House Bill No. [insert number] proposes the establishment of a mental health transition pilot program by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) aimed at providing eligible inmates with community transition services. The bill stipulates that inmates participating in the program cannot be released before their earliest release date and allows the department to contract with private or nonprofit entities to deliver these mental health transition services. The program is designed to accommodate up to 500 eligible inmates each fiscal year, with specific eligibility criteria including a diagnosis of serious mental illness and the requirement for inmates to agree to provide information for reporting purposes.

Additionally, the bill mandates the DPS&C to conduct annual studies on recidivism rates among inmates who receive these services, comparing them to those who do not. The department is also required to submit an annual report detailing various metrics related to the program's effectiveness, including participation rates and successful connections to healthcare benefits. The bill defines "recidivism" as any reincarceration within the department, thereby establishing a framework for monitoring the impact of mental health services on inmate outcomes.