Mother Lode Senator Joins Senate Minority Leader To Strengthen Predator Laws

Senator Jones and Senator Alvarado-Gil

Sonora, CA – Mother Lode Democrat Senator Marie Alverado-Gil has teamed up with the Republican Senate minority leader Brian Jones to crack down on how sexually violent predators are released into the state.

Today, the pair announced the introduction of bipartisan Senate Bill 1074, called the “Sexually Violent Predator Accountability, Fairness, and Enforcement Act” (SAFE Act).

“The SAFE Act is designed to protect our neighborhoods and families from dangerous sexually violent predators,” said Leader Jones. “SVPs have committed crimes so heinous; I argue they should never be released from prison. If the state is ordered by a court to release SVPs and has no choice but to do so, the state has the responsibility to do it in a manner that best protects the public.”

SB 1074 aims to prevent the state from continuing to place sexually violent predators (SVPs) in unsuspecting communities throughout the state with no regard for public safety.

One of the measure’s coauthors, Mother Lode State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil (D-Jackson), stated, “As a legislator who represents predominantly rural communities from Lake Tahoe to Death Valley, I have seen our neighborhoods become dumping grounds for sexually violent predators. The decision-making process surrounding the placement of these predators has been unclear from the beginning, and this lack of transparency only fuels public distrust and exacerbates the challenges we face.” She continued, “It’s time to put an end to the dangerous practice of allowing sexually violent predators to roam freely in our communities. I stand with Minority Leader Brian Jones in holding the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) accountable for every single step of the placement process.”

Specifically, according to Alverado-Gill, SB 1074 would:

• Make public safety the highest criterion for any potential placement of an SVP.
• Require the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) to take ownership in the placement process by approving any placements BEFORE the vendor can sign any leases for placement locations.

SB 1074 is the third SVP bill Leader Jones has authored in the last three years. Click here for the SB 1074 factsheet and here for the petition in support of the bill.