S-4547.2  _______________________________________________

 

                         SENATE BILL 6557

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

 

By Senator Hargrove

 

Read first time 01/27/94.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

 

Revising provisions relating to correctional industries work programs.



    AN ACT Relating to the deductions made to inmate wages and the responsibilities of the correctional industries board; amending RCW 72.09.111 and 72.09.070; and providing an effective date.

 

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

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 72.09.111 and 1993 sp.s. c 20 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The secretary shall deduct from the gross wages or gratuities of each inmate working in ((class I or class II)) correctional industries work programs, ((or of any inmate earning more than the state minimum wage, other than an inmate under the jurisdiction of the division of community corrections,)) taxes and legal financial obligations.  ((Following the deductions for legal financial obligations and taxes, deductions from the remaining wages or gratuities shall be))  If after taxes and legal financial obligations have been deducted, the amount of earnings or gratuities by the inmate are equal to or exceed the minimum wage, the inmate may keep the amount of earnings that exceed the minimum wage.  The following deductions shall be made from the remainder of the earnings of the inmate, even though the earnings may equal less than the minimum wage:

    (a) Ten percent to the public safety and education account for the purpose of crime victims' compensation;

    (b) Ten percent to a department personal inmate savings account until such account has a balance of at least nine hundred fifty dollars; and

    (c) Thirty percent for inmates in class I correctional industries, twenty percent for inmates in class II correctional industries, and fifteen percent for inmates in other correctional industries, to the department to contribute to the cost of incarceration.

    Any person sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of release or parole under chapter 10.95 RCW shall be exempt from the requirement under (b) of this subsection((, but shall have a forty percent deduction taken under (c) of this subsection)).

    The department personal inmate savings account, together with any accrued interest, shall only be available to an inmate at the time of his or her release from confinement, unless the secretary determines that an emergency exists for the inmate, at which time the funds can be made available to the inmate in an amount determined by the secretary.  Once the department personal inmate savings account for an inmate has a balance of at least nine hundred fifty dollars, the ten percent deduction shall continue to be taken and be used to contribute to the cost of incarceration.

    (2) The department shall explore other methods of recovering a portion of the cost of the inmate's incarceration and for encouraging participation in work programs, including development of incentive programs that offer inmates benefits and amenities paid for only from wages earned while working in a correctional industries work program.

    (3) The department shall develop the necessary administrative structure to recover inmates' wages and keep records of the amount inmates pay for the costs of incarceration and amenities.  All funds deducted from inmate wages under subsection (1) of this section for the purpose of contributions to the cost of incarceration under subsection (1)(c) of this section shall be deposited in a dedicated fund with the department and shall be used only for the purpose of enhancing and maintaining correctional industries work programs until December 31, 2000, and thereafter all such funds shall be deposited in the general fund.

    (4) The expansion of inmate employment in class I and class II correctional industries shall be implemented according to the following schedule:

    (a) Not later than June 30, 1995, the secretary shall achieve a net increase of at least two hundred in the number of inmates employed in class I or class II correctional industries work programs above the number so employed on June 30, 1994;

    (b) Not later than June 30, 1996, the secretary shall achieve a net increase of at least four hundred in the number of inmates employed in class I or class II correctional industries work programs above the number so employed on June 30, 1994;

    (c) Not later than June 30, 1997, the secretary shall achieve a net increase of at least six hundred in the number of inmates employed in class I or class II correctional industries work programs above the number so employed on June 30, 1994;

    (d) Not later than June 30, 1998, the secretary shall achieve a net increase of at least nine hundred in the number of inmates employed in class I or class II correctional industries work programs above the number so employed on June 30, 1994;

    (e) Not later than June 30, 1999, the secretary shall achieve a net increase of at least one thousand two hundred in the number of inmates employed in class I or class II correctional industries work programs above the number so employed on June 30, 1994;

    (f) Not later than June 30, 2000, the secretary shall achieve a net increase of at least one thousand five hundred in the number of inmates employed in class I or class II correctional industries work programs above the number so employed on June 30, 1994.

    (5) It shall be in the discretion of the secretary to apportion the inmates between class I and class II depending on available contracts and resources.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 72.09.070 and 1993 sp.s. c 20 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) There is created a correctional industries board of directors which shall have the composition provided in RCW 72.09.080.

    (2) Consistent with general department of corrections policies and procedures pertaining to the general administration of correctional facilities, the board shall establish and implement policy for correctional industries programs designed to:

    (a) Offer inmates meaningful employment, work experience, and training in vocations that are specifically designed to reduce recidivism and thereby enhance public safety by providing opportunities for legitimate means of livelihood upon their release from custody;

    (b) Provide industries which will reduce the tax burden of corrections and save taxpayers money through production of goods and services for sale and use;

    (c) Operate correctional work programs in an effective and efficient manner which are as similar as possible to those provided by the private sector;

    (d) Encourage the development of and provide for selection of, contracting for, and supervision of work programs with participating private enterprise firms;

    (e) Develop and design correctional industries work programs;

    (f) Invest available funds in correctional industries enterprises and meaningful work programs that minimize the impact on in-state jobs and businesses.

    (3) The board of directors shall at least annually review the work performance of the director of correctional industries division with the secretary.

    (4) The director of correctional industries division shall review and evaluate the productivity, funding, and appropriateness of all correctional work programs and report on their effectiveness to the board and to the secretary.

    (5) The board of directors shall have the authority to identify and establish trade advisory or apprenticeship committees to advise them on correctional industries work programs.  The secretary shall appoint the members of the committees.

    Where a labor management trade advisory and apprenticeship committee has already been established by the department pursuant to RCW 72.62.050 the existing committee shall also advise the board of directors.

    (6) The board shall develop a strategic yearly marketing plan that shall be consistent with and work towards achieving the goals established in the six-year phased expansion of class I and class II correctional industries established in RCW 72.09.111.  This marketing plan shall be presented to the appropriate committees of the legislature by January 17 of each calendar year until the goals set forth in RCW 72.09.111 are achieved.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  Section 1 of this act shall take effect June 30, 1994.

 


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