1st Engrossment - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/15/2023 10:40am
A bill for an act
relating to capital investment; requiring the commissioner of management and
budget to submit evaluations of capital improvement project requests relating to
jails to the legislature; requiring a study and report of county jails by the
commissioner of corrections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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The commissioner of corrections must study and make
recommendations on the consolidation or merger of county jails and alternatives to
incarceration for persons experiencing mental health disorders. The commissioner must
engage and solicit feedback from citizens who live in communities served by facilities that
may be impacted by the commissioner's recommendations for the consolidation or merger
of jails. The commissioner must consult with the following individuals on the study and
recommendations:
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(1) county sheriffs;
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(2) county and city attorneys that prosecute offenders;
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(3) chief law enforcement officers;
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(4) administrators of county jail facilities; and
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(5) district court administrators.
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Each party receiving a request for information from the commissioner under this section
shall provide the requested information in a timely manner.
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The commissioner of corrections must file a report with the chairs and
ranking minority members of the senate and house of representatives committees and
divisions with jurisdiction over public safety and capital investment on the study and
recommendations under subdivision 1 on or before December 1, 2024. The report must, at
a minimum, provide the following information:
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(1) the daily average number of offenders incarcerated in each county jail facility:
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(i) that are in pretrial detention;
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(ii) that cannot afford to pay bail;
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(iii) for failure to pay fines and fees;
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(iv) for offenses that stem from controlled substance addiction or mental health disorders;
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(v) for nonfelony offenses;
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(vi) that are detained pursuant to contracts with other authorities; and
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(vii) for supervised release and probation violations;
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(2) the actual cost of building a new jail facility, purchasing another facility, or repairing
a current facility;
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(3) the age of current jail facilities;
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(4) county population totals and trends;
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(5) county crime rates and trends;
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(6) the proximity of current jails to courthouses, probation services, social services,
treatment providers, and work-release employment opportunities;
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(7) specific recommendations for alternatives to incarceration for persons experiencing
mental health disorders; and
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(8) specific recommendations on the consolidation or merger of county jail facilities
and operations, including:
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(i) where consolidated facilities should be located;
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(ii) which counties are best suited for consolidation;
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(iii) the projected costs of construction, renovation, or purchase of the facility; and
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(iv) the projected cost of operating the facility.
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The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of
management and budget, must evaluate the need of any capital improvement project that
requests an appropriation of state capital budget money during an odd-numbered year to
construct a jail facility or for capital improvements to expand the number of incarcerated
offenders at an existing jail facility. The commissioner shall use the report under subdivision
2 to inform the evaluation. The commissioner must submit all evaluations under this
subdivision by January 15 of each even-numbered year to the chairs and ranking minority
members of the senate and house of representatives committees and divisions with jurisdiction
over public safety and capital investment on the study and recommendations under this
subdivision.
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This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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