HLS 19RS-1132 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 37
BY REPRESENTATIVE SMITH
LEGISLATION/RESOLUTIONS: To continue the Louisiana Women's Incarceration Task
Force and to extend the task force's reporting deadline until January 1, 2020
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To continue the Louisiana Women's Incarceration Task Force that was created pursuant to
3 House Concurrent Resolution No. 27 of the 2018 Regular Session of the Legislature
4 to study, evaluate, analyze, and undertake a comprehensive review of the state's
5 criminal justice system as it relates to women and to report its findings and policy
6 recommendations by January 1, 2020.
7 WHEREAS, over the last several years, Louisiana has taken steps to implement
8cost-effective and evidence-based practices and programs that have worked to control the
9growth in the state's prison population; and
10 WHEREAS, Louisiana should continue to build upon these successes while
11recognizing that incarcerated women face unique challenges, and therefore, may or may not
12benefit from these reform efforts; and
13 WHEREAS, according to United States Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2017,
14Louisiana had the seventh highest women's incarceration rate in the United States and
15incarcerated more than two thousand women at a cost of over $50 million; and
16 WHEREAS, the most effective changes will be made when all those who are
17impacted or involved in the criminal justice system have representation in developing
18policies and processes related to women's incarceration, and input from all criminal justice
19stakeholders is essential in the development and implementation of these changes; and
20 WHEREAS, it is beneficial to the entire population of the state of Louisiana to
21continue the study of state sentencing and corrections systems for women with the goal of
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HCR NO. 37
1producing a body of research resulting in specific policy recommendations that reduce
2correctional populations, implement placement and behavioral practices which address and
3reduce violence and harassment based upon gender, and hold all parties in the correctional
4system responsible for their actions; and
5 WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 27 of the 2018 Regular Session of
6the Legislature created the Louisiana Women's Incarceration Task Force to study, evaluate,
7analyze, and undertake a comprehensive review of the state's criminal justice system as it
8relates to women for the purpose of developing policy recommendations that work to
9accomplish all of the following:
10 (1) Develop practices and processes that avoid placing additional trauma or harm
11upon women as they navigate the criminal justice system.
12 (2) Reduce both the correctional population and recidivism of women.
13 (3) Address the holistic health of women to include access to hormone therapy,
14prenatal care, reproductive health, access to other medicine to maintain health, consistent
15health screenings, mental health access, and access to substance use and recovery resources.
16 (4) Increase and evaluate programming available to women during and after
17incarceration with the intention of self-determined development.
18 (5) Increase and ensure the availability of gender responsive resources to support the
19dignity and quality of life of all women.
20 (6) Reinvest savings into strategies shown to decrease recidivism, including
21improved reentry outcomes, diversion programs, and employment opportunities.
22 WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 27 provided for the membership and
23chairmanship of the task force; the goals, duties, responsibilities, procedures, and meeting
24requirements of the task force; for the administrative assistance and staffing of the task
25force; the authority to collaborate with community organizations and stakeholders; and the
26authority to request relevant data and staff expertise from the Louisiana Legislative Women's
27Caucus, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and the office of the judicial
28administrator of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
29 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
30continue the Louisiana Women's Incarceration Task Force until January 1, 2020, for the
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HCR NO. 37
1purposes set forth in and in accordance with House Concurrent Resolution No. 27 of the
22018 Regular Session.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that on or before January 1, 2020, the task force shall
4prepare and submit a final report containing a detailed statement of its findings and policy
5recommendations to the governor, the speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives,
6the president of the Louisiana Senate, and the chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court,
7and shall also make the report available to the public.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
9to 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 37 Original 2019 Regular Session Smith
To continue the La. Women's Incarceration Task Force that was created pursuant to HCR
No. 27 of the 2018 R.S. to study, evaluate, analyze, and undertake a comprehensive review
of the state's criminal justice system as it relates to women and to report its findings and
policy recommendations by Jan. 1, 2020.
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