BILL AIMS TO BOOST PRISON OVERSIGHT

SACRAMENTO -- The state's independent prison watchdog would be given
broad new powers to root out wrongdoing in prisons and to disclose the
findings under legislation introduced Wednesday by two senators who
are pushing to reform California's sprawling corrections system.

The Office of the Inspector General, which oversees investigations in
adult and juvenile prisons, has been criticized for lacking the power
to expose mismanagement and prosecute wrongdoing.

Under proposals introduced by Democratic Sens. Jackie Speier of San
Mateo and Gloria Romero of Rosemead, the watchdog office would be
required to refer cases to state or local prosecutors if criminal
wrongdoing is found by investigators. Also, the inspector general
would be given a 10-year term appointment in an attempt to insulate
the office from politics.

Speier said the legislation ``gives the office teeth, funding and
independence.''

Last month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger initially proposed putting the
office under the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency, which it is
supposed to monitor, because it had failed to do its intended job. His
proposal, however, drew complaints from lawmakers and prison reformers
because the inspector general's office had identified tens of millions
of dollars in waste at prisons and had exposed violence and
mistreatment in youth and adult institutions.

Schwarzenegger also fired the acting inspector general, John Chen, on
the eve of legislative hearings last month. They were held in the wake
of a critical report by a federal court monitor that raised questions
about whether the Department of Corrections could properly police itself.

Schwarzenegger persisted in calling the obscure agency a waste but
reversed himself earlier this month. He indicated he would increase
the $2.8 million annual budget -- which lawmakers had cut from a high
of $11 million -- and keep the agency independent.

The legislation introduced Wednesday would create a funding formula,
which would boost next year's budget to $14 million.

Speier and Romero acted as the non-partisan legislative analyst
Wednesday urged the Legislature to keep the office independent. The
office also said lawmakers should take steps to strengthen the office
by providing greater public access to investigations, and by having
the inspector general serve a fixed term.

Tip Kindel, deputy secretary to Schwarzenegger's corrections
secretary, said he had not seen the proposals from Speier and Romero
and had no comment.