HOUSE BILL ANALYSIS

HB 2797

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to financial responsibility for confinement of offenders.

Sponsors:  Representatives Alexander and Ballasiotes.

Hearing:  February 2, 2000

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONS

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Corrections (the department) is responsible for supervising offenders who are serving terms of community custody or community placement.  An offender who violates a condition of community custody or community placement can be arrested and placed in jail pending disposition of the violation.  The department must compensate local jurisdictions at the Office of Financial Management's adjudicated rates.  These rates are reestablished each even-numbered year.

Under existing law, some offenders who have been sanctioned for community custody violations remain in the local correctional facility for the complete term of the confinement sanction.  The department is financially responsible for some of these offenders, and the local jurisdiction is responsible for others.  Under the Offender Accountability Act enacted in 1999, the department is responsible for compensating local jurisdictions for any increase (over 1998 numbers) in the number of offenders serving violation sanctions in that jurisdiction at the per diem rate equal to the lowest rate charged by the county under its contract with a municipal government.

SUMMARY OF BILL: 

All felons sentenced to more than one year of total confinement who are confined in a local  correctional facility for a violation of community custody or community placement are the financial responsibility of the Department of Corrections.  Beginning July 1, 2002, the rate at which the department compensates local correctional facilities is standardized as the per diem rate equal to the lowest rate charged to a municipal government by the county.

FISCAL NOTE:  None requested.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Ninety days after adjournment of a session in which bill is passed.