(a) The Department of the Youth Authority shall annually develop a population management and facilities master plan presenting projected population and strategies for treatment and housing of wards for the succeeding five-year period. This plan shall set forth the department’s strategy for bridging the gap between available bedspace and the projected ward population.
(b) The Department of the Youth Authority may contract with the Department of Corrections or the Office of Project Development and Management within the Department of General Services for professional and construction services related to the construction of facilities or renovation projects included in the Department of the Youth Authority’s 1994–99 master plan for which funds are appropriated by the Legislature. The Department of the Youth Authority shall be responsible for program planning and all design decisions. The Department of Corrections or the Department of General Services shall, in consultation with the Department of the Youth Authority, ensure that all facilities are designed and constructed specifically for the needs of the youthful offender population. The Department of the Youth Authority also shall ensure that the design and construction of any facilities are consistent with the mission of the Department of the Youth Authority, which emphasizes the protection of the public from criminal activity and the rehabilitation of youthful offenders by providing education, training, and treatment services for those offenders committed by the courts. Any power, function, or jurisdiction for planning, design, and construction of facilities or renovation projects pursuant to the 1994–99 master plan that is conferred upon the Department of General Services shall be deemed to be conferred upon the Department of Corrections for purposes of this section. The Director of the Department of General Services may, upon the request of the Director of the Department of Corrections, delegate to the Department of Corrections any power, function, or jurisdiction for planning, design, and construction of any additional projects included within subsequent Department of the Youth Authority master plans.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 728, Sec. 188. (SB 71) Effective January 1, 2013.)