Correctional officers and forensic employees serve an essential purpose in the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services. When correctional officers and forensic employees are under investigation, it is necessary to provide fair and equitable guidelines to govern investigation and interrogation procedures.

For this reason, I will be introducing legislation that would provide guidelines and procedures for investigating correctional officers and forensic employees to include the opportunity to make an appeal in a disciplinary proceeding and other additional rights during investigative proceedings.

Correctional officers and forensic employees who are guilty of a crime should be held accountable, but this legislation will ensure their rights during the process of the investigation. This legislation serves as a companion bill to Senator Argall’s SB 113 which passed last session in the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 36 to 14. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to safeguard the constitutional rights of correctional officers and forensic employees.