04/10/1993 10:15 AM Senate FIN

                                                                               
  SENATE BILL NO. 51:                                                          
                                                                               
       An Act providing  for establishment  of work camps  for                 
       juveniles adjudicated delinquent, and  extending to all                 
       cities  and  to  nonprofit  corporations  authority  to                 
       maintain facilities for juveniles.                                      
                                                                               
  CO-CHAIR DRUE PEARCE invited Senator Randy Phillips, sponsor                 
  of SB 51,  to join the committee  at the table and  speak to                 
  the bill.                                                                    
                                                                               
  SENATOR  RANDY PHILLIPS  said similar  legislation had  been                 
  introduced several years  ago.  He  said that the work  camp                 
  facility  would be  used only  by minors.   The  individuals                 
  placed  in the  work camp could  be required to  do labor on                 
  buildings  or  perform  other  duties including  educational                 
  projects.  SB 51 would authorize  the Department of Health &                 
  Social Services  (DH&SS)  to establish  regulations for  the                 
  operation of these  work camps  and would place  delinquents                 
  into  work camps instead of detention  facilities.  It would                 
  also provide that  a city  or non-profit organization  could                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  maintain  a  juvenile  work  camp  under regulations  to  be                 
  adopted  by DH&SS.  There are  23 states that have some kind                 
  of boot  or work  camps as  an alternative  for young  adult                 
  offenders.  He said the bill carried a fiscal note for DH&SS                 
  in the  amount of $9.3  to set up  regulations.  He  said he                 
  provided  the  committee with  a  sectional analysis,  and a                 
  handout describing a successful boot camp in Nevada (copy on                 
  file).                                                                       
                                                                               
  SENATOR JAY  KERTTULA said  that state  work camps had  been                 
  established right after  statehood.  It seemed  to work very                 
  well until special  interest groups  began to provide  full-                 
  cost-of-care.    The   result  was  that   full-cost-of-care                 
  services  for the  least of  the delinquents cost  the state                 
  more per  person per day than  it did after  the program was                 
  decreased  to  half and  only  the incorrigibles  were being                 
  served.  He warned that this well-meaning program could turn                 
  into a disaster.                                                             
                                                                               
  Senator Phillips pointed  out that SB 51  had passed through                 
  the Health & Social Services and Judiciary Committee with no                 
  changes.                                                                     
                                                                               
  Co-chair  Pearce  invited  Randall Hines,  Program  Officer,                 
  Division of Family & Youth Services,  Department of Health &                 
  Social Services, to join the committee at the table.                         
                                                                               
  RANDALL HINES spoke to the fiscal note in the amount of $9.3                 
  which would fund the design  of the regulations establishing                 
  the  work camp  as outlined  in  SB 51.   He  said  that the                 
  department was in support of the legislation.                                
                                                                               
  SENATOR TIM KELLY asked if this facility could be contracted                 
  out.  Mr. Hines  said that it would not have  to operated by                 
  the state.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Senator Kerttula  spoke in  support of  SB 51  but felt  the                 
  fiscal note  would not cover  the total expense  of starting                 
  this  program.  He  reiterated his support  but advised that                 
  this was a  multi-million dollar program.   Possibly it  was                 
  the least  expensive way to  handle youth problems  but felt                 
  the department should be more realistic about the real cost.                 
  Mr. Hines said the department was  just beginning to develop                 
  the program, and had not decided what individuals  would fit                 
  into  it.   He  said  that  money is  being  spent  on these                 
  individuals  now  and  hopefully that  same  money  would be                 
  transferred to this program.                                                 
                                                                               
  Senator  Phillips  said  that  the   department  could  draw                 
  sufficient information from the work  camps in other states.                 
  He felt the intention was  to go slowly and do it right.  He                 
  pointed out Sec. 4 outlined who could run a work camp.                       
                                                                               
  Senator Kelly MOVED for passage of SB 51 from committee with                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  individual recommendations.  No  objections being heard,  SB
  was   REPORTED   OUT  of   committee   with   individual                 
  recommendations and with a fiscal note for the Department of                 
  Health  &  Social  Services  for  $9.3.    Co-chair  Pearce,                 
  Senators  Kelly  and  Sharp  signed  "do  pass."    Senators                 
  Kerttula  and  Jacko signed  "no  recommendation."   Senator                 
  Frank had left the meeting and did not sign.