Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00875 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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4	4	LCO No. 2840 1 of 5
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6	6	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 875
7	7	January Session, 2021
8	8	LCO No. 2840
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10	10
11	11	Referred to Committee on HOUSING
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13	13
14	14	Introduced by:
15	15	(HSG)
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20	20	AN ACT CONCERNING TH E RISK OF HOMELESSNE SS FOR THOSE
21	21	RELEASED FROM THE CU STODY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
22	22	CORRECTION.
23	23	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
24	24	Assembly convened:
25	25
26	26	Section 1. Section 18-81z of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
27	27	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 2
28	28	(a) The Department of Correction, the Board of Pardons and Paroles 3
29	29	and the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch shall 4
30	30	develop a risk assessment strategy for offenders committed to the 5
31	31	custody of the Commissioner of Correction that will (1) utilize a risk 6
32	32	assessment tool that accurately rates an offender's likelihood to (A) 7
33	33	recidivate upon release from custody, and (B) become homeless upon 8
34	34	release from custody, in accordance with subsection (b) of this section, 9
35	35	and (2) identify the support programs that will best position the 10
36	36	offender for successful reentry into the community. Such strategy shall 11
37	37	incorporate use of both static and dynamic factors and utilize a gender-12
38	38	responsive approach that recognizes the unique risks and needs of 13
39	39	female offenders. In the development of such risk assessment strategy, 14 Raised Bill No. 875
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42	42
43	43	LCO No. 2840 2 of 5
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45	45	the department, board and division may partner with an educational 15
46	46	institution that has expertise in criminal justice and psychiatry to 16
47	47	evaluate risk assessment tools and customize a risk assessment tool to 17
48	48	best meet the state's needs. 18
49	49	(b) As part of such strategy, the Commissioner of Correction shall 19
50	50	screen all offenders committed to the custody of the commissioner to 20
51	51	assess their housing needs and homelessness risk. Such assessment shall 21
52	52	include the offender's homelessness history, family and other supports, 22
53	53	prior tenancy and rental history, income and employment and 23
54	54	experience with conducting housing searches and maintaining a 24
55	55	household. Such assessment shall be used to inform the offender's 25
56	56	reentry plan under section 2 of this act. 26
57	57	(c) On or before January 1, 2009, and annually thereafter, the 27
58	58	department, board and division shall report to the Governor and the 28
59	59	joint standing committee of the General Assembly on judiciary, in 29
60	60	accordance with section 11-4a, on the development, implementation 30
61	61	and effectiveness of such strategy. 31
62	62	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2021) (a) The Department of 32
63	63	Correction, in consultation with the Department of Housing, shall 33
64	64	establish the returning home program to provide housing assistance for 34
65	65	persons released to parole or a supervised community setting. Such 35
66	66	program shall use evidence-based practices to prevent and reduce 36
67	67	homelessness. The Department of Correction shall determine a person's 37
68	68	eligibility for the program using the risk assessment tool for 38
69	69	homelessness conducted under section 18-81z of the general statutes, as 39
70	70	amended by this act. The Department of Correction shall be given access 40
71	71	to the state's homeless management information system, as defined in 41
72	72	24 CFR 578.3. 42
73	73	(b) The Department of Correction shall contract with nonprofit 43
74	74	community or locally based organizations that are qualified to provide 44
75	75	housing search and navigation services, housing-related case 45
76	76	management and rapid rehousing and related services, provided such 46 Raised Bill No. 875
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80	80	LCO No. 2840 3 of 5
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82	82	program shall not be used to fund halfway houses. Such program shall 47
83	83	provide housing assistance to persons who lack a plan for housing after 48
84	84	release. Any housing provided under this section shall confer rights and 49
85	85	responsibilities of tenancy pursuant to a rental agreement and shall 50
86	86	meet any applicable federal housing quality standards. 51
87	87	(c) Not later than January 2, 2022, and annually thereafter, the 52
88	88	Department of Correction shall submit a report concerning the housing 53
89	89	needs and homelessness of incarcerated persons, the impact of housing 54
90	90	instability on incarceration length and the results of the program 55
91	91	established under this section, in accordance with the provisions of 56
92	92	section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of 57
93	93	the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to housing 58
94	94	and the judiciary. Such report shall include (1) the number of 59
95	95	incarcerated persons screened for housing status and risk of 60
96	96	homelessness relative to the total number of persons eligible for such 61
97	97	screening, (2) the number of incarcerated persons reporting a lack of 62
98	98	stable housing or a high risk of homelessness, (3) the number of persons 63
99	99	receiving housing assistance under the program established under this 64
