An act to add and repeal Section 5068.3 to of the Penal Code, relating to prisons.
Summary
AB 1759 would require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to hire an independent research entity to study and reassess the state prison security classification system. The study would examine initial classification, annual reclassification, point adjustments, and the use of administrative determinants and overrides, with the goal of determining whether incarcerated people are being placed in security levels higher than necessary to address actual safety risk.
The bill also requires the research entity to produce policy recommendations for improving the classification system. Those recommendations are directed toward expanding access to rehabilitation, reducing recidivism and violence, improving institutional safety, and potentially saving the state money by allowing more incarcerated people to access programming credits that can shorten sentence length. The selected researcher must be chosen by the Office of the Inspector General and meet specified criteria, including ties to the California State University or University of California system, government-partnership experience, a commitment to equity, and expertise in CDCR policy and data.
Impact
AB 1759 would add a new, temporary Penal Code section requiring CDCR to commission and publish a study of its security classification system, rather than immediately changing classification rules themselves. It would affect CDCR’s internal classification and reclassification practices by directing a comprehensive review of how security scores are calculated and applied, and it would require a public report to the Legislature by a specified deadline. The bill would sunset the new section after the report is due, so its direct legal effect is limited to the study mandate and reporting requirement.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have generally favorable support in committee, with unanimous or near-unanimous votes and a recommendation to place it on the consent calendar. The bill’s findings frame the issue as a rehabilitation and public-safety matter, and the absence of recorded opposition in the provided history suggests broad agreement with studying whether the current system is overly restrictive. Overall, the sentiment is positive and procedural rather than contentious.
Contention
The main policy concern underlying the bill is whether CDCR’s current classification system places incarcerated people in higher-security settings than necessary, which can limit access to rehabilitative programming. Supporters emphasize rehabilitation, reduced recidivism, and better alignment between security level and actual risk, while the bill also acknowledges the need to preserve institutional safety. No direct opposition is shown in the provided materials, but the likely point of tension is whether a study-driven approach is sufficient and whether changes to classification could affect prison safety, administrative discretion, or costs.
An act to amend Sections 2301 and 2302 of, and to add Section 2303 to, the Fish and Game Code, to add and repeal Section 515 of the Food and Agricultural Code, to amend Sections 675, 676, and 676.