HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2383
BYRepresentatives Morris, Schoon, Locke, Prentice, P. King, Rector, O'Brien, Rasmussen and Brekke; by request of Governor Gardner
Creating a jail standards incentive board.
House Committe on Health Care
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (10)
Signed by Representatives Braddock, Chair; Day, Vice Chair; Brooks, Ranking Republican Member; Chandler, Morris, Prentice, D. Sommers, Sprenkle, Vekich and Wolfe.
House Staff:Antonio Sanchez (786-7383)
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE FEBRUARY 1, 1990
BACKGROUND:
Each city and county that operates a jail in Washington state is required to independently develop operation standards. Within the last three years, some jails have witnessed severe overcrowding. The reasons for the jail overcrowding and the standards for measuring overcrowding varies for each county. As a result of these conditions, some local jails have been unable to comply with their own occupancy standards and no uniform system exists for developing a comprehensive solution. A variety of different approaches have been implemented by the local jails in an attempt to meet compliance standards for occupancy. However, despite these independent efforts, only three counties can meet the occupancy jail standards set. The highest level of overcrowding is in Pierce County, which is at 149 percent of capacity and the lowest level is in Clark County with 122 percent.
The Department of Corrections is able to provide some technical assistance to the local jails; however, there is no statutory mandate for developing and instituting uniform jail standards statewide.
SUMMARY:
SUBSTITUTE BILL: A Jail Standards Incentive Board is created. The board consists of nine members. The board is required to advise and provide technical assistance to local jails, determine the boundaries of criminal justice regions, classify regional jail facilities, establish advisory uniform statewide jail standards, develop and implement an inspection system to monitor for compliance, and suggest rules and plans for population management. The board is given the authority to set a rated and a maximum operational capacity for each jail.
The Department of Corrections is authorized to define the boundaries of the first regional criminal justice regions and construct and operate regional jail facilities within each region. The Jail Incentives Board controls access to the regional jail for local government inmates and is required to adopt rules for the allocation and use of beds within each regional jail. The use of the facilities by state inmates is controlled by the secretary of the Department of Corrections.
An array of conditional incentives are established for participation in the regional jail program. The incentives include jail population management and other grants, lower-cost access to housing inmates in the regional jail and allowing county inmates to participate in correctional work programs. Full participation in the incentives program is based on the jail's ability to meet and maintain the established standards. A variety of different approaches have been implemented by the local jails in an attempt to meet compliance standards for occupancy. However, despite these independent efforts, only three counties can meet the occupancy jail standards set. The highest level of overcrowding is in Pierce County, which is at 149 percent of capacity and the lowest level is in Clark County with 122 percent.
The Department of Corrections is able to provide some technical assistance to the local jails, however, there is no statutory mandate for developing and instituting uniform jail standards statewide.
SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL: All language was deleted and only the title and enacting clause remain. The bill in this state would provide an opportunity to introduce language containing compromise language agreed upon by the different vested groups.
Fiscal Note: Requested January 12, 1990.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: Dave Savage, Department of Corrections; Kurt Sharar, Washington Association of Counties; and Charles Robbind, Pierce County Sheriff.
House Committee - Testified Against: Mike Redman, Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.
House Committee - Testimony For: A co-located jail facility would help alleviate the current inmate overcrowding problem for local jails and the state corrections systems. The establishment of uniform jail standards throughout the state is a step in the right direction towards monitoring and evaluating the inmate population in local jails.
House Committee - Testimony Against: The local jurisdictions need to have greater control in the siting, development, and administration of the regional facilities.