Today, Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) announced the introduction of two measures to protect communities from Sexually Violent Predators (SVPs): Senate Bill 379, called the “Sexually Violent Predator Accountability, Fairness, and Enforcement Act” (SAFE Act) and Senate Bill 380. Click here for the SB 379 factsheet, here for the SB 380 factsheet, and here for a landing page with more information about the SVP issue.
“The SAFE Act is designed to protect our neighborhoods and families from dangerous sexually violent predators,” said Leader Jones. “SVPs have committed crimes so heinous, I argue they should never be released from prison. If the state is ordered by a court to release SVPs and has no choice but to do so, the state has the responsibility to do it in a manner that best protects the public. The SAFE Act will require transparency in the SVP placement process, force state officials to own up to these decisions, and make public safety a priority.”
SB 379 aims to prevent the state from continuing to try to secretly dump SVPs in unsuspecting communities throughout the state with no regard for public safety. SB 379 is Jones’ fourth attempt with the SAFE Act.
Specifically, the SAFE Act would:
- Require the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) to ensure their vendor, Liberty Healthcare, considers public safety in any potential placement of an SVP.
- Require DSH to take ownership in the placement process by approving any placements BEFORE their vendor, Liberty Healthcare, can sign any leases for placement locations.
SB 379 is similar to Leader Jones’s bipartisan SB 1074 from last year, his bipartisan SB 832 from two years ago, and his bipartisan SB 841 from three years ago.
“Families across California are being jolted by the state’s secret attempt to put an SVP in their neighborhoods in a manner that completely disregards public safety,” continued Leader Jones. “State Hospital officials have repeatedly shirked their responsibility, allowing their vendor, East Coast-based Liberty Healthcare, to target unsuspecting communities with little oversight. This reckless practice must end. Our SB 380 is a crucial first step toward ensuring SVPs are housed in state-run transitional facilities—not dropped into residential neighborhoods where they threaten public safety.”
SB 380 implements the recommendation from the California State Auditor to require DSH to conduct a feasibility study of utilizing Transitional Housing facilities for SVPs with conditional release. The auditor’s recommendation comes after Jones secured an audit of DSH and Liberty Healthcare’s handling of the SVP program.
“Let’s fix this broken release program once and for all,” concluded Leader Jones.
For more information on the SVP issue, please click here.