AB 2040: Prison and parole: California Reentry Officer.

Existing law grants the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) authority to operate the state prison system and gives the department jurisdiction over various state prisons and other institutions. Existing law requires the department to determine and implement a system of incentives to increase inmate participation in, and completion of, academic and vocational education, consistent with the inmates educational needs, as specified. Existing law requires the department to develop and implement a plan to obtain additional rehabilitation and treatment services for prison inmates and parolees, and requires the department to expand substance abuse treatment services in prisons to accommodate at least 4,000 additional inmates who have histories of substance abuse, as specified.

This bill would establish the position of the California Reentry Officer, independent from the CDCR, to provide statewide leadership, coordination, and technical assistance to promote effective state and local efforts to ensure successful reentry services are provided to incarcerated individuals. The bill would require the officer to focus on programming through the period of incarceration that supports successful reentry to society, facilitate the smooth transition of individuals from prison to release, and raise awareness of continuity of care for incarcerated individuals with health and substance use disorders during community supervision and parole, among other things.

This bill would require the officer to be appointed by the Governor for a 4-year term and serve at the will of the Governor. The bill would require the officer to prepare a report, to be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature, on or before December 1, 2027, and annually thereafter.