California Assembly Bill 624 (Adjourned Sine Die)

Legislative Counsel’s Digest

AB 624, as amended, Mitchell. County jail: rehabilitation credits.

Under existing law, when a prisoner is confined to county jail, an industrial farm, or a road camp, for each 4-day period in which he or she is confined, he or she may have one day deducted from his or her period of confinement, as specified.

This bill would authorize a sheriff or county director of corrections, in addition to the credits otherwise earned, to award a prisoner program credit reductions from his or her term of confinement for successful completion of specific program performance objectives for rehabilitative programming, including academic programs, vocational programs, vocational training, substance abuse programs, and core programs such as anger management and social life skills. These program credit reductions may be for one to 6 weeks and may be forfeited in the same manner as other program credit reductions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Section 4019.1 4019.4 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
4019.1. 4019.4. (a) (1) In addition to credit awarded pursuant to Section 4019, a sheriff or county director of corrections may also award a prisoner program credit reductions from his or her term of confinement as provided in this section. A sheriff or county director of corrections who elects to participate in this credit reduction program shall create guidelines that provide for credit reductions for inmates who successfully complete specific program performance objectives for approved rehabilitative programming, including, but not limited to, credit reduction of not less than one week to credit reduction of not more than six weeks for each performance milestone.
(2) Guidelines adopted by a sheriff or county director of corrections pursuant to this subdivision shall specify the credit reductions applicable to distinct objectives in a schedule of
graduated program performance objectives concluding with the successful completion of an in-custody rehabilitation program. Upon adopting the guidelines, the sheriff or county director of corrections shall thereafter calculate and award credit reductions authorized by this section. A prisoner may not have his or her term of imprisonment reduced by more than six weeks for credits awarded pursuant to this section during any 12-month period of continuous
confinement.
(b) Program credit is a privilege, not a right. Prisoners shall have a reasonable opportunity to participate in program credit qualifying assignments in a manner consistent with institutional
security, available resources, and guidelines set forth by the sheriff or county director of corrections.
(c) As used in this section, “approved rehabilitation programming” shall include, but is not limited to, academic programs, vocational programs, vocational training, substance abuse programs, and core programs such as anger management and social life skills.
(d) Credits awarded pursuant to this section may be forfeited pursuant to the provisions of Section 4019. Inmates shall not be eligible for program credits that result in an inmate being overdue for release.
(e) This section shall only apply to inmates sentenced to county jail pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.

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