HF 4834

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 04/26/2022 09:51am

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; establishing a grant program for case management services
to individuals released from incarceration; requiring reports; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin REENTRY PROGRAMS; APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin (a) $125,000 in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of public safety for grants administered by the Office of Justice Programs that support case
management services for men reentering the community after release from commitment to
the commissioner of corrections. Grants must be made to one or more organizations that
provide programs and supportive services that prevent recidivism, intervene in negative
behaviors, assist in the transition from incarceration to the community, and establish
connections to integrate released individuals into the community. Priority must be given to
applicants whose leadership and staff reflect the demographics of the state's incarcerated
population and whose programs provide services to a population at least half of whom are
Black, Indigenous, or other persons of color.
new text end

new text begin (b) Recipients may use grant funds to provide case management services that support
community reentry, assist with job and housing searches, establish prosocial connections
and support groups, identify and facilitate mental and chemical health interventions, and
promote prerelease college attendance. Services must include policies, procedures, and
specific programs that are culturally appropriate for the population being served.
new text end

new text begin (c) Recipients must collect data on the programs delivered and the impact of those
programs. Data collection must track recidivism rates and other outcomes in order to test
specific approaches including anger management interventions and programs that build
family support systems. Data must be desegregated by race in order to identify racial
disparities. Data must specifically assess the number of program participants who commit
new offenses while participating in programs and the number returned to incarceration for
technical violations of supervision, and compare those rates to the population of other
individuals released from custody.
new text end

new text begin (d) By January 15 of each year, recipients must report to the commissioner of public
safety on the use of grant funds, the programs provided, the outcomes including rates of
recidivism, and any other data collected by the recipient. The commissioner of public safety
shall compile all reports and provide them to the chairs and ranking minority members of
the legislative committees and divisions with jurisdiction over public safety.
new text end