Article 6. Veterans In State Prisons of California Penal Code >> Title 1. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 6.
The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall
develop guidance policies relative to the release of veterans who are
inmates. The policies shall be developed with the intent to assist
veterans who are inmates in pursuing claims for federal veterans'
benefits, or in establishing rights to any other privilege,
preference, care, or compensation provided under federal or state law
because of honorable service in the military. In developing the
policies, the department may coordinate with the Department of
Veterans Affairs and the county veterans service officer or veterans
service organizations.
At each facility that is under the jurisdiction of the
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, a veterans service
organization may volunteer to serve as a veterans service advocate.
(a) The advocate shall be authorized to develop a veterans
economic recidivism prevention plan for each inmate who is a veteran
during the 180-day period preceding the inmate's release date.
(b) The veterans economic recidivism prevention plan for each
inmate who is a veteran shall include, but not be limited to, the
following:
(1) Facilitating access of the inmate to county veterans service
officers, California Department of Veterans Affairs and United States
Department of Veterans Affairs officers and personnel, so that the
inmate may pursue claims for federal veterans' benefits or any other
privilege, preference, care, or compensation provided under federal
or state law because of the inmate's service in the military.
(2) Developing a plan for how the inmate will access earned
veterans' benefits that he or she may be eligible for upon the inmate'
s release.
(c) In order to assist with the development and execution of the
veterans economic recidivism prevention plan, the Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation shall do both of the following:
(1) (A) Facilitate access by the advocate to each inmate who is a
veteran.
(B) Access by the advocate is subject to those department
screening and clearance guidelines and training requirements that are
imposed on other visitors and volunteers.
(C) Access by the advocate shall be allowed to the extent it does
not pose a threat to the security or safety of the facility, or to
inmates and staff.
(2) Provide the advocate with access to existing resources,
including, but not limited to, computer and Internet access, that
would assist the advocate in implementing the veterans economic
recidivism prevention plan, to the extent it does not pose a threat
to the security or safety of the facility, or to inmates and staff.
(d) A copy of the veterans economic recidivism prevention plan
shall be provided to the inmate prior to the inmate's release.
The advocate shall coordinate with the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs in order to provide each inmate who is
a veteran with access to earned veterans' benefits.
The advocate shall coordinate with the California
Department of Veterans Affairs and the county veterans service
officer in the county in which the facility is located for advice,
assistance, and training, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the
veterans economic recidivism prevention plan.
For purposes of this article, the following definitions
shall apply:
(a) "Advocate" means a veterans service organization that is
federally certified and has volunteered to serve as a veterans
service advocate pursuant to this article.
(b) "Veteran" means a person who has been discharged from the
United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force,
United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, the Merchant
Marine, or the American Red Cross.