LCO No. 4337 1 of 8
General Assembly Raised Bill No. 987
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 4337
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY
Introduced by:
(JUD)
AN ACT CONCERNING RE INVESTMENT OF SAVING S ACHIEVED
THROUGH A REDUCTION IN CORRECTIONAL FACILIT Y
POPULATION INTO REEN TRY AND COMMUNITY -BASED SERVICES
AND PROGRAMS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 18-81w of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
(a) The Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division within the 3
Office of Policy and Management shall develop and implement a 4
comprehensive reentry strategy that provides a continuum of custody, 5
care and control for offenders who are being supervised in the 6
community, especially those offenders who have been discharged from 7
the custody of the Department of Correction, and assists in maintaining 8
the prison population at or under the authorized bed capacity. The 9
reentry strategy shall support the rights of victims, protect the public 10
and promote the successful transition of offenders from incarceration to 11
the community by (1) maximizing any available period of community 12
supervision for eligible and suitable offenders, (2) identifying and 13
addressing barriers to the successful transition of offenders from 14 Raised Bill No. 987
LCO No. 4337 2 of 8
incarceration to the community, (3) ensuring sufficient criminal justice 15
resources to manage offender caseloads, (4) identifying community-16
based supervision, treatment, educational and other services and 17
programs that are proven to be effective in reducing recidivism among 18
the population served by such services and programs, and (5) 19
establishing employment initiatives for offenders through public and 20
private services and partnerships by reinvesting any savings achieved 21
through a reduction in prison population. 22
(b) The success of the reentry strategy shall be measured by: (1) The 23
rates of recidivism and community revictimization, (2) the number of 24
inmates eligible for release on parole, transitional supervision, 25
probation or any other release program, (3) the number of inmates who 26
make the transition from incarceration to the community in compliance 27
with a discharge plan, (4) prison bed capacity ratios, (5) the adequacy of 28
the network of community-based treatment, vocational, educational, 29
supervision and other services and programs, and (6) the reinvestment 30
of any savings achieved through a reduction in prison population into 31
reentry and community-based services and programs, including those 32
services and programs to address an offender's needs and risks as 33
determined through an assessment administered under section 3 of this 34
act. 35
(c) Not later than February 15, 2008, and annually thereafter, the 36
Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division within the Office of Policy 37
and Management shall submit a report, in accordance with the 38
provisions of section 11-4a, on the success of the reentry strategy based 39
on the measures set forth in subsection (b) of this section to the joint 40
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 41
matters relating to corrections, public safety and appropriations and the 42
budgets of state agencies. 43
Sec. 2. Section 18-81z of the general statutes is repealed and the 44
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 45
The Department of Correction, the Board of Pardons and Paroles and 46 Raised Bill No. 987
LCO No. 4337 3 of 8
the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch shall develop 47
a risk assessment strategy for offenders committed to the custody of the 48
Commissioner of Correction that will [(1)] utilize a risk assessment tool 49
that accurately rates an offender's (1) likelihood to recidivate upon 50
release from custody, and (2) identify the support services and 51
programs, including those services and programs to address an 52
offender's needs and risks as determined through an assessment 53
administered under section 3 of this act that will best position [the] each 54
individual offender for successful reentry into the community. Such 55
strategy shall incorporate use of both static and dynamic factors and 56
utilize a gender-responsive approach that recognizes the unique risks 57
and needs of female offenders. In the development of such risk 58
assessment strategy, the department, board and division may partner 59
with an educational institution that has expertise in criminal justice and 60
psychiatry to evaluate risk assessment tools and customize a risk 61
assessment tool to best meet the state's needs. On or before January 1, 62
[2009] 2022, and annually thereafter, the department, board and division 63
shall report to the Governor and the joint standing committee of the 64
General Assembly [on judiciary] relating to corrections, in accordance 65
with section 11-4a, on the development, implementation and 66
effectiveness of such strategy. 67
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) The Department of Correction 68
shall screen each offender committed to the custody of the 69
Commissioner of Correction to assess such offender's needs and risks 70
associated with reentry into the community as part of a reentry plan 71
developed for such offender. Such assessment shall evaluate the 72
offender's: 73
(1) Housing needs and homelessness risk, including, but not limited 74
to, the offender's homelessness history, family and other supports, prior 75
