HLS 15RS-4674 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 203
BY REPRESENTATIVE PRICE
PUBLIC SFTY/CORRECTIONS: Provides relative to education, job skills and training,
and mental health services for offenders to facilitate successful reentry upon release
1 A RESOLUTION
2To urge and request the Reentry Advisory Council to identify strategies to afford offenders
3 committed to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections who are confined in
4 parish correctional facilities the support necessary to enhance education, job skills
5 and training, and needed behaviors to facilitate successful reentry upon release
6 pursuant to the Reentry Advisory Council and Offender Rehabilitation Workforce
7 Development Act and to provide needed mental health care for all committed to the
8 Department of Public Safety and Corrections in need of such services, whether
9 confined to a state or parish correctional facility, all to facilitate successful reentry
10 upon release, and to urge and request the secretary of the department to take steps to
11 carry out such strategies.
12 WHEREAS, Act No. 836 of the 2010 Regular Session established the "Reentry
13Advisory Council and Offender Rehabilitation Workforce Development Act"; and
14 WHEREAS, as stated in that Act:
15 (1) An essential component of reducing recidivism is providing an individual with
16the necessary occupational skills to afford him the opportunity to earn a living, support his
17family, and contribute to his community and that it is absolutely essential to provide proper
18substance abuse counseling, mentoring, and other programs to assist individuals as they
19return to their communities with a focus on breaking the cycle that prevents them from
20moving forward with their lives.
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HR NO. 203
1 (2) Successful offender reentry and reintegration into the community is a matter of
2critical importance to the public's safety, but reentry is often unsuccessful due to the barriers
3ex-offenders face upon release; these barriers include but are not limited to a lack of
4education and job skills, employment prohibition in selected occupations, mental health, and
5substance abuse problems, access to valid identification documents, child support
6enforcement regulations, access to public housing and other public benefits, and strained or
7fragile family and community ties.
8 (3) The ability of ex-offenders to obtain employment after incarceration and become
9productive members of their communities is essential to reducing recidivism rates; however,
10successfully finding employment is often difficult due to the reluctance of many employers
11to hire individuals with criminal backgrounds.
12 (4) Without successful reentry into the community, recidivism is likely to occur,
13causing detrimental effects to public safety, communities, families, taxpayers, and
14ex-offenders.
15 (5) Offender reentry is a crime prevention strategy, which serves to reduce crime and
16the number of crime victims and ultimately ensures opportunities for safer communities.
17 (6) Successful reentry is also a cost-saving measure which results in savings to state
18and local criminal justice systems; and
19 WHEREAS, many offenders committed to the Department of Public Safety and
20Corrections are in need of mental health services, whether confined to a state or parish
21correctional facility; and
22 WHEREAS, the Reentry Advisory Council and Offender Rehabilitation Workforce
23Development Act was enacted with the goal of establishing a more systematic approach to
24identifying obstacles that impede successful reentry and developing and implementing
25effective reentry strategies that improve public safety; and
26 WHEREAS, the legislature established the Reentry Advisory Council within the
27Department of Public Safety and Corrections as an advisory body to the secretary, who is
28tasked with the administration of the Act, and the legislature with the administration of the
29program as authorized by the Act; and
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1 WHEREAS, pursuant to the Act, an inmate rehabilitation and workforce
2development program has been developed and implemented for offenders committed to the
3Department of Public Safety and Corrections who are confined in state correctional facilities;
4and
5 WHEREAS, as a large number of offenders that are committed to the Department
6of Public Safety and Corrections are confined in parish correctional facilities, it is essential
7to develop strategies, make recommendations, and implement the support necessary to
8enhance education, job skills and training, and needed behaviors to facilitate successful
9reentry upon release.
10 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
11Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the Reentry Advisory Council to
12identify strategies to afford offenders committed to the Department of Public Safety and
13Corrections who are confined in parish correctional facilities the support necessary to
14enhance education, job skills and training, and needed behaviors and to provide needed
15mental health care for all committed to the department in need of such services, whether
16confined to a state or parish correctional facility, all to facilitate successful reentry upon
17release.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Legislature
19of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the secretary of the Department of Public Safety
20and Corrections, pursuant to strategies identified by the Reentry Advisory Council, to take
21necessary steps to extend the inmate rehabilitation and workforce development program to
22offenders committed to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections who are confined
23in parish correctional facilities pursuant to the Reentry Advisory Council and Offender
24Rehabilitation Workforce Development Act and to provide needed mental health care for all
25committed to the department in need of such services, whether confined to a state or parish
26correctional facility.
27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of the Department of Public Safety
28and Corrections, with the assistance of the Reentry Advisory Council, shall include in the
29annual report on or before March first of each year to the House Committee on the
30Administration of Criminal Justice and the Senate Committee on Judiciary B, as required
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HR NO. 203
1by R.S. 15:1199.5(F), all actions taken to provide support necessary to enhance education,
2job skills and training, and needed behaviors to facilitate successful reentry upon release to
3afford offenders committed to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections who are
4confined in parish correctional facilities and all actions taken to provide needed mental
5health care for all committed to the department in need of such services, whether confined
6to a state or parish correctional facility.
7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
8secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the Reentry Advisory
9Council.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 203 Original 2015 Regular Session Price
Requests the Reentry Advisory Council (council) to identify strategies to afford offenders
committed to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) who 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 DPS&C in need of such services, whether confined to a state or parish correctional
facility, all to facilitate successful reentry upon release.
Requests DPS&C secretary, pursuant to strategies identified by the council, to take necessary
steps to extend the inmate rehabilitation and workforce development program to offenders
committed to the custody of the department who are confined in parish correctional facilities
and to provide needed mental health care for all committed to the DPS&C in need of such
services, whether confined to a state or parish correctional facility.
Requires that the DPS&C secretary, with the assistance of the council, include in the annual
report on or before March first of each year to the House Committee on the Administration
of Criminal Justice and the Senate Committee on Judiciary B, the measures taken pursuant
to this Resolution.
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