SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Curren Price (D- Inglewood) proudly announces that late yesterday the California State Assembly passed his bill, AB 1300, known as The Family Connection and Young Offender Rehabilitation Act of 2007 on a unanimous vote of 79-0.

“I am very pleased that my colleagues in the California State Assembly agree with me that this is a smart and compassionate way to reduce recidivism among youth,” said Assemblymember Price. “Yesterday’s unanimous vote in favor of this bill demonstrates that preventing crime and strengthening families are bipartisan concerns.”

Under current regulations and policies, families have found that both the bureaucracy and the associated costs of maintaining relationships with their incarcerated children are either difficult or even prohibitive, resulting in institutionalized problem children with no understanding of their families’ lack of communication.

Assemblymember Price’s bill is a reasoned package of measures that will help reduce recidivism while emphasizing rehabilitation. For example, it would ensure that a juvenile offender’s list of visitors would travel with the juvenile when he or she was moved to a new location. This would ensure that the juvenile did not wait months as a new facility approved each of his family members and clergy for visits. Also, AB 1300 would make individual visiting information more up- to- date and accessible for family members to plan often long and difficult trips to the institution. Additionally, it would direct the Department of Justice to house juvenile offenders, whenever possible, in facilities that are near to their families.

“Each one of the measures in my bill is based on a body of research that shows that young prisoners who have regular visits, calls and correspondence are much less likely to commit further crimes after their release,” said Assemblymember Price.

The bill leaves the Assembly without a single vote against it, and will soon be referred to its first Senate policy committee. No opposition has been received at this time. All letters of support are welcomed, and can either be faxed to: (916) 319-2151, or e-mailed to Jennifer.Schieck@asm.ca.gov

Assemblymember Curren Price serves the 51st Assembly District, which includes Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena, Playa Vista, Westchester, Lawndale, West Athens, Lennox, Alondra Park, West Compton, Del Aire, and Willowbrook, as well as portions of the unincorporated area of Ladera.