Dave Cortese
- Democratic
- Senator
- District 15
Author
Under existing law, the Legislature finds and declares that the purpose of sentencing is public safety achieved through punishment, rehabilitation, and restorative justice, and that programs should be available for incarcerated persons, including educational, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs that are designed to promote behavioral change and to prepare all incarcerated persons for successful reentry into the community. Existing law directs the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to maintain a mission statement consistent with these principles. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations relating to corrections and rehabilitation, including, among others, that the Legislature recognizes that life in prison can never be the same as life in a free society, and that active steps should be taken to make conditions in prison as close to normal life as possible, aside from loss of liberty, to ensure that this normalization does not lead to inhumane prison conditions. The bill would direct the department to maintain a mission statement consistent with the principles of normalization and dynamic security, and would require the department to facilitate access for community-based programs. Existing law provides that the primary objective of adult incarceration is to facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in the department's care back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, and rehabilitative and restorative justice programs in a safe and humane environment. This bill would include that the primary objective of adult incarceration is to promote personal growth for all residents in the department's care. The bill would also provide that the department should develop training for all correctional staff on the principles of normalization and dynamic security in order to meaningfully effectuate these principles.
Approved by the Governor.
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 225, Statutes of 2025.
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 2706.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 57. Noes 20. Page 2868.) Ordered to the Senate.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 29).
July 16 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
Coauthors revised.
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 2.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1293.) Ordered to the Assembly.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
Set for hearing May 5.
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 841.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Set for hearing April 22.
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
|---|---|
| SB551 | HTML |
| 02/20/25 - Introduced | |
| 03/24/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 06/10/25 - Amended Assembly | |
| 09/12/25 - Enrolled | |
| 10/01/25 - Chaptered |
| Document | Format |
|---|---|
| 04/18/25- Senate Public Safety | |
| 05/07/25- Sen. Floor Analyses | |
| 06/16/25- Assembly Public Safety | |
| 07/14/25- Assembly Appropriations | |
| 09/02/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS | |
| 09/03/25- Sen. Floor Analyses |
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