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8A Page 11 tackle the recent dramatic upswing in gangs across the state and their proliferation in suburban and rural areas. According to the Department of Justice there are currently more than 420,000 gang members statewide. Newly appointed Paul Seave, who most recently served as chief counsel for the California State Board of Education under, will responsible for numerous duties as director of Gang and Youth Violence Policy including: · Coordinate anti-gang programs and grants at all state agencies · Serve as the state contact for local governments and community organizations · Collect, evaluate and promote local best practices . Track all federal anti-gang funding and grants Gov. Schwarzenegger also appointed an advisory team from the fields of education, business, law enforcement, victims groups and the faith community to work with Director Seave to build comprehensive, long-term fixes. The advisory committee includes: . Jerry Dyer, chief of police, Fresno · Harvey Woo, lieutenant, Sacramento Sheriff's Department . David L. Brewer III, superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District · Jack Calhoun, president, Hope Matters; Leader, 13-California City Gang Prevention Network . John Shegerian, CEO, Electronic Recyclers, Fresno · Connie Rice, CEO, The Advancement Project, Los Angeles . Reverend Dr. Joseph Bryant Jr., senior pastor, Calvary Hill Community Church, San Francisco . Darryl Charles, founding member, Overcoming Gangs, San Diego · Deborah Aguilar, co-founder, A Time For Grieving . Sandra Rodriguez, principal, San Bernardino High School In addition to the appointments, Gov. Schwarzenegger released $2.8 million in discretionary Workforce Investment Act funds to local governments and organizations for job training programs targeting at-risk and gang-affiliated youth. Under the plan, local programs will match state funds at a 1: 1 ratio, for a $5.6 million total impact in 2007-08. Over the next year, CalGRIP will redirect $11.5 million for a total impact of $23 million. League Joins Coalition Intervening on Prison Overcrowding Lawsuit The League of California Cities has joined a coalition supporting intervention in Coleman, et al. v. Schwarzenegger and Plata et al. v. Schwarzenegger, two class action lawsuits regarding allegations that conditions in the California State prison system violate the federal constitutional rights of inmates. Impact on California Cities If offenders are released, they will be returned to their community of origin. Since approximately 80 percent of the state's population lives within city boundaries, the release of 40,000 inmates would place a monumental burden on local government. City police departments will be tasked with monitoring their activities, taxing our public safety system. The potential release of offenders before they have finished their prison terms is of great concern to cities because parolees have an extremely high rate of recidivism meaning that our cities will bear the brunt of these future offenses. According to statistics from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the recidivism rate for 2003 was close to 40 percent. In addition, the potential population cap in the state prison system will mean that county jail facilities will have limited ability to transfer inmates to the state system. This will back up the 11