BILL REQ. #: H-3873.1
State of Washington | 63rd Legislature | 2014 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/04/14.
AN ACT Relating to inmate postsecondary education degree programs to reduce recidivism; and amending RCW 72.09.460 and 72.09.465.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 72.09.460 and 2013 c 39 s 24 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The legislature intends that all inmates be required to
participate in department-approved education programs, work programs,
or both, unless exempted as specifically provided in this section.
Eligible inmates who refuse to participate in available education or
work programs available at no charge to the inmates shall lose
privileges according to the system established under RCW 72.09.130.
Eligible inmates who are required to contribute financially to an
education or work program and refuse to contribute shall be placed in
another work program. Refusal to contribute shall not result in a loss
of privileges.
(2) The legislature recognizes more inmates may agree to
participate in education and work programs than are available. The
department must make every effort to achieve maximum public benefit by
placing inmates in available and appropriate education and work
programs.
(3) Recognizing that there is a positive correlation between
education opportunities and reduced recidivism, it is the intent of the
legislature to offer appropriate postsecondary opportunities to
inmates.
(4)(a) The department shall, to the extent possible and considering
all available funds, prioritize its resources to meet the following
goals for inmates in the order listed:
(i) Achievement of basic academic skills through obtaining a high
school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate as provided in
RCW 28B.50.536;
(ii) Achievement of vocational skills necessary for purposes of
work programs and for an inmate to qualify for work upon release;
(iii) Additional work and education programs necessary for
compliance with an offender's individual reentry plan under RCW
72.09.270 ((with the exception of postsecondary education degree
programs as provided in RCW 72.09.465)); and
(iv) Other appropriate vocational, work, or education programs that
are not necessary for compliance with an offender's individual reentry
plan under RCW 72.09.270 ((with the exception of)) including
postsecondary education degree programs ((as provided in RCW
72.09.465)).
(b) If programming is provided pursuant to (a)(i) through (iii) of
this subsection, the department shall pay the cost of such programming,
including but not limited to books, materials, supplies, and postage
costs related to correspondence courses.
(c) If programming is provided pursuant to (a)(iv) of this
subsection, inmates shall be required to pay all or a portion of the
costs, including books, fees, and tuition, for participation in any
vocational, work, or education program as provided in department
policies. Department policies shall include a formula for determining
how much an offender shall be required to pay. The formula shall
include steps which correlate to an offender average monthly income or
average available balance in a personal inmate savings account and
which are correlated to a prorated portion or percent of the per credit
fee for tuition, books, or other ancillary costs. The formula shall be
reviewed every two years. A third party may pay directly to the
department all or a portion of costs and tuition for any programming
provided pursuant to (a)(iv) of this subsection on behalf of an inmate.
Such payments shall not be subject to any of the deductions as provided
in this chapter.
(d) The department may accept any and all donations and grants of
money, equipment, supplies, materials, and services from any third
party, including but not limited to nonprofit entities, and may
receive, utilize, and dispose of same to complete the purposes of this
section.
(e) Any funds collected by the department under (c) and (d) of this
subsection and subsections (((8) and)) (9) and (10) of this section
shall be used solely for the creation, maintenance, or expansion of
inmate educational and vocational programs.
(((4))) (5) The department shall provide access to a program of
education to all offenders who are under the age of eighteen and who
have not met high school graduation requirements or requirements to
earn a high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW
28B.50.536 in accordance with chapter 28A.193 RCW. The program of
education established by the department and education provider under
RCW 28A.193.020 for offenders under the age of eighteen must provide
each offender a choice of curriculum that will assist the inmate in
achieving a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate.
The program of education may include but not be limited to basic
education, prevocational training, work ethic skills, conflict
resolution counseling, substance abuse intervention, and anger
management counseling. The curriculum may balance these and other
rehabilitation, work, and training components.
(((5))) (6)(a) In addition to the policies set forth in this
section, the department shall consider the following factors in
establishing criteria for assessing the inclusion of education and work
programs in an inmate's individual reentry plan and in placing inmates
in education and work programs:
(i) An inmate's release date and custody level. An inmate shall
not be precluded from participating in an education or work program
solely on the basis of his or her release date, except that inmates
with a release date of more than one hundred twenty months in the
future shall not comprise more than ten percent of inmates
participating in a new class I correctional industry not in existence
on June 10, 2004;
(ii) An inmate's education history and basic academic skills;
(iii) An inmate's work history and vocational or work skills;
(iv) An inmate's economic circumstances, including but not limited
to an inmate's family support obligations; and
(v) Where applicable, an inmate's prior performance in department-approved education or work programs;
(b) The department shall establish, and periodically review, inmate
behavior standards and program goals for all education and work
programs. Inmates shall be notified of applicable behavior standards
and program goals prior to placement in an education or work program
and shall be removed from the education or work program if they
consistently fail to meet the standards or goals.
