HB 14-1355 Summary

• Department of Corrections shall develop and implement initiatives effective July 1, 2014, to decrease recidivism, enhance public safety, and increase offender success upon release to the community.

• Institutional reentry initiatives include enhanced case management, pre-release specialists, assignment of community parole officers to facilities, and transportation assistance for high-risk and high-needs offenders.

• Community reentry initiatives include evidence-based cognitive behavioral programs, mental health consultants, employment assistance in collaboration with the State Department of Labor and Employment, reentry specialists, emergency assistance funding, and medication-assisted therapies.

• Department shall make operational enhancements including comprehensive staff training programs, equipment acquisition for electronic monitoring, equipment replacement plans, and technology system improvements for parole supervision.

• Grant program established January 1, 2015, to fund eligible community-based organizations providing reentry services; program terminates September 1, 2018; appropriation of $7,953,877 and 71.9 FTE allocated for fiscal year 2014-2015.