(March 6, 2004) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed former Governor and long- time LB resident George Deukmejian to chair an independent review panel (IRP) on reforming CA's youth and adult prison system.
In a March 5 written release, Governor Schwarzenegger's office says the panel is designed to expedite fundamental reform within California's youth and adult correctional systems. "It has been too long since our correctional system has undergone a fundamental review of its operations. The mission of this inquiry team is to chart a course of action to turn around the crisis of confidence in California's correctional system," said Governor Schwarzenegger in the release.
The Governor's office says the IRP, which will operate independently and report directly to the Governor, "will investigate and make recommendations on ways to improve practices within the adult and youth corrections system including, but not limited to: overall organizational structure; risk management practices and policies; personnel and training programs; operational improvements; cost benefits in service and program delivery; productivity and performance enhancements; and organizational ethics and culture." It will "serve as a component part of the California Performance Review [and] will produce a series of near and long-term action steps to increase accountability, make better use of scarce resources, and reduce risks to employees, inmates, and the public."
Gov. Deukmejian, who served as CA's chief executive from 1983-1991, was appointed late last year by LB Mayor Beverly O'Neill to serve on a LB panel that will suggest changes to the LB City Charter.
Other members of the Governor Schwarzenegger's IRP will be Joseph Gunn, who will serve as the group's Executive Director. Mr. Joseph Gunn is the former executive director of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners and co-chaired the Rampart Independent Review Panel.
Also part of the IRP will be George Camp, a former prison administrator and now a national consultant at the Criminal Justice Institute in Middletown, Connecticut who has written and directed national studies on issues including prison crowding, prison gangs, change management, and prison riots. Mr. Camp will serve as a consultant to the panel.
Another consultant to the panel will be Robin Dezember, owner and principal consultant for RJ Dezember Associates and former California deputy director of the Department of Corrections and chief deputy director of the Department of Finance.