The mission of the California Department of Corrections (CDC) is to improve public safety through evidence-based crime prevention and recidivism reduction strategies - an honorable mission, but one which is not being carried out, according to the Little Hoover Ciommission (California, 2004; Little, 2003). The CDC's vision is to
ôend the causes and tragic effects of crime, violence, and victimization in our communities through a collaborative effort that provides intervention to at-risk populations and quality services from the time of arrest that will assist our clients in achieving successful reintegration into society (California, 2004).
This is a bold, if somewhat pretentious vision for the CDC for its ôclients.ö The goals of the CDC are divided into organizational goals of workforce excellence, technology development, risk management/organizational effectiveness, and legal compliance; and programmatic goals of crime prevention and safety, outreach, partnerships, and transparency, and health care delivery - very worthy goals.
However, according to the Little Hoover Commission report - Back to the Community: Safe and Sound Parole Reforms - the CDC is not doing well at all in carrying out its mission, achieving its vision, or even meting its goals (Little, 2003).
The strengths of the program are that it is aimed at not only making sure the community is safe, but at the same time, equipping parolees to deal with their return to society in a productive manner (California, 2004).
1) prison time is not being used to prepare prisoners for release
2) available resources including those in the community, are not being used to assist those who could benefit from them
3) the State returns most parole violators to prison, even though drug treatment or short jail stays would be more effective and less costly, and
4) thousands of inmates a year are sent back to prison for parol
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