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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 173
BY SENATOR BROWN
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request the Reentry Advisory Council to identify strategies to afford offenders
committed to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections who are confined in
parish correctional facilities the support necessary to enhance education, job skills
and training, and needed behaviors to facilitate successful reentry upon release
pursuant to the Reentry Advisory Council and Offender Rehabilitation Workforce
Development Act and to provide needed mental health care for all committed to the
Department of Public Safety and Corrections in need of such services, whether
confined to a state or parish correctional facility, all to facilitate successful reentry
upon release, and to urge and request the secretary of the department to take steps to
carry out such strategies.
WHEREAS, R.S. 15:1199.1 through R.S. 15:1199.16 establishes and provides for
the " Reentry Advisory Council and Offender Rehabilitation Workforce Development Act";
and
WHEREAS, as stated in that Act:
(1) An essential component of reducing recidivism is providing an individual with
the necessary occupational skills to afford him the opportunity to earn a living, support his
family, and contribute to his community and that it is absolutely essential to provide proper
substance abuse counseling, mentoring, and other programs to assist individuals as they
return to their communities with a focus on breaking the cycle that prevents them from
moving forward with their lives.
(2) Successful offender reentry and reintegration into the community is a matter of
critical importance to the public's safety, but reentry is often unsuccessful due to the barriers
ex-offenders face upon release; these barriers include but are not limited to a lack of
education and job skills, employment prohibition in selected occupations, mental health, and SCR NO. 173 ENROLLED
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substance abuse problems, access to valid identification documents, child support
enforcement regulations, access to public housing and other public benefits, and strained or
fragile family and community ties.
(3) The ability of ex-offenders to obtain employment after incarceration and become
productive members of their communities is essential to reducing recidivism rates; however,
successfully finding employment is often difficult due to the reluctance of many employers
to hire individuals with criminal backgrounds.
(4) Without successful reentry into the community, recidivism is likely to occur,
causing detrimental effects to public safety, communities, families, taxpayers, and
ex-offenders.
(5) Offender reentry is a crime prevention strategy, which serves to reduce crime and
the number of crime victims and ultimately ensures opportunities for safer communities.
(6) Successful reentry is also a cost-saving measure which results in savings to state
and local criminal justice systems; and
WHEREAS, many offenders committed to the Department of Public Safety and
Corrections are in need of mental health services, whether confined to a state or parish
correctional facility; and
WHEREAS, the Reentry Advisory Council and Offender Rehabilitation Workforce
Development Act was enacted with the goal of establishing a more systematic approach to
identifying obstacles that impede successful reentry and developing and implementing
effective reentry strategies that improve public safety; and
WHEREAS, the legislature established the Reentry Advisory Council within the
Department of Public Safety and Corrections as an advisory body to the secretary, who is
tasked with the administration of the Act, and the legislature with the administration of the
program as authorized by the Act; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Act, an inmate rehabilitation and workforce
development program has been developed and implemented for offenders committed to the
Department of Public Safety and Corrections who are confined in state correctional facilities;
and
WHEREAS, as a large number of offenders that are committed to the Department SCR NO. 173 ENROLLED
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of Public Safety and Corrections are confined in parish correctional facilities, it is essential
to develop strategies, make recommendations, and implement the support necessary to
enhance education, job skills and training, and needed behaviors, to facilitate successful
reentry upon release.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Reentry Advisory Council to identify strategies to afford offenders
committed to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections that are confined in parish
correctional facilities the support necessary to enhance education, job skills and training, and
needed behaviors and to provide needed mental health care for all committed to the
department in need of such services, whether confined to a state or parish correctional
facility, all to facilitate successful reentry upon release.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge
and request the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, pursuant to
strategies identified by the Reentry Advisory Council, to take necessary steps to extend the
inmate rehabilitation and workforce development program to offenders committed to the
Department of Public Safety and Corrections that are confined in parish correctional
facilities pursuant to the Reentry Advisory Council and Offender Rehabilitation Workforce
Development Act and to provide needed mental health care for all committed to the
department in need of such services, whether confined to a state or parish correctional
facility.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of the Department of Public Safety
and Corrections, with the assistance of the Reentry Advisory Council shall include in the
annual report to the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice and the
Senate Committee on Judiciary B required pursuant to R.S. 15:1199.5(F) all actions taken
to provide support necessary to enhance education, job skills and training, and needed
behaviors to facilitate successful reentry upon release to afford offenders committed to the
Department of Public Safety and Corrections that are confined in parish correctional
facilities and all actions taken to provide needed mental health care for all committed to the
department in need of such services, whether confined to a state or parish correctional
facility. SCR NO. 173 ENROLLED
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the Reentry Advisory
Council.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES