5225 Corrections and Rehabilitation
Program Descriptions

10 - CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION ADMINISTRATION

The objective of the Corrections and Rehabilitation Administration program is to provide policy direction, accountability, administrative oversight, and support to ensure the overall success of all adult and juvenile correctional and rehabilitation programs. The program consists of the Office of the Secretary; Legislative Affairs; Public and Employee Communications; Internal Affairs; Victim and Survivor Rights Services; Office of Civil Rights; Support Services; Enterprise Information Services; Audits and Compliance; Labor Relations; Research; Legal Affairs; Leasing and Facility Management; and Ombudsman.

15 - CORRECTIONS STANDARDS AUTHORITY

The Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) provides leadership in the development of programs and program planning efforts that focus on local juvenile and adult correctional effectiveness, administer federal and state grants that support the collaborative planning efforts, provide technical assistance and training in planning and program implementation, and conduct research and evaluations. This program sets minimum standards and assists local agencies in meeting these standards for juvenile and adult detention facilities, administers grant funds to maximize the protection of the public while assuring safety of detention staff and offenders in local custody, and is responsible for administering the Compliance Monitoring Program.

The CSA works with local corrections officials to ensure that when they perform complex tasks they engage the local corrections community in the establishment of minimum standards for personnel selection and training. The CSA is designated by the federal Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, as the responsible state planning agency to administer federal juvenile justice and delinquency prevention funds designated for California. CSA administers state grant programs such as the Youthful Offender Block Grant, Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act program, and Probation Camps program.

Within state corrections, the CSA develops and approves minimum selection and training standards for 47 state correctional peace officer classifications. The CSA also monitors departmental compliance with these standards.

The CSA also collaborates with state and local government agencies to administer state lease revenue funding awards authorized for county facility construction projects for the purpose of enhancing public safety and conditions of confinement.

20 - JUVENILE OPERATIONS

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation accepts commitments from California courts provided that the person to be committed was under 18 years of age at the time the offense was committed, can materially benefit from institutional programs, and there are adequate facilities available to care for the individual.

The objectives of the Juvenile Operations program are to provide treatment programs to assist juvenile offenders in developing the necessary skills to successfully reintegrate back into their communities; to ensure the operation of safe and secure juvenile facilities; to perform tasks related to routine day-to-day operations of institutions and camps, and to provide juvenile offenders necessary services such as security, feeding, clothing, and facility operations.

Treatment programs begin by performing diagnostic studies, program assignment, objective setting and progress evaluation, and parole planning for each individual. Based on the results of this evaluation, various counseling and treatment programs are available, including substance abuse treatment programs, camp programs, and work employability programs.

In addition, this program provides for staff training, juvenile offender intake and court services, and population management services, performs facility and asset management, and maintains juvenile offender master files. This program currently oversees operations for six facilities and two conservation camps.

21 - JUVENILE EDUCATION, VOCATIONS, AND OFFENDER PROGRAMS

The objective of the Juvenile Academic and Vocational Education is to reduce the number of individuals who re-offend by providing basic academic education, vocational education, and treatment programs to help juvenile offenders develop acceptable socialization and employment skills.

Education programs for juveniles include core academic and career/technical preparation high school courses, general education development preparation, basic skills enhancement, and college preparation. All curriculum presented to students is infused with values-based character education. Supplemental services include library services, special education, English learner services, basic skills enhancement, high school credit work experience, and community service.

22 - JUVENILE PAROLE OPERATIONS

The objective of the Juvenile Parole Operations program is to assist juveniles to successfully reintegrate into the community after release to parole. Parole services staff implement structured and intensive parolee supervision through enforcement of conditions of parole, crisis intervention, supportive services, specialized services, intervention and corrective action sanctions. Other major parole services activities include transitional aftercare services for specific high-risk offenders, including mental health, sex offender and substance abuse services. Parole is involved from the point of commitment throughout release to parole. This includes involvement during detention within the facility in order to prepare for community integration and that involvement continues through community supervision once the youth has paroled into the community.

23 - JUVENILE HEALTH CARE SERVICES

The mission of the Health Care Services program is to provide medical, dental and mental health care to the juvenile population statewide consistent with adopted standards for quality and scope of services within a custodial environment. The program strives to achieve this mission by providing cost-effective, timely, and competent care.

25 - ADULT OPERATIONS

The Department is statutorily required to accept convicted felons and civilly committed non-felon narcotic addicts who have been sentenced to imprisonment in a state correctional facility. The objective of the Adult Operations program is to provide safe and secure detention facilities to protect society from further criminal activities and to provide necessary services such as feeding, clothing, record keeping, inmate classification assessments, and employee training.

The Adult Operations program consists of 33 operating correctional institutions, 12 of which have reception centers. The program is responsible for 13 community correctional facilities, 6 California out-of-state correctional facilities, and 44 conservation camps, which perform public conservation projects including, but not limited to, forest fire prevention, watershed management, and soil conservation. Secure Reentry Program Facilities will also be managed by Adult Operations. This program is also responsible for performing facility and asset management services at state-owned institutions, facilities and camps.

The program also includes a full continuum of evidence-based substance abuse treatment, including 39 in-prison therapeutic community substance abuse treatment programs in 22 institutions.

