The Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC)
approved revisions to Title 15 and Title 24 of the
California Code of Regulations that govern visiting in local
detention facilities. The revised regulations require that local
detention facilities provide access to in-person visiting, except
for facilities that are in design, construction or already are
offering electronic visiting only approaches. In October 2016,
the Governor vetoed SB 1157 by Senator Mitchell that would have
prohibited jails from exclusively offering electronic visiting.
The Governor’s veto message directed the BSCC to meet with
stakeholders, which included the bill’s sponsors and law
enforcement to identify visiting options.
The changes in Title 15 and Title 24, if approved by the Office
of Administrative Law, prohibit county jail administrators from
adopting electronic visiting only policies. Jails that adopted
electronic visiting only policies, those in the planning and
construction phases prior to the Board’s action will not be
affected. All detention facilities proposed to be built after the
date of the Board’s action are required to include in-person
visitation space.
In conjunction with the BSCC’s approval of the revised visitation
regulations, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5, Senate
Public Safety and Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 legislative
committees held an informational hearing to further discuss
electronic visiting and the revised regulations. The legislative
committee members heard from several panelists and public comment
on the effects and impacts of in person visiting for
justice-involved individuals, families and law enforcement
agencies.
