HOUSE BILL ANALYSIS

HB 2512

Brief Description:  Creating a criminal investigations unit within the department of corrections.

Sponsors:  Representatives Ballasiotes and Lovick.

Hearing:  January 28, 2000

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONS

STAFF:  Mark Friendshuh (786-7291).

BACKGROUND:

Department of Corrections (DOC) employees have the authority of peace officers to detect or apprehend violators of the laws only while acting in the supervision and transportation of prisoners or in the apprehension of escaped prisoners.  They have no statutory authority to perform an arrest or detain a non-prisoner suspected of committing a crime.

Statutory restrictions also prevent some police intelligence units from sharing information with the DOC. 

SUMMARY OF BILL:

A criminal investigations unit is created in the DOC.  The DOC secretary must grant to investigators the authority to act as peace officers, giving them the power to arrest and detain persons in state correctional institutions.  

The criminal investigations unit is authorized to receive and share information with other criminal justice agencies, and is specifically authorized to receive information from the state organized crime intelligence unit.  The investigations unit also has the mandate to cooperate with other agencies in investigations and in enforcement of criminal laws.

FISCAL NOTE:  Received on January 21, 2000.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.