In support of this state financing, the Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) California’s current challenges in managing jail populations follow decades of overcrowded and aging jails, and piecemeal, erratic, and incomplete responses to dealing with these problems. Reversing course will require sustainable solutions that must include sound planning and implementation, and must be grounded in the principle that jail resources must be well-planned and employed efficiently and effectively to prevent overcrowding and promote public safety through the broader use of evidence-based practices and policies in the criminal justice system.

(b) California needs a long-term, statewide strategy to effectively manage its jail population and jail resources. Without an ongoing analytical framework for taking into account factors such as population growth, criminogenic needs of the current and future jail populations, crime rates, custodial housing needs, and additional changes to realignment or sentencing laws and practices, California will continue to resort to reactive, fragmentary fixes to its jail condition and capacity problems instead of being fully prepared to develop an effective and sustainable system of local custodial facilities.

(c) The county adult criminal justice system needs improved housing with an emphasis on expanding program and treatment space to manage the adult offender population under its jurisdiction.

(d) Improved county adult criminal justice housing with an emphasis on expanding program and treatment space will enhance public safety throughout the state by providing increased access to appropriate programs or treatment.

(e) By improving county adult criminal justice housing with an emphasis on expanding program and treatment space, this financing will serve a critical state purpose by promoting public safety.

(f) This purpose represents valuable consideration in exchange for this state action.

(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 34, Sec. 1. (SB 844) Effective June 27, 2016.)