H-1465.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1844

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Representatives Schindler, O'Brien, Cairnes, Gombosky, Crouse, Wood, B. Chandler, Cox, Benson, Sump, Hurst, McMorris, Lovick and D. Sommers

Read first time 02/08/1999.  Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections.

Studying effects of released prisoners on the counties.

    AN ACT Relating to a study of released prisoners; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that released prisoners frequently remain in the county containing the correctional facility from which they are released, resulting in counties that contain correctional facilities having a disproportionate share of released prisoners.  The legislature intends to discover what impact this disproportionate share of released prisoners has on the counties in which they reside.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The Washington state institute for public policy shall conduct a special study to determine:

    (1) Which counties retain a disproportionate share of released prisoners;

    (2) What the recidivism rate is in these counties compared to other counties; and

    (3) What is the cost impact of criminal justice and treatment services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  The Washington state institute for public policy shall report its findings to the legislature no later than January 1, 2000.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  The sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the Washington state institute for public policy for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, to carry out the purposes of this act.

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