DELANO – Assemblywoman Nicole Parra (D-Hanford), today, hosted an informational town hall, at the Delano School Board Chambers, regarding Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s prison reform proposals.

James E. Tilton, Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Ron Ramsey, President of the Association of California Cities Allied With Prisons (ACCAP), also participated in the town hall. The informational session provided an overview of the legislative package Governor Schwarzenegger unveiled earlier this week in his effort to reform California’s prison system.

“I applaud Governor Schwarzenegger for having the courage and the resolve to put forth such a bold and sweeping package of reform proposals to alleviate the burdens our prisons are facing,” said Assemblywoman Parra. “We cannot let our prisons fall further down this slippery slope, or else we risk compromising the safety of California’s citizens.”

In June, Governor Schwarzenegger called for a special session of the state legislature to address the problems facing California’s prison system and to consider his proposals for reform. These proposals include:

• AB 1 (Assemblywoman Sally Lieber): This bill would authorize the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to contract for 4,500 female beds to provide treatment and housing for non-serious/non-violent female offenders.
• AB 2 (Assemblyman Todd Spitzer) and SB 3 (Senator Jim Battin): These bills would authorize the CDCR to construct additional prison capacity at existing prisons within the State. It would also allow. It would also allow the CDCR to house male inmates at the Northern California Women’s Facility in Stockton.
• AB 4 (Assemblywoman Nicole Parra) and SB 1 (Senator George Runner): These legislative proposals would allow the CDCR to construct up to 5,000 reentry beds throughout the State.
• AB 5 (Assemblyman Rudy Bermudez) and SB 2 (Senator George Runner): These measures would allow the CDCR to site and operate a training facility in Southern California. It also would allow the CDCR to use the Fred C. Nelles facility in Whittier to either house inmates or to train staff, and would further authorize the CDCR to conduct its own in-house psychological screening of peace officer candidates.
• AB 6 (Assemblyman John Benoit) and SB 4 (Senator Bob Dutton): These legislative measures would allow the CDCR to use the design-build construction method for building existing or new prisons throughout the state.

“This is a massive and intricate attempt at reforming California’s prisons,” Assemblywoman Parra said. “Throughout this process it will be critical for public officials to branch out into their respective communities and make sure Californians understand what is at stake here.”

Select committees in both the Senate and the Assembly are in the process of reviewing the Governor’s legislative proposals on prison reform.