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Postrelease Community Supervision (PRCS)

Postrelease Community Supervision (PRCS) is a form of supervision provided to an inmate who has been released from a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) institution to the jurisdiction of a county agency, pursuant to the Postrelease Community Supervision Act of 2011.

Penal Code (PC) Section 3451 states that all inmates released from prison on or after October 1, 2011, after serving a prison term for a felony and, if eligible, upon release from prison shall be subject to supervision provided by a county agency.

Once released to PRCS, the inmate is discharged from CDCR.

The inmate is no longer under CDCR’s jurisdiction.

Determining PRCS

PC Section 3451 provides that only the following inmate’s released from CDCR are supervised under the Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO):

  1. An inmate serving a current term for a serious felony, as described in PC Section 1192.7(c).
  2. An inmate serving a current term for a violent felony, as described in PC Section 667.5(c).
  3. An inmate serving a current term of life, as described in PC Section 667(e)(2) or PC 1170.12(c)(2).
  4. An inmate classified as a High Risk Sex Offender (HRSO), as described in California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 15, Section 3573.
  5. An inmate determined to be an Offender with Mental Health Disorder (OMHD) as described in PC Section 2962.

To better assist you in identifying which inmates may meet the criteria for CDCR supervision and for more information on California Penal Codes, please click the following link: California Legislative Information.

The inmate’s current term is utilized by the Parole Service Associate (PSA) to determine eligibility status for release to PRCS. The current term is defined as a court sentence the inmate is serving and has not yet paroled. The PSA shall utilize the Minute Order and/or Abstract of Judgment to determine the inmate’s current term.

If an inmate does not meet the criteria for DAPO supervision, they are released to the county for supervision under the Postrelease Community Supervision Act.

Release Program Study

The Release Program Study (RPS) process involves PSAs, Correctional Counselors (Camps), Case Records staff, PRCS County Probation Staff, Chief of Mental Health, Accounting Office and Institutional PRCS County Liaisons all working together to achieve a smooth transition for the inmate from prison to probation.

The RPS became fully automated within the Strategic Offender Management System (SOMS) on October 30, 2017. The electronic RPS will expedite the pre-release process and provides associated data to pertinent staff in a real-time environment within the SOMS database. County staff shall complete the RPS (Section V) by providing reporting instructions as to when, where and whom the inmate should report to on the RPS. County staff will also need to provide a phone number, sign and date the RPS.

County staff will need to complete the Notice and Conditions of Postrelease Community Supervision CDCR Form 1515 CS/Special Conditions of PRCS.

County staff shall electronically return the completed RPS and the Notice and Conditions of Postrelease Community Supervision CDCR Form 1515 CS/Special Conditions of PRCS to the institution no later than 90 days prior to the inmate’s scheduled release date.

Currently, the Secure Automated File Exchange (SAFE) process is used to transmit the RPS, Notice and Conditions of Postrelease Community Supervision CDCR Form 1515 CS/Special Conditions of PRCS and Pre-Release Packet

Time Frames for Referral to PRCS Discharge

PRCS requires CDCR to notify the counties of an inmate’s discharge date at least 30 days prior to release; however, CDCR has entered into an agreement with the counties that the Department will send pre-release packets consistent with its current pre-release process No Later Than (NLT) 165 days.

Imminent Releases

Counties will receive verbal notification and expedited processing of the RPS when the inmate’s release date is 60 days or less.

County Notification for Changes in Release Dates or Transfers to Another Institution

Case Records Services provides updates to the RPS packet by sending the “Notification to County of Change in Status” form to the appropriate County Probation Office. The Correctional Case Records Analyst (CCRA) is required to review every release date change notice and complete a transfer audit prior to transfer. At these processing times, the CCRA ensures the status change form is provided to the county. In addition, when the CCRA completes the Intake, 120-day and 10-day audits, information that was provided to the County Probation Office is reviewed for accuracy and is updated using the designated status change form as necessary.

Case Records Services maintains the Post-Release Community Supervising Entity contact sheet, designated by county, as a directory for institutional staff to contact county staff regarding Pre-Release Packets and other concerns. The County Contact Sheet has the Primary and Secondary designated point-of-contact phone numbers and email addresses. It is incumbent upon county staff to inform Case Records Services of changes in the Primary and Secondary PRCS contact information. Please submit all updates to Hazel Bernadette Jones at 916-445-9652.