Major Changes Ahead

The No. 2 man in California’s prison system says massive changes are ahead for the overcrowded system, and the future is uncertain.
Uncertainties include:

• whether to fund the plan to send low-level offenders to county jails instead of prisons,
• the status of a deficit-ridden state budget, whether to request an extension in reducing prison overcrowding,
• staff reductions
• community organizations helping to reduce recidivism.

Such issues were discussed in two recent interviews with Scott Kernan, undersecretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Kernan is a second-generation correctional officer who started in 1983 at San Quentin State Prison. His mother, Peggy Kernan, was a S.Q. captain in the 1980s and was the first warden at Solano State Prison.

Kernan and San Quentin’s acting warden, Michael Martel, both served under her leadership. She passed away some years back. (Martel joked that Kernan’s mother was much tougher than her son.)
Asked what keeps him up at night, Kernan said, “I’m very worried about the system: hiring freezes, budget cuts, riots. Unless we do something to relieve the pressure, we’re going to lose one of these prisons. We haven’t hired in six months, which creates rolling lockdowns and less programming. We lost a facility in Chino because of frustration and idleness. And we don’t want to see this happen in other prisons.”
Regarding the recent U.S. Supreme Court’s decision ordering curbs on prison overcrowding, Kernan said: “We have to reduce the population in 24 months. We have to get rid of 33,000. By the first six months, 10,000, the second six months, another 10, 000. Then over the last year, 15,000. It was a moving target set by the Supreme Court because the ruling is to reduce to 135.7 percent in two years.” Kernan indicated the state is unlikely to ask for an extension in meeting the order.

Discussing realignment, Kernan said, “There is an average of 10,000 parole violators coming to prison each month, and from this plan parole violators will no longer come to state prison. It makes no sense for them to come back and sit on a (prison) bunk for four months…and we can’t afford it.”
Kernan said Gov. Jerry Brown won’t implement the county jail realignment unless funding is provided.
“In reality, the hope is to get the tax initiative on the November ballot or special election and there will be an impact across the prison system. If we don’t get the tax initiative passed then, the problems becomes exponential, and it becomes an all-cut budget,” he said.
If the result is “draconian” cuts, the parole division and juvenile intuitions might be completely eliminated outside of CDCR. Education and health care social services will be affected too.
He noted the governor is standing by the parole board’s decisions at a much greater rate. Prior governors denied about 90 percent of paroles, but Brown is approving about 80 percent.
“If I were rating Gov. Brown, I would give him an A.”

On medical paroles, Kernan said, “I think you’re going to see more of our sicker inmates transitioned out of prison to their homes.”
He noted the many changes are opposed by victims’ groups and some law enforcement elements.
Kernan reported the prisons administration is creating a partnership with Prison Fellowship called Out4Life. “That’s an initiative by a religious-based organization and it’s a critical component because anything that we can do to support offenders getting out and successfully staying out…I believe that these will be some of the biggest changes in CDCR’s history, and in this state’s history.”
“Out4Life California presents an opportunity to form collaborative relationships and strengthen existing coalitions across the state that will continue to work together to serve former prisoners more effectively and to make our communities safer,” said Clef Irby, Prison Fellowships Southern California executive director. California is the 12th state to launch Out4Life.
The program tackles prisoner reentry issues such as unemployment, addiction treatment, public safety, family issues, special needs of children of prisoners and the importance of establishing reentry networks.
Prison Fellowship is the world’s largest outreach to prisoners, ex-offenders and their families—in partnership with CDCR. It will work with businesses, social services and faith leaders across California.
“With the governor’s realignment and the elimination of 10, 000 parole violators, this will reduce the reception centers and enable more programs to be instituted,” he said.
“The department is taking steps throughout the state to reduce one percent in staff (by July 1) to stop the redirections {of correctional officers from program supervision)…but it must be approved by the labor unions…There will be systemic changes throughout CDCR or we’re going to go bankrupt.”
Regarding the three strikes law, he said, “Any modifications will have to go through the Legislature, but …nothing is off the table.”
Kernan’s boss, CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate, said with the realignment plan, “we’ll actually have a more effective criminal justice system.”