100	100	section and the cost of service and duration per capita, (4) the number 65
101	101	of incarcerated persons identified as having housing needs, but who did 66
102	102	not receive any housing assistance, (5) the number of persons staying 67
103	103	beyond their discharge date pursuant to section 18-101b of the general 68
104	104	statutes and the length of such additional stay, (6) the rate of housing 69
105	105	placement and retention for the total population served, (7) the types of 70
106	106	housing assistance services delivered and the basis in evidence-based 71
107	107	practices, and (8) the impact of the housing assistance services provided 72
108	108	under this section on incarcerated persons' use of a correctional facility 73
109	109	or halfway house beds and incarcerated persons' release to the 74
110	110	community without parole or a supervised community setting and 75
111	111	diversion from emergency shelter programs. The department shall also 76
112	112	submit a copy of such report to the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning 77
113	113	Division within the Office of Policy and Management. 78
114	114	Sec. 3. Section 18-81w of the general statutes is repealed and the 79
115	115	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021): 80 Raised Bill No. 875
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119	119	LCO No. 2840 4 of 5
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121	121	(a) The Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division within the 81
122	122	Office of Policy and Management shall develop and implement a 82
123	123	comprehensive reentry strategy that provides a continuum of custody, 83
124	124	care and control for offenders who are being supervised in the 84
125	125	community, especially those offenders who have been discharged from 85
126	126	the custody of the Department of Correction, and assists in maintaining 86
127	127	the prison population at or under the authorized bed capacity. The 87
128	128	reentry strategy shall support the rights of victims, protect the public 88
129	129	and promote the successful transition of offenders from incarceration to 89
130	130	the community by (1) maximizing any available period of community 90
131	131	supervision for eligible and suitable offenders, (2) identifying and 91
132	132	addressing barriers to the successful transition of offenders from 92
133	133	incarceration to the community, including, but not limited to, lack of 93
134	134	housing, (3) ensuring sufficient criminal justice resources to manage 94
135	135	offender caseloads, (4) identifying community-based supervision, 95
136	136	treatment, educational, housing and other services and programs that 96
137	137	are proven to be effective in reducing recidivism among the population 97
138	138	served by such services and programs, and (5) establishing employment 98
139	139	initiatives for offenders through public and private services and 99
140	140	partnerships by reinvesting any savings achieved through a reduction 100
141	141	in prison population. 101
142	142	(b) The success of the reentry strategy shall be measured by: (1) The 102
143	143	rates of recidivism and community revictimization, (2) the number of 103
144	144	inmates eligible for release on parole, transitional supervision, 104
145	145	probation or any other release program, (3) the number of inmates who 105
146	146	make the transition from incarceration to the community in compliance 106
147	147	with a discharge plan, (4) prison bed capacity ratios, (5) the adequacy of 107
148	148	the network of community-based treatment, vocational, educational, 108
149	149	housing, supervision and other services and programs, and (6) the 109
150	150	reinvestment of any savings achieved through a reduction in prison 110
151	151	population into reentry and community-based services and programs. 111
152	152	(c) Not later than February 15, 2008, and annually thereafter, the 112
153	153	Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division within the Office of Policy 113
154	154	and Management shall submit a report, in accordance with the 114 Raised Bill No. 875
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158	158	LCO No. 2840 5 of 5
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160	160	provisions of section 11-4a, on the success of the reentry strategy based 115
161	161	on the measures set forth in subsection (b) of this section to the joint 116
162	162	standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 117
163	163	matters relating to corrections, public safety, housing and 118
164	164	appropriations and the budgets of state agencies. Any such report 119
165	165	submitted on or after February 15, 2022, shall (1) also address the rate of 120
166	166	inmates released from incarceration who experience homelessness, and 121
167	167	(2) be posted on the Internet web site of the Office of Policy and 122
168	168	Management and presented to the Criminal Justice Policy Advisory 123
169	169	Commission, including any information obtained from the report of the 124
170	170	Department of Correction pursuant to section 2 of this act. 125
171	171	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
172	172	sections:
173	173
174	174	Section 1 October 1, 2021 18-81z
175	175	Sec. 2 October 1, 2021 New section
176	176	Sec. 3 October 1, 2021 18-81w
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178	178	Statement of Purpose:
179	179	To require the Department of Correction to assess the risk of
180	180	homelessness for incarcerated persons released from its custody and to
181	181	create a program to address such homelessness and to require
182	182	additional reports to measure the extent of such homelessness.
183	183	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
184	184	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
185	185	underlined.]
186	186