Existing law creates a program authorizing the sheriff or county officer responsible for operative jails of certain counties to assist indigent inmates with the reentry process within 30 days after the inmate’s release from the county jail or other adult detention facility, as specified. Existing law specifies that the assistance provided may include work placement, counseling, obtaining proper identification, education, and housing.

This bill would require, beginning January 1, 2026, each county jail to provide each incarcerated person with the contact information for certain entities, including, among other things, the local social services agency, upon release from custody, as specified. The bill would authorize the information to be provided electronically if the incarcerated person provides the necessary contact information. By imposing duties on local jails, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.