| R 446 |
| 2023 -- H 6163 Enacted 06/26/2023 |
| J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N |
| CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE TO IMPROVE THE LONG-TERM OUTCOMES AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM OF FEMALES WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE POPULATION |
Introduced By: Representatives Solomon, Edwards, Kazarian, Casimiro, Spears, Casey, Potter, Cruz, Felix, and Kislak |
| Date Introduced: March 17, 2023 |
| WHEREAS, Incarcerated women are often young, single mothers from ethnic minority |
| backgrounds who have little education, poor work histories, and are disproportionately low- |
| income. Mental illness, and high rates of PTSD and substance-use disorders, are common |
| problems among female detainees who have often also been victims of abuse themselves; and |
| WHEREAS, The most difficult part of an incarcerated female's experience is often re- |
| entry, when women must comply with conditions of probation or parole, achieve financial |
| stability, access health care, locate housing, and attempt to reunite with their families; and |
| WHEREAS, Employment is only one of several major factors that plays a key role in the |
| successful re-entry and rehabilitation of justice-involved individuals. Statistically, 60 percent of |
| incarcerated women "met the cutoff for PTSD," while 80 percent met the criteria for having a |
| substance-use disorder, and 60 percent had children; and |
| WHEREAS, Problems surrounding separation from children and family, lack of housing, |
| inadequate mental health care, and insufficient substance abuse treatment during and after their |
| imprisonment often contribute to increased recidivism; and |
| WHEREAS, Currently, existing services and supports are not fully leveraged to wholly |
| assist individuals as they transition from a correctional institution back to the community. This |
| creates significant gaps in care for Rhode Islanders who are exiting prison or jail and returning |
| home to families and communities; and |
| WHEREAS, By investing in support for mental health and abuse, and by expanding |
| diversion, parole and re-entry programming and housing, government can better support our |
| communities and families as a whole by greatly increasing positive outcomes; now, therefore be |
| it |
| RESOLVED, That a special legislative task force be and the same is hereby created |
| consisting of nineteen (19) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island |
| Senate, with not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the President |
| of the Senate; three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, |
| with not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the Speaker of the |
| House; one of whom shall be a representative of the Judicial Branch, to be appointed by the Chief |
| Justice of the Supreme Court; one of whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Department |
| of Corrections (DOC), or designee; one of whom shall be the Director of the Department of |
| Behavioral Healthcare Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH), or designee; one of |
| whom shall be the Rhode Island Public Defender, or designee; one of whom shall be the Rhode |
| Island Attorney General, or designee; one of whom shall be the Chair of the Rhode Island Parole |
| Board, or designee; one of whom shall be a former warden of the Rhode Island women’s prison, |
| to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be a representative from |
| OpenDoors, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a representative |
| from the Formerly Incarcerated Union of Rhode Island, to be appointed by the President of the |
| Senate; one of whom shall be a representative from the Center for Health and Justice |
| Transformation, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a municipal |
| police chief, or designee, appointed by the President of the Senate; and one of whom shall be a |
| representative from the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers, to be appointed by |
| Speaker of the House; and one of whom shall be the Director of the RI Department of Children, |
| Youth & Families, or designee. |
| In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study |
| commission or task force, created by a General Assembly resolution, the appointing authority |
| may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator, provided that the |
| majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to the appointment |
| consents to the member of the general public. |
| The purpose of said task force shall be to acquire the data and methodology to formulate |
| a detailed blueprint for a Request for Proposal (RFP), utilizing information from state |
| departments and agencies to implement pre-sentencing and post-sentencing strategies for women |
| transitioning in or out of the criminal justice system including, but not limited to: |
| Examine best practices to improving the long-term outcomes and reduce recidivism of |
| individuals awaiting sentencing; |
| Ascertain intervention and supportive pathways and services; |
| Calculate estimated costs for implementation of all programs; |
| Provide costs and local participation policies and requirements for potential housing |
| sources; |
| Ascertain sustainable funding avenues and legal pathways to implementing policies and |
| programs on the State and local level; and |
| Differentiate the needs of those entering the criminal justice system and those |
| transitioning back to the community following a period of incarceration. |
| Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the task force shall meet at the |
| call of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House and organize, and shall select co- |
| Chairpersons from among the legislative members. |
| Vacancies in said task force shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. |
| The membership of said task force shall receive no compensation for their services. |
| All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, |
| documentary and otherwise, to said task force and its agents as is deemed necessary or desirable |
| by the task force to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. |
| The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide |
| suitable quarters for said task force; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the task force shall report its findings to the General Assembly no |
| later than February 5, 2024, and said task force shall expire on April 5, 2024. |
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| LC002602 |
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