SB 1443 Summary

• Establishes the Office of the Independent Corrections Oversight Committee to conduct inspections, investigate complaints, and monitor conditions at state Department of Corrections facilities.

• Creates a nine-member Correctional Oversight Committee comprising legislative members, gubernatorial appointees (including formerly incarcerated individuals and medical professionals), and a non-voting staff representative, with powers to conduct biannual inspections and issue subpoenas.

• Authorizes the Office to receive complaints through secure forms, hotlines, and direct submissions from inmates, family members, and staff regarding covered issues including abuse, sanitation, medical care, programming access, and administrative remedies availability.

• Requires the Office to conduct facility inspections on staggered schedules based on safety classification, prepare public reports with recommendations, and publish an annual report with findings and systemic improvement recommendations.

• Appropriates $2,000,000 annually from the general fund for fiscal years 2024-2025 through 2033-2034, with the Office and Committee set to terminate July 1, 2034.