California Code, Penal Code - PEN § 1616

The state shall contract with a research agency which shall determine the prevalence of severe mental disorder among the state prison inmates and parolees, including persons admitted to prison, the resident population, and those discharged to parole. An evaluation of the array of services shall be performed, including the correctional, state hospital, and local inpatient programs; residential-level care and partial day care within the institutions as well as in the community; and the individual and group treatment which may be provided within the correctional setting and in the community upon release. The review shall include the interrelationship between the security and clinical staff, as well as the architectural design which aids meeting the treatment needs of these mentally ill offenders while maintaining a secure setting. Administration of these programs within the institutions and in the community shall be reviewed by the contracting agency. The ability of treatment programs to prevent reoffenses by inmates with severe mental disorders shall also be addressed. The process for evaluating inmates and parolees to determine their need for treatment and the ability to differentiate those who will benefit from treatment and those who will not shall be reviewed.

The State Department of State Hospitals, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Department of Justice shall cooperate with the research agency conducting this study.

The research agency conducting this study shall consult with the State Department of State Hospitals, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Justice, and the Forensic Mental Health Association of California in the design of the study.