2024 -- S 2471

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT

     

     Introduced By: Senators Mack, Bissaillon, Acosta, Zurier, Gu, Kallman, Murray,
McKenney, Bell, and Valverde

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 42-56-22 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-56 entitled "Corrections

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Department" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-56-22. Labor by persons committed on mesne process or to answer criminal

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charge.

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     (a) Every person who shall be committed to the adult correctional institutions to answer for

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any criminal offense, whether convicted or awaiting trial, or on mesne process in any qui tam or

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penal action, or on mesne process or execution in any civil action, may be permitted to labor in the

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discretion of the director, or the director’s designee, for the state, and in that case may be paid not

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more than three dollars ($3.00) five dollars ($5.00) a day for every day the person shall labor with

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the express consent of the director, or the director’s designee, of the department, to be credited to

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the prisoner’s account by the assistant director of administration, or the assistant director’s

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designee, and to be disbursed to the prisoner in accordance with the rules and regulations of the

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institutions; provided, further, however, there shall be maintained on account at all times at least

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twenty-five percent (25%) of the earnings of each prisoner up to a maximum of one hundred dollars

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($100) for those persons serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole under §§ 11-23-2,

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12-19.2-1 et seq., and up to a maximum of two thousand dollars ($2,000) for all other prisoners;

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those funds to be turned over to the prisoner at the time of the prisoner’s release from the institution,

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the funds being the prisoner’s property; the moneys to be paid to the prisoner by order of the

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assistant director of management services upon the general treasurer.

 

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     (b) Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the use of the funds in the account for

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the payment of any court fees and court costs required to be paid for the filing, prosecution, and

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defense of any action.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT

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     This act would increase the minimum wage amount for any person committed to the adult

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correctional institution from three dollars to five dollars a day for every day the person shall labor.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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