SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6142

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

        Human Services & Corrections, January 28, 2000

Title:  An act relating to financial responsibility for confinement of offenders.

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

Sponsors:  Senator Swecker.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Human Services & Corrections:  1/27/2000, 1/28/2000 [DPS-WM].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6142 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

  Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Costa, Vice Chair; Franklin, Kohl-Welles, Long, Patterson, Stevens and Zarelli.

Staff:  Fara Daun (786-7459)

Background:  The Department of Corrections (DOC) is responsible for the supervision of offenders on community custody and community corrections status.  When these offenders violate the terms of their supervision in the community, they may be detained in the county jail.  Under current law, DOC is financially responsible for some of these offenders and the county is financially responsible for others.  There is concern that counties are overburdened by these offenders.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The rate at which DOC pays local correctional facilities is standardized as the lowest municipal rate that the county charges.  This is the rate established in the Offender Accountability Act.  DOC must pay for all community custody and community placement violators confined in local jails if the offender was convicted of a felony and sentenced to over one year of confinement.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The original bill was not considered.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 10, 2000.

Effective Date:  July 1, 2002.

Testimony For:  Some counties spend 60 to 80 percent of their budgets in criminal justice costs.  In the wake of Initiative 695 this is one place that the state can help the counties.  Although the bill will not address the overall problem in the county jails, this bill is a step in the right direction.

Testimony Against:  Using the rate set out in the Offender Accountability Act, as structured, penalizes those counties that have cooperated with DOC by accepting community custody and community placement violators.

Testified:  Senator Dan Swecker, sponsor (pro); John McCroskey, Lewis County Sheriff (pro); Tom McBride, Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (pro).