tenancy and rental history, income and employment and experience 76
with conducting housing searches and maintaining a household; and 77
(2) Mental health and chronic physical health needs and risks and 78
other medical conditions, provided mental health and physical health 79 Raised Bill No. 987
LCO No. 4337 4 of 8
classifications and scores are based on validated screening tools and 80
follow-up assessments by qualified clinical professionals, including 81
those assessments performed at the time that an offender is released on 82
parole. 83
(b) Information obtained by assessments under subsection (a) of this 84
section shall be considered as part of any referral process of an offender 85
for community-based (1) housing assistance, and (2) behavioral and 86
primary health care services. 87
(c) Not later than July 1, 2022, and annually thereafter, the 88
Commissioner of Correction shall report in accordance with the 89
provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes to the joint standing 90
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 91
relating to corrections on (1) the number of offenders assessed as having 92
high need for (A) reentry housing assistance, or (B) health or behavioral 93
health services, (2) referred to (A) reentry housing services, (B) a 94
community health worker, or (C) a local mental health authority 95
operated by the state, and (3) results or outcomes associated with any 96
such assistance. 97
Sec. 4. (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) The sum of two million dollars is 98
appropriated to the Department of Correction, from the General Fund, 99
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, for the purpose of contracting 100
with community-based organizations to provide housing-related case 101
management, housing search and navigation, temporary rental 102
assistance and other basic needs for any inmate assessed as needing 103
reentry housing assistance. 104
(b) The sum of two million dollars is appropriated to the Department 105
of Correction, from the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 106
2023, for the purpose of contracting with community -based 107
organizations to provide housing-related case management, housing 108
search and navigation, temporary rental assistance and other basic 109
needs for any inmate assessed as needing reentry housing assistance. 110
Sec. 5. (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) The sum of five million dollars is 111 Raised Bill No. 987
LCO No. 4337 5 of 8
appropriated to the Department of Correction, from the General Fund, 112
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, for the purpose of creating an 113
Office of Reentry Supports, which shall use three million dollars to 114
contract with community-based organizations to hire and employ 115
community health workers to help reentering individuals enroll in and 116
maintain connections to primary and behavioral health care services, 117
and shall use two million dollars to hire and employ staff as department 118
reentry case management clinical social workers to support individuals 119
released from incarceration by connecting such individuals to 120
community support systems and ensuring continuity of care as released 121
individuals receive community primary and behavioral health services. 122
(b) The sum of five million dollars is appropriated to the Department 123
of Correction, from the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 124
2023, for the purpose of maintaining an Office of Reentry Supports, 125
which shall use three million dollars to contract with community-based 126
organizations to hire and employ community health workers to help 127
reentering individuals enroll in and maintain connections to primary 128
and behavioral health care services, and shall use two million dollars to 129
hire and employ staff as department reentry case management clinical 130
social workers to support individuals released from incarceration by 131
connecting such individuals to community support systems and 132
ensuring continuity of care as released individuals receive community 133
primary and behavioral health services. 134
Sec. 6. (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) The sum of fourteen million three 135
hundred twelve thousand seven hundred sixty -nine dollars is 136
appropriated to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction 137
Services, from the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, 138
for Forensic Services, four million dollars of which shall be used in order 139
to fund new reentry case management social worker positions within 140
each state-operated local mental health authority, which authority shall 141
work with the Department of Correction to ensure adequate reentry 142
case management capacity within each authority and to refer 143
individuals discharged from the custody of the Commissioner of 144
Correction who are assessed as having high mental health needs to such 145 Raised Bill No. 987
LCO No. 4337 6 of 8
authority's reentry case managers in order to coordinate mental health 146
services and other community support systems, and to expand capacity 147
of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services operated 148
sites for the Advanced Supervision Intervention & Support Team 149
program. 150
(b) The sum of fourteen million four hundred eight thousand five 151
hundred fifty-eight dollars is appropriated to the Department of Mental 152
Health and Addiction Services, from the General Fund, for the fiscal 153
