Article 1. General Provisions, Findings, And Definitions of California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 3. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 13.6. >> Article 1.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the San Joaquin County Regional Justice Facility Financing Act.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the existing state of overcrowding in the jails, sheriff, and court facilities in San Joaquin County is so great as to significantly impede the administration of justice and create a situation wherein persons who are a danger to society are required to be released into that society for lack of adequate facilities to house them. The Legislature further finds and declares that it is in the public interest to create the San Joaquin County Regional Justice Facility Financing Agency so that regional justice facility and prevention program needs may be addressed in an expeditious and appropriate fashion. The Legislature further finds and declares that it is in the public interest to allow the voters to approve a general tax for the general governmental purposes of the San Joaquin County Regional Justice Facility Financing Agency.

"Bonds" means indebtedness and securities of any kind or class, including bonds, notes, bond anticipation notes, and commercial paper.

"Agency" means the San Joaquin County Regional Justice Facility Financing Agency.

"County" means the County of San Joaquin.

"Board of supervisors" means the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Joaquin.

"Master plan" means the plan for construction and acquisition of adult detention facilities, sheriff facilities, functionally related court facilities, and structures necessary or convenient thereto. The plan shall be developed and approved, and may be amended from time to time, by the board of supervisors. The master plan may include, but is not limited to, the following:
  (a) The number of adult detention facilities, sheriff facilities, functionally related court facilities, to be constructed, furnished, or acquired.
  (b) The geographic location at which the facilities referenced in subdivision (a) shall be sited.
  (c) The time schedule according to which the facilities referenced in subdivision (a) shall be constructed, furnished, or acquired.
  (d) Construction standards which shall apply to facilities constructed, furnished, or acquired pursuant to this chapter.
  (e) Design standards which shall apply to facilities constructed, furnished, or acquired pursuant to this chapter.
  (f) Those other requirements as the board of supervisors, in carrying out its responsibility for the provision of regional detention services, deems necessary and appropriate.

"Prevention program" means a program, administered by the county, designed to decrease the number of inmates incarcerated in county adult detention facilities by providing alternatives to incarceration, or by providing counseling, diversion, or intervention programs, or by providing both. Alternatives to incarceration, include, but are not limited to, alternative work programs, work furlough programs, half-way houses, and own recognizance services. Counseling, diversion, or intervention programs, include, but are not limited to, drug and alcohol counseling, parole counseling, and pretrial screening.

"Functionally related court facility" means a court facility that is used solely for criminal prosecutions and handling inmates.