SACRAMENTO, CA —  Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim), Assemblymember Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) and other Youth leaders strongly urge Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to sign AB 1049 (Solorio) to provide for youth parole re-entry programs.

A number of former gang members and other youth signed a three foot by four foot support letter to the Governor and personally delivered the letter to the Governor’s office.

“AB 1049 will help close the state prison system’s revolving door by giving troubled youth the skills they need to become productive members of society upon their release from county and state correctional institutions.  This bill is badly needed to reduce the state’s recidivism rate for youth offenders which is estimated to be between 70% and 90%.  This means that as many as 9 out of 10 youth offenders return to incarceration,” said Assemblyman Solorio.

AB 1049 establishes a pilot project to enlist 200 youth offenders, ages 16-23, upon their release from county and state correctional facilities, to enter a YouthBuild program that provides classroom instruction geared towards the attainment of the GED, counseling services, classes on personal responsibility and construction training skills.  Participants would receive a stipend and join work crews to build affordable housing in their communities.

The program is based upon YouthBuild USA, a nationally and internationally recognized organization that has had great success with reducing recidivism rates among youth.
 
“YouthBuild has provided us with a real second chance at life.  We are living examples of how successful this program has been, and provide a glimpse of how much more successful the program can be in the future with your endorsement (the Governor) of AB 1049,” stated a letter signed by 48 former gang members and at risk youth urging Governor Schwarzenegger to sign the bill.

Assemblymembers Solorio and Caballero, youth leaders and law enforcement representatives spoke at a press conference held at the State Capitol yesterday morning.