HLS 18RS-779 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 27
BY REPRESENTATIVE SMITH
LEGISLATION/RESOLUTIONS: Authorizes the creation of the Louisiana Women's
Incarceration Task Force
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To authorize and direct the creation of the Louisiana Women's Incarceration Task Force
3 under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus and the
4 Department of Public Safety and Corrections; to provide for the membership,
5 powers, and duties of the task force; and to require the task force to report its
6 findings.
7 WHEREAS, over the last several years, Louisiana has taken steps to implement
8cost-effective, evidence-based practices and programs that have worked to control the
9growth in the state's prison population; and
10 WHEREAS, Louisiana should build upon the success of the justice reinvestment task
11force while recognizing that incarcerated women face unique challenges and therefore may
12or may not benefit from reforms that were developed without a gendered analysis; and
13 WHEREAS, incarcerated women could benefit from adding a gendered analysis with
14the understanding that all women include transgender women; and
15 WHEREAS, according to United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, Louisiana has
16the seventh highest women's incarceration rate in the United States and currently
17incarcerates more than two thousand women. Louisiana spent over $50 million on the
18incarceration of women in 2017, and 62% of incarcerated women are the primary caretaker
19of a child under the age of eighteen; and
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HCR NO. 27
1 WHEREAS, people of transgender often have unique and complex experiences, often
2citing increased exposure to sexual assault, physical and verbal abuse, isolation, and many
3other forms of violence. As recently as March of this year, a transgender woman in prison
4reported being repeatedly beaten and raped. This demonstrates an even greater, more urgent
5need for an in-depth understanding of the specific needs for transgender women; and
6 WHEREAS, the most effective changes will be made when all those impacted or
7involved in the criminal justice system have representation in developing policies and
8processes related to women's incarceration, and input from all criminal justice stakeholders
9is essential in the development and implementation of cost-effective changes; and
10 WHEREAS, it is beneficial to the entire population of the state of Louisiana to
11develop a broadly diverse and cross disciplinary task force to study state sentencing and
12correction systems for women with the goal of producing a body of research resulting in
13making specific policy recommendations to reduce correctional populations, implement
14placement and behavioral practices which address and reduce violence and harassment based
15upon gender, and hold all parties in the correctional system responsible for their actions; and
16 WHEREAS, it is also beneficial to create a task force to prioritize reinvestment into
17successcful strategies that reduce recidivism and increase both public health and safety; and
18 WHEREAS, the Sentencing Commission is limited to providing recommendations
19relating to sentencing and post-conviction relief and is therefore unable to complete a
20comprehensive assessment of corrections administration, offender supervision, alternatives
21to incarceration, and sentencing structure specifically as they specifically apply to women.
22 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
23authorize and direct the creation of the Louisiana Women's and Incarceration Task Force.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is hereby authorized and directed
25to study, evaluate, analyze, and undertake a comprehensive review of the state's criminal
26justice system as it relates to women. The information gathered shall be used to develop
27policy recommendations for the legislature to:
28 (1) Develop practices and processes that avoid placing additional trauma or harm
29upon women as they navigate the criminal justice system.
30 (2) Reduce both the correctional population and recidivism of women.
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HCR NO. 27
1 (3) Develop a group of practices and processes throughout the criminal justice
2system that allow people to navigate these systems with affirmation of their self-determined
3gender identity.
4 (4) Address the holistic health of women to include access to hormone therapy,
5prenatal care, reproductive health, access to other medicine to maintain health, consistent
6health screenings, mental health access, and access to substance use and recovery resources.
7 (5) Increase and evaluate programming available to women during and after
8incarceration with the intention of self-determined development.
9 (6) Increase and ensure the availability of gender responsive resources to support the
10dignity and quality of life of all women.
11 (7) Reinvest savings into strategies shown to decrease recidivism, including
12improved reentry outcomes, diversion programs, and employment opportunities.
13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be bipartisan, shall be
14composed of eleven at-large members, including representatives of criminal justice agencies,
15community members with significant relevant experience or expertise, and legislators,
16designated by the governor and who shall serve at the pleasure of the governor.
17 The chair of the task force shall be the Assistant Secretary of the Department of
18Public Safety and Corrections, or his designee. All other officers, if any, shall be elected by
19and from the membership of the task force.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the membership of the task force
21shall constitute a quorum and shall meet at predetermined and agreed upon dates by the task
22force, enforced by the chairman, or upon an affirmative vote of a majority of the task force
23members. All members must be notified in writing of all meetings at least two weeks before
24the date on which a meeting of the task force is scheduled.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus and
26the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall provide the administrative assistance
27and staffing as may be necessary in order to enable the task force to accomplish its goals.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this study shall be conducted in collaboration
29with Operation Restoration and other community organizations and stakeholders.
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1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may request the Louisiana
2Legislative Women's Caucus, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and the
3office of the judicial administrator of the Louisiana Supreme Court to provide relevant data
4and staff expertise upon request.
5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall meet no less than six times
6per year.
7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall prepare and submit a final
8report that contains a detailed statement of the findings and policy recommendations of the
9task force to the governor, leadership of the Louisiana Legislature, and the chief justice of
10the Louisiana Supreme Court. The report shall be made available to the public.
11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
12to the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
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)]
HCR 27 Original 2018 Regular Session Smith
Creates the Louisiana Women's Incarceration Task Force.
The task force is hereby authorized and directed to study, evaluate, analyze, and undertake
a comprehensive review of the state's criminal justice system as it relates to women. The
information gathered shall be used to develop policy recommendations for the legislature
to:
(1)Develop practices and processes that avoid placing additional trauma or harm upon
women as they navigate the criminal justice system.
(2)Reduce both the correctional population and recidivism of women.
(3)Develop a group of practices and processes throughout the criminal justice system
that allow people to navigate these systems with affirmation of their self-determined
gender identity.
(4)Address the holistic health of women to include access to hormone therapy, prenatal
care, reproductive health, access to other medicine to maintain health, consistent
health screenings, mental health access, and access to substance use and recovery
resources.
(5)Increase and evaluate programming available to women during and after
incarceration with the intention of self-determined development.
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HCR NO. 27
(6)Increase and ensure the availability of gender responsive resources to support the
dignity and quality of life of all women.
(7)Reinvest savings into strategies shown to decrease recidivism, including improved
reentry outcomes, diversion programs, and employment pipelines.
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