30 - ADULT PAROLE OPERATIONS

The primary objective of the Adult Parole Operations program, consistent with the need for public safety, is to increase the rate and degree of successful reintegration and release to society of offenders paroled from state prison. The Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) utilizes a variety of evidenced-based rehabilitative programs designed to promote the successful reintegration of parolees into their communities, improve public safety, reduce recidivism and save taxpayer dollars. These programs include, but are not limited to "evidenced-based" cognitive behavior and education programs, such as the Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery program, that is designed to provide substance abuse treatment and relapse prevention in a classroom setting; Parolee Service Centers that provide residency and support services to homeless parolees; Residential Multi-Service Centers that provide housing, sustenance, and life skills training to parolees who are homeless or in at-risk environments; Day Reporting Centers that provide non-residential supportive services to parolees; Community Based Coalition programs that provide housing and supportive services to at-risk parolees; Computer Literacy Learning Centers that offer basic adult education courses in reading, writing, and math, and offer training in GED preparation and employability skills; and the Parole and Community Team program that creates strong partnerships with local governments and law enforcement agencies, community-based providers, and communities to which parolees return in order to provide services that are critical to the parolee's success on parole. Parolees, who did not participate in or have access to in-prison treatment programs as inmates, are eligible to participate in community-based residential and outpatient treatment programs.

Standard and specialized caseloads and degree-of-supervision monitoring are determined by case factors related to the offender's propensity for violence, past criminal history, and current service needs. When required case assessments indicate, selected parolees will be placed in a higher supervision category intended to prevent, detect, or interrupt behavior likely to endanger the community. Case supervision, reassessment, and reclassification based on parolee behavior and stability in the community are regularly scheduled.

DAPO also provides mental health services and treatment to parolees through the Department's Parole Outpatient Clinics. The objective of this treatment is to ensure public safety and to reduce recidivism through the stabilization and monitoring of the parolees' mental health issues. In keeping with statutory intent, providing treatment and services to parolees that facilitate their reintegration into the community and reduce recidivism has proven to be an effective strategy for reducing state costs.

35 - BOARD OF PAROLE HEARINGS

The objective of the Board of Parole Hearings program is to promote public safety through parole processes and decisions that are fair, and to provide the required due process to inmates and wards throughout the hearing process.

For adult offenders, the Board of Parole Hearings is responsible for setting the terms and conditions of parole, conducting parole consideration hearings for eligible inmates serving life sentences and parolees charged with violating parole, issuing warrants, and determining whether parolees should be considered for discharge from parole. Hearings are also conducted for mentally disordered offenders, sexually violent predators, and serious offenders. In addition, at the Governor's request the Board investigates applications and forwards recommendations for pardons and commutations of sentence, including those involving the death penalty. It also has the discretion to recommend to the court that a prisoner be re-sentenced in situations calling for compassionate release.

For juvenile offenders, the Juvenile Parole Board is responsible for discharges of commitment, orders to parole and conditions thereof, revocation or suspension of parole, and disciplinary appeals.

45 - ADULT REHABILITATIVE PROGRAMS

Adult Rehabilitative Programs is responsible for the design and operation of programs that enable offenders to successfully reenter society by addressing the deficits that led them to criminal behavior. There are two primary branches within Adult Programs, the Division of Adult Rehabilitative Programs and the Office of Rehabilitative Program Planning and Accountability.

Within the Division of Adult Rehabilitative Programs, there are three offices: the Office of Correctional Education, the Office of Substance Abuse Treatment Services and the Office of Community Partnerships. The primary objective of the Office of Correctional Education is to improve literacy, General Education Development (GED), and vocational certifications while maximizing inmate participation in education. Departmental educational and vocational programs provide inmates with an opportunity for self-improvement through acquiring basic education and career training.

The primary objective of the Office of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (formerly Division of Addiction and Recovery Services) is to plan, develop, implement and monitor addiction and recovery services within the CDCR. The program's goal is to reduce recidivism and relapse and to promote pro-social behavior and successful reintegration of the offender. These programs include, but are not limited to, the In-Custody Substance Abuse Programs, Residential Aftercare Programs, the Female Offender Treatment Employment Program, the Parolee Substance Abuse Program, the Parolee Services Network, and the Community-Based In-Custody Drug Treatment Program.

The primary objective of the Office of Community Partnerships is to develop meaningful collaborations and processes to promote shared responsibility for improving recidivism and community safety by establishing and expanding collaborative relationships with key stakeholders. These stakeholders include local law enforcement, local governments, faith-based and community organizations, and academic institutions. The Office is also charged with managing the following programs: Self-Help and Volunteer Programming, Inmate Visitors Center, grants for faith-based and community organizations, and local government partnerships. The Office also manages employment programs, such as the federal Prisoner Reentry Initiative and California New Start.

The Office of Rehabilitative Program Planning and Accountability is responsible for coordinating the assessment and case management processes which are designed to ensure that inmates are assigned to programming based on their criminogenic needs and risk to recidivate. This office performs fidelity and quality assurance reviews, coordinates curriculum development and staff training, and tracks program-based offender data and performance management.

50 - ADULT HEALTH CARE SERVICES

The objective of the Correctional Health Care Services program is to provide medical, dental, and mental health care to the inmate population statewide consistent with adopted standards for quality and scope of services within a custodial environment. The program strives to achieve this mission by providing cost-effective, timely, and competent care. Additionally, the program promotes inmate responsibility for their health.