SACRAMENTO, Calif. – On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 380 into law, a measure introduced by California State Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones to address the placement of sexually violent predators.
The new law requires the Department of State Hospitals to explore housing these individuals in state-run transitional facilities, shifting away from the current practice of releasing them into communities.
“This bill’s signing is a big win for communities like mine that’ve been treated as dumping grounds for these violent predators and I thank the governor for recognizing this serious issue was in dire need of redress,” said Jones.
The legislation follows a recommendation from the California State Auditor’s Office, which arose after Jones secured an audit of the state’s conditional release program. Despite these recommendations, the Department of State Hospitals had not acted, prompting the need for legislative intervention.
“This new law is a battle won against a state agency that has repeatedly ignored calls from the public, elected officials and the state auditor to fix this very broken system,” Jones said.
Jones ensured the bill included an urgency clause, making it effective immediately upon the governor’s signature. This reflects what he sees as the immediate need for reform.
“This is the definition of an urgent issue, and we need to get this solved now, not in January or some later date off into the future,” said Jones.
The bill received support from local government, law enforcement, and victims’ advocacy groups, aiming to protect public safety by reassessing the housing of sexually violent predators.