HLS 23RS-561 ENGROSSED
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 7
BY REPRESENTATIVES MARCELLE, BRYANT, EDMONSTON, HORTON, KNOX,
AND LAFLEUR
PUBLIC SFTY/CORRECTIONS: Directs the Department of Public Safety and Corrections
to permit incarcerated parents to virtually attend certain ceremonies involving their
children
1 A RESOLUTION
2To direct the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to establish a policy not later than
3 thirty days prior to the adjourning of the 2023 Regular Session of the Legislature to
4 permit incarcerated parents at penal or correctional facilities under its jurisdiction to
5 virtually attend the award ceremonies and graduate commencement exercises of their
6 children.
7 WHEREAS, Louisiana has an estimated ninety-four thousand children with a parent
8who is incarcerated; and
9 WHEREAS, the parent-child bond is critical to a child's development; and
10 WHEREAS, the severance of the parent-child bond by the incarceration of a parent
11can have short-term and long-term social and emotional effects on the child; and
12 WHEREAS, these effects include poor education outcomes, juvenile justice
13involvement, physical and mental health issues, strained social and familial relationships,
14and criminal justice system involvement; and
15 WHEREAS, additionally, families with an incarcerated parent may experience
16financial instability, thereby increasing the risk that children of an incarcerated parent may
17live in poverty or be at risk of homelessness; and
18 WHEREAS, maintaining the parent-child relationship is beneficial to the child's
19development and provides incentive to the incarcerated parent to successfully reenter
20society; and
Page 1 of 3 HLS 23RS-561 ENGROSSED
HR NO. 7
1 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislature has demonstrated its commitment to
2addressing the effects of mass incarceration, including the enactment of Act No. 284 of the
32020 Regular Session establishing the Council on the Children of Incarcerated Parents and
4Caregivers, within the Office of the Governor, hereinafter referred to in this Resolution as
5"The CIP Council"; and
6 WHEREAS, the CIP Council consists of stakeholders in the justice system, including
7the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, caregivers, children impacted by parental
8incarceration, and organizations such as Daughters Beyond Incarceration; and
9 WHEREAS, the CIP Council is charged with studying the effects of incarceration
10on children and recommending policy changes as a result of its findings; and
11 WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections authorizes penal and
12correctional facilities in its jurisdiction to establish policies to promote a continuous
13relationship between a child and the incarcerated parent; and
14 WHEREAS, despite the authority of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections
15to establish policies to promote the parent-child relationship, Daughters Beyond
16Incarceration and other stakeholders of the CIP Council have expressed the concern of
17children that their incarcerated parents are unable to attend the award ceremonies and
18graduation commencement exercises of their children.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
20Legislature of Louisiana does hereby direct the Department of Public Safety and Corrections
21to establish a policy not later than thirty days prior to the adjourning of the 2023 Regular
22Session of the Legislature to permit incarcerated parents at penal or correctional facilities
23under its jurisdiction to virtually attend the award ceremonies and graduate commencement
24exercises of their children.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
26secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
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HR NO. 7
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 7 Engrossed 2023 Regular Session Marcelle
Directs the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections to establish a policy to permit
incarcerated parents at penal or correctional facilities to virtually attend the award
ceremonies and graduate commencement exercises of their children.
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