(((6))) (7) Eligible inmates who refuse to participate in available
education or work programs available at no charge to the inmates shall
lose privileges according to the system established under RCW
72.09.130. Eligible inmates who are required to contribute financially
to an education or work program and refuse to contribute shall be
placed in another work program. Refusal to contribute shall not result
in a loss of privileges.
(((7))) (8) The department shall establish, by rule, objective
medical standards to determine when an inmate is physically or mentally
unable to participate in available education or work programs. When
the department determines an inmate is permanently unable to
participate in any available education or work program due to a health
condition, the inmate is exempt from the requirement under subsection
(1) of this section. When the department determines an inmate is
temporarily unable to participate in an education or work program due
to a medical condition, the inmate is exempt from the requirement of
subsection (1) of this section for the period of time he or she is
temporarily disabled. The department shall periodically review the
medical condition of all inmates with temporary disabilities to ensure
the earliest possible entry or reentry by inmates into available
programming.
(((8))) (9) The department shall establish policies requiring an
offender to pay all or a portion of the costs and tuition for any
vocational training or postsecondary education program if the offender
previously abandoned coursework related to education or vocational
training without excuse as defined in rule by the department.
Department policies shall include a formula for determining how much an
offender shall be required to pay. The formula shall include steps
which correlate to an offender average monthly income or average
available balance in a personal inmate savings account and which are
correlated to a prorated portion or percent of the per credit fee for
tuition, books, or other ancillary costs. The formula shall be
reviewed every two years. A third party may pay directly to the
department all or a portion of costs and tuition for any program on
behalf of an inmate under this subsection. Such payments shall not be
subject to any of the deductions as provided in this chapter.
(((9))) (10) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section,
an inmate sentenced to life without the possibility of release,
sentenced to death under chapter 10.95 RCW, or subject to the
provisions of 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1227:
(a) Shall not be required to participate in education programming
except as may be necessary for the maintenance of discipline and
security;
(b) May receive not more than one postsecondary academic degree in
a program offered by the department or its contracted providers;
(c) May participate in prevocational or vocational training that
may be necessary to participate in a work program;
(d) Shall be subject to the applicable provisions of this chapter
relating to inmate financial responsibility for programming.
Sec. 2 RCW 72.09.465 and 2007 c 483 s 403 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The department shall, if funds are appropriated for the
specific purpose, implement postsecondary education degree programs
((within)) at state correctional institutions((, including the state
correctional institution with the largest population of female
inmates)). The department shall consider for inclusion in any
postsecondary education degree program, any postsecondary education
degree program from an accredited community college, college, or
university that is part of an associate of arts, baccalaureate, masters
of arts, or other graduate degree program.
(2) ((Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section,))
Inmates ((shall)) not meeting the department's priority criteria for
the postsecondary education degree program shall be required to pay the
costs for participation in ((any)) a postsecondary education degree
program((s established under this subsection [section])) if he or she
elects to participate through self-pay, including costs of books, fees,
tuition, or any other appropriate ancillary costs, by one or more of
the following means:
(a) The inmate who is participating in the postsecondary education
degree program ((shall)) may, during confinement, provide the required
payment or payments to the department; or
(b) A third party ((shall)) may provide the required payment or
payments directly to the department on behalf of an inmate, and such
payments shall not be subject to any of the deductions as provided in
this chapter.
(3) The department may accept any and all donations and grants of
money, equipment, supplies, materials, and services from any third
party, including but not limited to nonprofit entities, and may
receive, utilize, and dispose of same to provide postsecondary
education to inmates. Additionally, the department may use a
competitive procurement to contract with a fund-raiser to actively
solicit grants and donations from private sources for the purposes of
this section. The fund-raiser shall be paid on a contingency fee basis
on a sliding scale but must not exceed fifteen percent of the total
amount raised each year. The fund-raiser shall not be a registered
state lobbyist. Within available resources, the department may use
state funds on a one-time basis, in order to start up the
administration for procuring a fund-raiser.
(4) An inmate may be selected to participate in a state-funded
postsecondary education degree program, based on priority determined by
the department.
(5) Any funds collected by the department under this section ((and
RCW 72.09.450(4))) shall be used solely for the creation, maintenance,
or expansion of inmate postsecondary education degree programs.