1. Interaction Between Post-Release Community Supervision and Ex-Offenders:
The Effects of Rehabilitation on Recidivism Rates
Lorena Fletes lfletes@ucla.edu
UC Los Angeles UC Center Sacramento
Focus
As California focuses on reducing its prison
population, it becomes essential that we focus on
rehabilitating those released
With the passage of AB 109, Authority for lower-
level felons are transferred from state prisons to
county jail
It becomes critical to focus on improving PRCS to
ensure individuals are properly rehabilitated and
reintegrated
Who is Affected by AB 109?
AB 109 creates PRCS, causing county probation
departments to become responsible for the
coordination of rehabilitation services for eligible
offender after their release from prison
lower-level felons who were convicted of non-
violent, non-serious, non-sex offenses
Not all those who have terminated, have necessarily had a successful termination.
What we Can Learn?
The program is in an early stage, making it
difficult to measure how effective it has been with
the data available
Limited data on the impact of PRCS on
individuals and the qualifications for the program
Why does it matter to California?
In 2010, CDCR population was 287,444; of these
individuals 162,821 were currently serving their
sentence while 123,578 were on parole
As offenders are released into parole they face
many obstacles, as their resources upon release are
minimal facing high rates of recidivism
Penal Code Section 3003(a) states, those on
parole shall be returned to the county of their last
legal residency prior to incarceration
As individuals return home it becomes essential
to provide the necessary resources for reintegration
LA County’s PRCS program
provides substance abuse,
mental health, and
housing/employment
services
During 2011-2014 L.A.
County accepted a total of
24,947 participants:
terminating 13,559 cases
Effectiveness of Services provided by
LA County?
Individuals completing the Substance Abuse
Treatment have had a significant decrease in risk of
arrest (44%) in comparison to those who do not
complete treatment (58%)
Services are offered throughout the county,
however it appears participants are not taking full
advantage of housing and employment benefits
AB 109 – Probation Offices and
Treatment Sites
What is L.A. County Doing?
Source: Countywide Criminal Justice Coordination Committee
2015
