CaliforniaCorrections and rehabilitation: state policy.
What it does
Under existing law, the Legislature finds and declares that the purpose of sentencing is public safety achieved through punishment, rehabilitation, and restorative justice, and that programs should be available for incarcerated persons, including educational, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs that are designed to promote behavioral change and to prepare all incarcerated persons for successful reentry into the community. Existing law directs the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to maintain a mission statement consistent with these principles.
More detail
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations relating to corrections and rehabilitation, including, among others, that the Legislature recognizes that life in prison can never be the same as life in a free society, and that active steps should be taken to make conditions in prison as close to normal life as possible, aside from loss of liberty, to ensure that this normalization does not lead to inhumane prison conditions. The bill would direct the department to maintain a mission statement consistent with the principles of normalization and dynamic security, and would require the department to facilitate access for community-based programs.
Existing law provides that the primary objective of adult incarceration is to facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in the department's care back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, and rehabilitative and restorative justice programs in a safe and humane environment.
This bill would include that the primary objective of adult incarceration is to promote personal growth for all residents in the department's care. The bill would also provide that the department should develop training for all correctional staff on the principles of normalization and dynamic security in order to meaningfully effectuate these principles.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 1Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 225, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 1Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 17Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 9Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 2706.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB551 Cortese et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 3In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Vote recorded SB 551 Cortese Senate Third Reading By Schultz. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 3Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 57. Noes 20. Page 2868.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Sep 2Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 29).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Jul 16July 16 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Jun 17From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 17Coauthors revised.
- Jun 10From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.Major
- Jun 5Referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- May 28In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading SB551 Cortese et al. Result: pass.Upper
- May 28Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1293.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- May 6Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 5From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.Minor
- Apr 25Set for hearing May 5.
- Apr 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 841.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 22
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 9Set for hearing April 22.
- Apr 2Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.Minor
- Mar 24From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Major
- Mar 5Referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Feb 21From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
- Feb 20Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced