Legislative Document No. 1210 H.P. 874 House of Representatives, March 12, 2019
Resolve, To Direct the Commissioner of Corrections To Study Changes in Corrections Practices and Reinvestment in Corrections Resources To Reduce Recidivism and Control Correctional Facility Costs
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT Clerk
Presented by Representative TALBOT ROSS of Portland. Cosponsored by Senator CARPENTER of Aroostook and Representatives: BAILEY of Saco, COOPER of Yarmouth, HICKMAN of Winthrop, MORALES of South Portland, RECKITT of South Portland, WARREN of Hallowell, Senators: MOORE of Washington, ROSEN of Hancock.
Printed on recycled paper 1 Sec. 1. Commissioner of Corrections to establish working group to study 2 changes in corrections practices. Resolved: That the Commissioner of 3 Corrections, referred to in this resolve as "the commissioner," shall establish a working 4 group to study and report on changes in corrections practices and reinvestment of 5 corrections resources and develop recommendations to reduce recidivism and control 6 correctional facility costs. The commissioner shall include in the working group 7 membership relevant personnel from the Department of Corrections and other members 8 who represent county corrections facilities, the court system, prosecutors, defense 9 attorneys and groups that advocate for prison reform and any other interested persons that 10 the commissioner determines appropriate.
11 Sec. 2. Working group responsibilities. Resolved: That, in furtherance of the 12 goals of the working group established in section 1, the working group shall consider 13 upstream interventions, diversion and alternative sentencing, prevention and harm 14 reduction and mental health and substance use disorder treatment, including:
15 1. Corrections placements by type of offender, including the number of offenses 16 committed by the offender and the number of times the offender was incarcerated;
17 2. The use of sentencing guidelines for certain low-level offenders;
18 3. The use of community-level supervision instead of incarceration for certain low- 19 level offenders;
20 4. The efficacy of a graduated sanction and incentive program to ensure that 21 disciplinary responses are swift, certain and proportional while allowing offenders to earn 22 time off their sentences for engaging in behavior that reduces their risk of committing 23 another crime;
24 5. The expansion statewide of mental health and substance use disorder treatment 25 services;
26 6. The increased use of planning for the transition from incarceration to release from 27 custody; and
28 7. The effectiveness of criminal justice decision makers trained in the use of 29 evidence-based practices and interpreting key performance measures.
30 Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: That, by January 15, 2020, the commissioner shall 31 submit the report and recommendations of the working group established in section 1, 32 including any recommended legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal 33 Justice and Public Safety. The committee may report out legislation based upon the report 34 to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature.
35 SUMMARY 36 This resolve directs the Commissioner of Corrections to establish a working group to 37 study changes in corrections practices and reinvestment of corrections resources in
Page 1 - 129LR0562(01)-1 1 various ways to reduce recidivism and control correctional facility costs, including 2 upstream interventions, diversion and alternative sentencing, prevention and harm 3 reduction and mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
Page 2 - 129LR0562(01)-1