San Diego City Wire

Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones from San Diego has introduced two legislative measures aimed at enhancing community safety concerning Sexually Violent Predators (SVPs). The proposed bills, Senate Bill 379 and Senate Bill 380, seek to address the release and placement of SVPs in California.

Senate Bill 379, also known as the "Sexually Violent Predator Accountability, Fairness, and Enforcement Act" (SAFE Act), is designed to increase transparency and accountability in the process of placing SVPs. "The SAFE Act is designed to protect our neighborhoods and families from dangerous sexually violent predators," said Leader Jones. He emphasized that if the state must release SVPs due to court orders, it should do so with public safety as a priority.

SB 379 aims to prevent the state from placing SVPs in communities without adequate consideration for public safety. This bill marks Jones' fourth attempt with similar legislation. It would require the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) to ensure that their vendor, Liberty Healthcare, considers public safety in any potential placement of an SVP. Additionally, DSH would need to approve placements before Liberty Healthcare can finalize any agreements for housing locations.

Leader Jones has previously introduced bipartisan efforts similar to SB 379, including SB 1074 last year, SB 832 two years ago, and SB 841 three years ago.

Jones expressed concern over what he described as a lack of oversight by state hospital officials regarding SVP placements: "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."

Senate Bill 380 follows recommendations from the California State Auditor for DSH to study the feasibility of using Transitional Housing facilities for conditionally released SVPs. This recommendation emerged after Jones secured an audit examining DSH and Liberty Healthcare's management of the SVP program.

"Let’s fix this broken release program once and for all," concluded Leader Jones.

For further details on these legislative efforts or the broader issue surrounding SVPs, additional resources are available online.