HB 118: "An Act relating to the duties of the commissioner of corrections; and relating to planning for prisoner reentry."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 118 01 "An Act relating to the duties of the commissioner of corrections; and relating to 02 planning for prisoner reentry." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 33.30.011(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) The commissioner shall 06 (1) establish, maintain, operate, and control correctional facilities 07 suitable for the custody, care, and discipline of persons charged or convicted of 08 offenses against the state or held under authority of state law; each correctional facility 09 operated by the state shall be established, maintained, operated, and controlled in a 10 manner that is consistent with AS 33.30.015; 11 (2) classify prisoners; 12 (3) for persons committed to the custody of the commissioner, 13 establish programs, including furlough programs that are reasonably calculated to 14 (A) protect the public and the victims of crimes committed by
01 prisoners; 02 (B) maintain health; 03 (C) create or improve occupational skills; 04 (D) enhance educational qualifications; 05 (E) support court-ordered restitution; and 06 (F) otherwise provide for the rehabilitation and reformation of 07 prisoners, facilitating their reintegration into society; 08 (4) provide necessary 09 (A) medical services for prisoners in correctional facilities or 10 who are committed by a court to the custody of the commissioner, including 11 examinations for communicable and infectious diseases; 12 (B) psychological or psychiatric treatment if a physician or 13 other health care provider, exercising ordinary skill and care at the time of 14 observation, concludes that 15 (i) a prisoner exhibits symptoms of a serious disease or 16 injury that is curable or may be substantially alleviated; and 17 (ii) the potential for harm to the prisoner by reason of 18 delay or denial of care is substantial; and 19 (C) assessment or screening of the risks and needs of offenders 20 who may be vulnerable to harm, exploitation, or recidivism as a result of fetal 21 alcohol syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or another brain-based 22 disorder; 23 (5) establish minimum standards for sex offender treatment programs 24 offered to persons who are committed to the custody of the commissioner; 25 (6) provide for fingerprinting in correctional facilities in accordance 26 with AS 12.80.060; 27 (7) establish a program to conduct assessments of the risks and needs 28 of offenders sentenced to serve a term of incarceration of 30 days or more [AND 29 PROVIDE TO THE LEGISLATURE, BY ELECTRONIC MEANS, BY JANUARY 30 15, 2017, AND THEREAFTER BY JANUARY 15, PRECEDING THE FIRST 31 REGULAR SESSION OF EACH LEGISLATURE, A REPORT SUMMARIZING
01 THE FINDINGS AND RESULTS OF THE PROGRAM]; the program must include a 02 requirement for an assessment before a prisoner's release on parole, furlough, or 03 electronic monitoring from a correctional facility; 04 (8) establish a procedure that provides for each prisoner required to 05 serve an active term of imprisonment of 30 days or more, other than a prisoner 06 sentenced to a term of 99 years, a written case plan that 07 (A) takes effect within 30 days after the prisoner's 08 sentencing [IS PROVIDED TO THE PRISONER WITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER 09 SENTENCING]; 10 (B) is based on the results of the assessment of the prisoner's 11 risks and needs under (7) of this subsection; 12 (C) includes a requirement to follow the rules of the institution; 13 (D) is modified when necessary for changes in classification, 14 housing status, medical or mental health, and resource availability; 15 (E) includes participation in programming that addresses the 16 needs identified in the assessment; 17 (9) establish a program to begin reentry planning with each prisoner 18 serving an active term of imprisonment of 30 [90] days or more; reentry planning must 19 begin at least 30 [90] days before release on furlough or probation or parole; the 20 reentry program must include 21 (A) a written reentry plan for each prisoner completed upon 22 release on furlough or probation or parole that includes information on the 23 prisoner's proposed 24 (i) residence; 25 (ii) employment or alternative means of support; 26 (iii) treatment options; 27 (iv) counseling services; 28 (v) education or job training services; 29 (B) any other requirements for successful transition back to the 30 community, including electronic monitoring or furlough for the period between 31 a scheduled parole hearing and parole eligibility;
01 (C) coordination with the Department of Labor and Workforce 02 Development to provide access, after release, to job training and employment 03 assistance; and 04 (D) coordination with community reentry coalitions or 05 other providers of reentry services; 06 (10) for offenders under electronic monitoring, establish 07 (A) minimum standards for electronic monitoring, which may 08 include the requirement of active, real-time monitoring using global 09 positioning systems; and 10 (B) procedures for oversight and approving electronic 11 monitoring programs and systems provided by private contractors; [AND] 12 (11) assist a prisoner in obtaining a valid state identification card if the 13 prisoner does not have a valid state identification card before the prisoner's release; the 14 department shall pay the application fee for the identification card; and 15 (12) provide to the legislature, by electronic means, by January 15, 16 2017, and thereafter by January 15 preceding the first regular session of each 17 legislature, a report summarizing the findings and results of the program 18 established under (7) of this subsection; the report must include 19 (A) the number of prisoners who were provided with 20 written case plans under (8) of this subsection and the percentage of the 21 target population that number represents; 22 (B) the number and percentage of prisoners who were 23 provided with services consistent with the written case plans under (8) of 24 this subsection within a month after starting service of a term of 25 imprisonment; and 26 (C) the number and percentage of prisoners who were 27 provided with written case plans under (8) of this subsection, addressing 28 (i) employment or alternative means of support; 29 (ii) treatment options; 30 (iii) counseling services; 31 (iv) education or job training programs or services;
01 and 02 (v) availability of health insurance enrollment 03 assistance after release.