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May 29, 2009 -
We conclude that opportunities exist to both improve public safety and reduce state costs by better aligning the county probation and state correctional systems. We recommend that the Legislature create a new program that would provide financial incentives for county probation departments to reduce their revocations to state prison. Even if the number of probation violators sent to state prison was reduced by as little as 10 percent, state corrections operating costs would be reduced by about $60 million annually when fully implemented.
(Short video summary)
May 28, 2009 - Presented to the Budget Conference Committee
January 27, 2009 - Legislative Analyst Director of Criminal Justice, Anthony Simbol, discusses the fourth report in the LAO’s 2009-10 Budget Analysis Series, titled Criminal Justice Realignment
January 27, 2009 - The Governor’s 2009-10 budget plan contains a proposal to shift some funding for some criminal justice programs from the state to the local level. We recommend that the Legislature expand upon this concept, and implement a policy-driven realignment of nearly $1.4 billion of state responsibilities to counties along with resources to pay for them. In particular, we propose that the state shift to counties programs for juvenile offenders and adults convicted of drug possession crimes. Under our realignment concept, counties would have broad authority to manage juvenile and drug–addicted adult offenders programs to achieve success. We recommend that the Legislature finance this criminal justice realignment by increasing the vehicle license fee (VLF) rate to 1 percent (which results in a revenue gain of $1.1 billion) and redirecting $359 million of existing VLF revenues. Under this financing approach, realignment would serve as a nearly $1.4 billion ongoing General Fund budget solution.
June 13, 2008 - Item 5225-101-0001, 9210-101-0001, 9210-105-0001, 9210-607-0001 of the 2008 Budget Conference Committee (pages 328, 423-425)
June 3, 2008 - Difference Between LAO and DOF K-14 Property Tax Estimates
May 6, 2008 - While we believe our proposal for parole realignment continues to have merit, we recognize that there is no single way to implement parole realignment and that there is value in considering alternative approaches. With that in mind, we are writing this letter to identify for the Legislature the key concerns that have been raised, options for addressing these concerns, potential tradeoffs with each of these options, and other implementation issues. We hope that this letter will serve the Legislature by furthering the discussion regarding parole realignment.
April 24, 2008 - Presented to Assembly Judiciary Committee, Assembly Local Government Committee, and Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee
April 2, 2008 - Questions and answers regarding parole realignment financing. A companion piece to "LAO Parole Realignment."
April 2, 2008 - Water and waste district enterprise special district property taxes redirected to support public safety/parole realignment.
March 27, 2008 - The past 35 years in California have seen significant changes in the fiscal relationship between state and local government. This time line highlights the major events that have altered the state-local fiscal relationship since 1972. The milestones illustrate a number of key themes that have emerged over the past quarter century. (For older versions of Acrobat Reader, adjustment may be needed in the Page Scale field of Print Settings in order to print on 8.5" X 11" paper.)
March 27, 2008 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
March 10, 2008 - Water and Waste District Enterprise Special District Property Taxes Redirected to Support Public Safety/Parole Realignment
March 10, 2008 - Handout summarizing the LAO's proposed realignment of responsibility for supervision of low-level criminal offenders from the state parole system to county probation.
February 20, 2008 - We propose a nearly $500 million realignment of responsibility for supervision of low-level criminal offenders from the state parole system to county probation. Funding for parole realignment would come from a reallocation of waste and water district property taxes, city Proposition 172 sales taxes, and vehicle license fees. Our plan is designed to give counties a greater stake in the success of these offenders in the community, thereby reducing their likelihood of reoffending.