year ending June 30, 2023, for Forensic Services, four million dollars of 154
which shall be used in order to fund reentry case management social 155
worker positions within each state-operated local mental health 156
authority, which authority shall work with the Department of 157
Correction to ensure adequate reentry case management capacity 158
within each authority and to refer individuals discharged from the 159
custody of the Commissioner of Correction who are assessed as having 160
high mental health needs to authority reentry case managers in order to 161
coordinate mental health services and other community support 162
systems, and to expand capacity of the Department of Mental Health 163
and Addiction Services operated sites for the Advanced Supervision 164
Intervention & Support Team program. 165
Sec. 7. (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) The sum of forty million five hundred 166
eighty-seven thousand eight hundred ninety -eight dollars is 167
appropriated to the Department of Public Health, from the General 168
Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, for Personal Services, four 169
million dollars of which shall be used for the purpose of hiring and 170
training fifty formerly incarcerated community health workers to be 171
embedded in community health centers state-wide, connecting recently-172
incarcerated patients with health and social services through outreach, 173
educational and advocacy efforts, as modeled by a national, empirically 174
proven transitions model selected by the Commissioner of Public 175
Health. 176
(b) The sum of forty-one million nine hundred eighty-three thousand 177
seven hundred nineteen dollars is appropriated to the Department of 178 Raised Bill No. 987
LCO No. 4337 7 of 8
Public Health, from the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 179
2023, for Personal Services, four million dollars of which shall be used 180
for the purpose of maintaining and training a staff of fifty formerly-181
incarcerated community health workers to be embedded in community 182
health centers state-wide, connecting recently-incarcerated patients 183
with health and social services through outreach, educational and 184
advocacy efforts, as modeled by a national, empirically proven 185
transitions model selected by the Commissioner of Public Health. 186
Sec. 8. (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) The sum of one hundred twenty-two 187
million five hundred fifty-six thousand four hundred twenty-five 188
dollars is appropriated to the Department of Correction, from the 189
General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, for Inmate 190
Medical Services, fifteen million dollars of which shall be used in order 191
to add an additional one hundred seventy positions to staff health care 192
services for inmates. 193
(b) The sum of one hundred twenty-four million eight hundred 194
twelve thousand six hundred sixty-five dollars is appropriated to the 195
Department of Correction, from the General Fund, for the fiscal year 196
ending June 30, 2023, for Inmate Medical Services, fifteen million dollars 197
of which shall be used in order to maintain positions to staff health care 198
services for inmates. 199
Sec. 9. (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) The sum of two hundred sixteen 200
million four hundred fifty-one thousand eight hundred fifty-six dollars 201
is appropriated to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction 202
Services, from the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, 203
for Personal Expenses, six million dollars of which shall be used to 204
expand the state's mobile crisis intervention services to be available 205
twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week in all five mobile crisis 206
regions and to respond to all 911 emergency telephone calls involving 207
acute mental health emergencies and to ensure that mobile crisis 208
intervention services be the default response to such 911 emergency 209
telephone calls. 210 Raised Bill No. 987
LCO No. 4337 8 of 8
(b) The sum of two hundred twenty-six million five hundred two 211
thousand eight hundred ninety-two dollars is appropriated to the 212
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, from the General 213
Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, for Personal Expenses, six 214
million dollars of which shall be used to support the state's mobile crisis 215
intervention services availability twenty-four hours a day, seven days a 216
week in all five mobile crisis regions and to respond to all 911 217
emergency telephone calls involving acute mental health emergencies 218
and to ensure that mobile crisis intervention services be the default 219
response to such 911 emergency telephone calls. 220
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 18-81w
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 18-81z
Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 4 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 5 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 6 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 7 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 8 July 1, 2021 New section
Sec. 9 July 1, 2021 New section
Statement of Purpose:
To reinvest money saved from the closure of Northern Correctional
Institution into reentry and community-based services and programs,
including, but not limited to, those concerning housing and behavioral
and physical health.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]