BILL REQ. #:  S-1309.1 

Read first time 02/01/2007.   Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

     AN ACT Relating to institutional chaplains; amending RCW 72.01.210; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that prison chaplains in Washington state are asked to meet the diverse, growing spiritual and physical needs of inmates from a variety of faith backgrounds with limited resources. Chaplaincy programs in Washington state positively impact inmate behavior, encouraging prison order and reducing prison violence. Chaplaincy programs in Washington state have a strong capacity for rehabilitation and reducing recidivism, thereby contributing to the well-being of Washington state and all Washingtonians.

Sec. 2   RCW 72.01.210 and 1993 c 281 s 62 are each amended to read as follows:
     The secretary of corrections shall appoint chaplains for the state correctional institutions for convicted felons((; and)) under his or her control at the ratio of at least one chaplain for the first five hundred inmates and at least one chaplain for each additional five hundred inmates. These chaplains shall be so appointed as full-time employees of the department of corrections. The secretary of corrections shall further contract with part-time chaplains who will not function as state actors and are only to be employed as is necessary to meet the religious needs of those inmates whose religious denominations are not represented by staff chaplains. The secretary of corrections shall also ensure that any contracts with other publicly or privately operated institutions for the care and custody of inmates under his or her control meet the standards of this section and require consistency with religion-related policies of the department. The secretary of social and health services shall appoint and contract chaplains for the correctional institutions for juveniles found delinquent by the juvenile courts((; and the secretary of corrections and the secretary of social and health services shall appoint one or more chaplains for other custodial, correctional and)), mental institutions, and sex offender civil commitment institutions under ((their)) his or her control at the same ratio and standards. ((The)) Staff chaplains so appointed under this section shall have the qualifications necessary to function as religious program coordinators for all faith groups represented within the department. Every chaplain so appointed and contracted with under this section shall have qualifications consistent with community standards of the given faith group to which the chaplain belongs, shall only minister to those inmates and residents who are of their own faith group, and shall be compensated in an amount, as shall hereafter be recommended by the departments and approved by the Washington personnel resources board. The department of corrections and the department of social and health services shall require chaplains so appointed or contracted with under this section to participate in training to the extent the training is necessary and appropriate to enable the chaplain to fulfill his or her duties as a chaplain.