receiver’s court mandated efforts to improve inmate medical care. The May Revise proposes an augmentation of $8.6 million General Fund in 2008‑09 and makes note proposed urgency legislation to authorize approximately $7 billion in lease revenue bonds to ensure that the Receiver is able to improve the delivery of medical care to inmates.
