H-0590

AN ACT Relating to local law and justice planning; amending RCW 72.09.300; and adding a new section to chapter 36.28A RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 72.09.300 and 1987 c 312 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A county legislative authority may by resolution or ordinance establish a ((~~community corrections board which shall consist of nine members~~)) local law and justice council. The county legislative authority shall ((appoint four members to the board, two of whom shall be from the private sector. The secretary shall appoint one member to the board. In addition, the county prosecutor and county sheriff, or their designees, a judge of the county superior court selected by the county superior court judges, and a county district court judge, selected by the county district court judges, shall be members of the board)) determine the size and composition of the council, which shall include the county sheriff and a representative of the municipal police departments within the county, the county prosecutor and a representative of the municipal prosecutors within the county, a representative of the city legislative authorities within the county, a representative of the county's superior, district, and municipal courts, the county jail administrator, the county clerk, the county risk manager, and the secretary of corrections. Officials designated may appoint representatives.

(2) ((If)) A combination of counties ((~~establishes~~)) may establish a ((~~community corrections board, an~~)) local law and justice council by intergovernmental agreement ((~~shall establish the composition and powers of the board, not to exceed the authority granted in this section~~)). The agreement shall comply with the requirements of this section.

(3) The ((~~community corrections board~~)) local law and justice council shall develop a ((~~community corrections~~)) local law and justice plan for the county. The council shall design the elements and scope of the plan, subject to final approval by the county legislative authority. The general intent of the plan shall include seeking means to maximize local resources, reduce duplication of services, and share resources between local and state government. The plan shall also include a section on jail management. This section may include the following elements:

(a) A description of current jail conditions, including whether the jail is overcrowded;

(b) A description of potential alternatives to incarceration;

(d) A description of the jail population as it presently exists and how it is projected to change in the future;

(e) A description of projected future resource requirements;

(f) A proposed action plan, which shall include recommendations to maximize resources, maximize the use of intermediate sanctions, minimize overcrowding, avoid duplication of services, and effectively manage the jail and the offender population;

(g) A list of proposed advisory jail standards and methods to effect periodic quality assurance inspections of the jail;

(h) A proposed plan to collect, synthesize, and disseminate technical information concerning local criminal justice activities, facilities, and procedures;

(i) A description of existing and potential services for offenders including employment services, substance abuse treatment, mental health services, and housing referral services.

(4) The council may propose other elements of the plan, which shall be subject to review and approval by the county legislative authority, prior to their inclusion into the plan.

(5) The county legislative authority may request technical assistance in developing or implementing the plan from other units or agencies of state or local government, which shall include the department, the office of financial management, and the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs.

(6) Upon receiving a request for assistance from a county, the department may provide ((~~technical~~)) the requested assistance ((in developing the plan. The plan shall describe the existing correctional resources, goals, objectives, needs, and problems for local and state correctional services in the county. The plan shall review ways to maximize resources and reduce duplication of services. Areas to be addressed in the plan include, but are not limited to: Voluntary services for offenders, which include employment, substance and alcohol abuse services, housing and mental health services; ways to share administrative costs between local and state government; and the development of alternatives to partial and total confinement)).

((~~(4)~~)) (7) The secretary ((~~shall~~)) may adopt rules for the submittal ((~~and~~)), review, and approval of all ((plans. Representatives from other state and local agencies and organizations shall participate in the review process. Initiatives that reduce the duplication of services or maximize the use of existing resources shall be given priority)) requests for assistance made to the department. The secretary may also appoint an advisory committee of local and state government officials to recommend policies and procedures relating to the state and local correctional systems and to assist the department in providing technical assistance to local governments. The committee shall include representatives of the county sheriffs, the police chiefs, the county prosecuting attorneys, the county and city legislative authorities, and the jail administrators. The secretary may contract with other state and local agencies and provide funding in order to provide the assistance requested by counties.

((~~(5)~~)) (8) The department shall establish a base level of state correctional services, which shall be determined and distributed in a consistent manner state-wide. The department's contributions to any ((~~partnerships~~)) local government, approved pursuant to this section, shall not operate to reduce this base level of services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 36.28A RCW to read as follows:

The Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs may, upon request of a county's legislative authority, assist the county in developing and implementing its local law and justice plan. In doing so, the association shall consult with the office of financial management and the department of corrections.