Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0634 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2023 -- S 0634
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7	7	LC001969
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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14	14	S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
15	15	CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE IMPACT AND
16	16	POTENTIAL ECONOMIC B ENEFITS OF BAIL REFORMS ON BLACK RHODE
17	17	ISLANDERS AND THE STATE
18	18	Introduced By: Senators Mack, Britto, Acosta, Euer, Kallman, LaMountain, Lauria,
19	19	Bell, and Gu
20	20	Date Introduced: March 07, 2023
21	21	Referred To: Senate Judiciary
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24	24	WHEREAS, Pre-trial detention is one of the earliest points in the criminal justice system 1
25	25	and typically represents an individual’s first prospect of being incarcerated. It is simply jailed 2
26	26	while awaiting trial and not yet convicted of a crime, and still legally innocent; and 3
27	27	WHEREAS, The main purposes of pretrial detention are to secure the appearance at trial 4
28	28	of defendants who are flight risks and to protect the community from further criminal activity of 5
29	29	the person charged; and 6
30	30	WHEREAS, Defendants detained before trial represent over 75 percent of all jail inmates 7
31	31	in some parts of the country, with significantly higher rates of pretrial detention among black and 8
32	32	Hispanic individuals; and 9
33	33	WHEREAS, First‐time offenders accused of low‐level crimes, often spend months in 10
34	34	pretrial detention and face subsequent long‐term damage in the form of family separation and 11
35	35	adverse impacts on young children, work interruption, and loss of housing; and 12
36	36	WHEREAS, Many individuals are jailed pretrial because they can't afford money bail, 13
37	37	and others because a probation or parole has placed a "hold" on their release. The number of 14
38	38	people in jail pretrial has nearly quadrupled since the 1980s; and 15
39	39	WHEREAS, There are a number of different types of pre-trial supervised release 16
40	40	including social workers and case managers from local organizations working with 17
41	41	people to address barriers to court attendance and connect them to social services, employment 18
42	42	and location monitoring, mental health treatment, and substance abuse treatment; and 19
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45	45	LC001969 - Page 2 of 3
46	46	WHEREAS, Balancing the greatest social benefit and/or risks to public safety, and return 1
47	47	on investment and use of taxpayer resources is necessary in order to provide the best data-driven 2
48	48	policy solutions; now, therefore be it 3
49	49	RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created 4
50	50	consisting of eleven (11) members; three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island 5
51	51	Senate, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the RI Attorney 6
52	52	General, or designee; one of whom shall be a representative of the Judicial Branch, to be 7
53	53	appointed by the Chief Justice; one of whom shall be the Chair of the Rhode Island Parole Board, 8
54	54	or designee; one of whom shall be a warden of a Rhode Island prison, to be appointed by the 9
55	55	President of the Senate; one of whom shall be a representative from the Center for Health and 10
56	56	Justice Transformation, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be the 11
57	57	Director of the RI Department of Children, Youth & Families, or designee; and two (2) of whom 12
58	58	shall be persons formerly incarcerated pre-trial in the State of Rhode Island, to be appointed by 13
59	59	the President of the Senate. 14
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61	61	In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study 16
62	62	commission or task force, created by a General Assembly resolution, the appointing authority 17
63	63	may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator, provided that the 18
64	64	majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to the appointment 19
65	65	consents to the member of the general public. 20
66	66	The purpose of said commission shall be to analyze the economic and societal benefits 21
67	67	and risks of pre-trial supervised release as an alternative to pre-trial detention, determine the 22
68	68	impact of reforms on Black Rhode Islanders, and provide recommendations to reduce the 23
69	69	population and all fees, costs and expenses incurred by pre-trial persons and the State. 24
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71	71	Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at 26
72	72	the call of the President of the Senate and organize, and shall select a Chairperson from among 27
73	73	the legislative members. 28
74	74	Vacancies in said task force shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. 29
75	75	The membership of said task force shall receive no compensation for their services. 30
76	76	All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, 31
77	77	documentary and otherwise, to said task force shall and its agents as is deemed necessary or 32
78	78	desirable by the task force shall to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. 33
79	79	The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide 34
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83	83	suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further 1
84	84	RESOLVED, That said commission shall report its findings to the President of the Senate 2
85	85	no later than February 5, 2024, and said task force shall expire on April 5, 2024. 3
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