HB 44

Abstract

Creates the Community-Based Corrections Act. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a program that funds community-based nonprofit providers to serve emerging adults as an alternative to traditional incarceration. Provides that community-based providers shall offer housing, workforce training, mental health counseling, and restorative justice programming in alignment with State guidelines. Provides that the program shall be subject to judicial discretion, allowing sentencing judges to assign eligible individuals to community-based settings instead of Department of Corrections facilities. Provides that all community-based providers must have a written agreement with a restorative justice court for all emerging adults within their care to participate in the restorative justice court programs. Provides that community-based providers shall be compensated at a rate equivalent to the monthly per-inmate cost of incarceration as determined by the Department in its Fiscal Impact Statement. Community-based providers shall be paid on a monthly basis for the number of individuals within their care. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall allocate existing budget authority for contractual services to fund the program created by the Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall establish operational standards, including housing conditions, workforce training quality, and mental health support services, to ensure program efficacy. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall monitor and evaluate providers to maintain compliance with State and judicial requirements. Provides that community-based providers shall submit annual reports to the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services detailing participant outcomes, including recidivism rates, employment statistics, and community reintegration success. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall report program performance to the General Assembly annually, including cost savings from reduced incarceration based on emerging adults participating with community-based providers for fewer years than they would serve in a Department of Corrections facility. Effective immediately.