SB 457 Summary

• Creates a new crime of "assault of an employee of the Department of Correction in the first degree" as a Class B felony, covering assault in the first degree or throwing offensive/noxious liquids or bodily fluids at DOC employees; sentences run consecutively to the inmate's existing sentence.

• Establishes possession of electronic wireless communication devices by inmates as a Class D felony offense.

• Expands public records exemptions for correctional institutions and facilities to include records related to physical plant, infrastructure, site conditions, drawings, specifications, plans and aerial depictions.

• Reforms inmate compensation and accounts by requiring the Commissioner of Correction to establish discharge savings accounts, with up to 10% of inmate deposits automatically transferred until the account reaches $1,000, and clarifying that inmates may participate in private industry work programs consistent with federal guidelines.

• Adds Department of Correction facilities to the list of institutions from which a student may return to school without additional expulsion time for an expellable offense; allows youth in DOC custody to have information disclosed to their parents or guardians.