HF 754

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 05/13/2019 02:36pm

A bill for an act
relating to corrections; establishing the Mama's Bus pilot project to provide parent
and child bonding and literacy for incarcerated women and their children;
appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin MAMA'S BUS PILOT PROJECT.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Grant. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of corrections shall award a grant to the
unPrison Project to develop and implement the Mama's Bus pilot project to decrease the
risk of recidivism of women incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Shakopee
and to provide a stable nurturing relationship for the women's children by providing
transportation for mother and child visits organized around reading activities to improve
inmate and child literacy and parent and child bonding. The pilot project is from July 1,
2019, through June 30, 2022.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Goals. new text end

new text begin The goals of the pilot project are to:
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new text begin (1) decrease the number of children requiring community, county, and state services;
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new text begin (2) help close the achievement gap of children in schools;
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new text begin (3) promote positive behavioral changes of children in the classroom, community, and
home;
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new text begin (4) decrease recidivism of incarcerated women;
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new text begin (5) increase the number of women contributing to the community; and
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new text begin (6) break the generational cycle of incarceration in families.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Evaluation; report. new text end

new text begin By September 1 of each year of the pilot project, the
unPrison Project must report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of
representatives and senate committees with jurisdiction over corrections on the progress of
the pilot project and by September 1, 2022, on the development, implementation, impact,
and outcomes of the pilot project.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $316,309 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of corrections for a grant to the unPrison Project for the Mama's Bus pilot project under
section 1. This appropriation is available until expended.
new text end