Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H6163 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- H 6163
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7	7	LC002602
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
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14	14	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
15	15	CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE TO IMPROVE THE LONG-TERM
16	16	OUTCOMES AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM OF FEMALES WITHIN THE CRIMINAL
17	17	JUSTICE POPULATION
18	18	Introduced By: Representatives Solomon, Edwards, Kazarian, Casimiro, Spears, Casey,
19	19	Potter, Cruz, Felix, and Kislak
20	20	Date Introduced: March 17, 2023
21	21	Referred To: House Judiciary
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23	23
24	24	WHEREAS, Incarcerated women are often young, single mothers from ethnic minority 1
25	25	backgrounds who have little education, poor work histories, and are disproportionately low-2
26	26	income. Mental illness, and high rates of PTSD and substance-use disorders, are common 3
27	27	problems among female detainees who have often also been victims of abuse themselves; and 4
28	28	WHEREAS, The most difficult part of an incarcerated female's experience is often re-5
29	29	entry, when women must comply with conditions of probation or parole, achieve financial 6
30	30	stability, access health care, locate housing, and attempt to reunite with their families; and 7
31	31	WHEREAS, Employment is only one of several major factors that plays a key role in the 8
32	32	successful re-entry and rehabilitation of justice-involved individuals. Statistically, 60 percent of 9
33	33	incarcerated women "met the cutoff for PTSD," while 80 percent met the criteria for having a 10
34	34	substance-use disorder, and 60 percent had children; and 11
35	35	WHEREAS, Problems surrounding separation from children and family, lack of housing, 12
36	36	inadequate mental health care, and insufficient substance abuse treatment during and after their 13
37	37	imprisonment often contribute to increased recidivism; and 14
38	38	WHEREAS, Currently, existing services and supports are not fully leveraged to wholly 15
39	39	assist individuals as they transition from a correctional institution back to the community. This 16
40	40	creates significant gaps in care for Rhode Islanders who are exiting prison or jail and returning 17
41	41	home to families and communities; and 18
42	42	WHEREAS, By investing in support for mental health and abuse, and by expanding 19
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45	45	LC002602 - Page 2 of 4
46	46	diversion, parole and re-entry programming and housing, government can better support our 1
47	47	communities and families as a whole by greatly increasing positive outcomes; now, therefore be 2
48	48	it 3
49	49	RESOLVED, That a special legislative task force be and the same is hereby created 4
50	50	consisting of nineteen (19) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island 5
51	51	Senate, with not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the President 6
52	52	of the Senate; three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, 7
53	53	with not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the Speaker of the 8
54	54	House; one of whom shall be a representative of the Judicial Branch, to be appointed by the Chief 9
55	55	Justice of the Supreme Court; one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Department 10
56	56	of Corrections (DOC), or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Department of 11
57	57	Behavioral Healthcare Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH), or designee; one of 12
58	58	whom shall be the Rhode Island Public Defender, or designee; one of whom shall be the Rhode 13
59	59	Island Attorney General, or designee; one of whom shall be the Chair of the Rhode Island Parole 14
60	60	Board, or designee; one of whom shall be a former warden of the Rhode Island women’s prison, 15
61	61	to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be a representative from 16
62	62	OpenDoors, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a representative 17
63	63	from the Formerly Incarcerated Union of Rhode Island, to be appointed by the President of the 18
64	64	Senate; one of whom shall be a representative from the Center for Health and Justice 19
65	65	Transformation, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a municipal 20
66	66	police chief, or designee, appointed by the President of the Senate; and one of whom shall be a 21
67	67	representative from the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers, to be appointed by 22
68	68	Speaker of the House; and one of whom shall be the Director of the RI Department of Children, 23
69	69	Youth & Families, or designee. 24
70	70	In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study 25
71	71	commission or task force, created by a General Assembly resolution, the appointing authority 26
72	72	may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator, provided that the 27
73	73	majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to the appointment 28
74	74	consents to the member of the general public. 29
75	75	The purpose of said task force shall be to acquire the data and methodology to formulate 30
76	76	a detailed blueprint for a Request for Proposal (RFP), utilizing information from state 31
77	77	departments and agencies to implement pre-sentencing and post-sentencing strategies for women 32
78	78	transitioning in or out of the criminal justice system including, but not limited to: 33
79	79	Examine best practices to improving the long-term outcomes and reduce recidivism of 34
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83	83	individuals awaiting sentencing; 1
84	84	Ascertain intervention and supportive pathways and services; 2
85	85	Calculate estimated costs for implementation of all programs; 3
86	86	Provide costs and local participation policies and requirements for potential housing 4
87	87	sources; 5
88	88	Ascertain sustainable funding avenues and legal pathways to implementing policies and 6
89	89	programs on the State and local level; and 7
90	90	Differentiate the needs of those entering the criminal justice system and those 8
91	91	transitioning back to the community following a period of incarceration. 9
92	92	Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the task force shall meet at the 10
93	93	call of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House and organize, and shall select co-11
94	94	Chairpersons from among the legislative members. 12
95	95	Vacancies in said task force shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. 13
96	96	The membership of said task force shall receive no compensation for their services. 14
97	97	All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, 15
98	98	documentary and otherwise, to said task force and its agents as is deemed necessary or desirable 16
99	99	by the task force to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. 17
100	100	The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide 18
101	101	suitable quarters for said task force; and be it further 19
102	102	RESOLVED, That the task force shall report its findings to the General Assembly no 20
103	103	later than February 5, 2024, and said task force shall expire on April 5, 2024. 21
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110	110	EXPLANATION
111	111	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
112	112	OF
113	113	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
114	114	CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE TO IMPROVE THE LONG-TERM
115	115	OUTCOMES AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM OF FEMALES WITHIN THE CRIMINAL
116	116	JUSTICE POPULATION
117	117	***
118	118	This resolution creates a nineteen (19) member task force whose purpose it would be to 1
119	119	improve outcomes and reduce recidivism of females in the criminal justice system, and who 2
120	120	would report back to the General Assembly no later than February 5, 2024, and would expire on 3
121	121	April 5, 2024. 4
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