SF 1024

as introduced - 80th Legislature (1997 - 1998) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to corrections; creating a task force to 
  1.3             study the feasibility of establishing a new 
  1.4             correctional facility for recidivists in which inmates 
  1.5             would work in prison industry programs and their 
  1.6             earnings would be used to pay victim restitution and 
  1.7             the cost of their confinement; requiring a report; 
  1.8             appropriating money. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [TASK FORCE ON CORRECTIONAL FACILITY FOR 
  1.11  RECIDIVISTS.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSE.] The goal of the task force 
  1.13  created in this section is to develop a state correctional 
  1.14  facility that is designed to enable the enforcement of mandatory 
  1.15  restitution sentences imposed on chronic, repeat offenders at no 
  1.16  operating cost to the state, and to ensure that the offender is 
  1.17  not released until this is accomplished. 
  1.18     Subd. 2.  [CREATION.] A task force is created to study the 
  1.19  feasibility of developing and operating a state correctional 
  1.20  facility for recidivists that is designed to: 
  1.21     (1) confine offenders who have been convicted three or more 
  1.22  times of violating section 169.121 or 169.129 (driving while 
  1.23  intoxicated); 609.375 (nonpayment of child support); 609.52 
  1.24  (theft); or 609.582 (burglary); 
  1.25     (2) require these inmates to work at a fair market wage in 
  1.26  one or more correctional industries operated within the 
  1.27  correctional facility; and 
  2.1      (3) use the inmates' earnings to first pay restitution to 
  2.2   their victims and secondly, to pay the operating costs of their 
  2.3   confinement, including the costs of any privileges, treatment, 
  2.4   or services received by the inmates in the facility. 
  2.5      Subd. 3.  [MEMBERSHIP.] The task force shall consist of the 
  2.6   following 15 members: 
  2.7      (1) the commissioner of corrections or the commissioner's 
  2.8   designee; 
  2.9      (2) two district court judges appointed by the chief 
  2.10  justice; 
  2.11     (3) the ombudsman for crime victims; 
  2.12     (4) the ombudsman for corrections; 
  2.13     (5) three members of the house of representatives appointed 
  2.14  by the speaker; 
  2.15     (6) three members of the senate appointed by the majority 
  2.16  leader of the senate; 
  2.17     (7) two representatives of the business community appointed 
  2.18  by the commissioner of corrections after consulting with the 
  2.19  Minnesota business partnership and the Minnesota chamber of 
  2.20  commerce; and 
  2.21     (8) two representatives of labor unions appointed by the 
  2.22  commissioner of corrections after consulting with public and 
  2.23  private labor organizations from the affiliated membership of 
  2.24  the Minnesota AFL-CIO. 
  2.25     The commissioner of corrections or the commissioner's 
  2.26  designee shall chair and provide necessary staff support to the 
  2.27  task force. 
  2.28     Subd. 4.  [DUTIES.] (a) The task force shall investigate 
  2.29  whether it would be feasible for the state to enter into a 
  2.30  long-term contract with one or more business entities under 
  2.31  which the business entity would employ, at a fair market wage, 
  2.32  inmates of the proposed correctional facility described in 
  2.33  subdivision 1 and the commissioner of corrections would use the 
  2.34  wages earned by the inmates to pay restitution to the inmates' 
  2.35  victims and to pay the costs of their confinement.  Based on 
  2.36  this investigation, the task force shall make recommendations to 
  3.1   the legislature by January 1, 1998, concerning the following 
  3.2   issues: 
  3.3      (1) the business entity or entities with which the state 
  3.4   should contract to operate the industries program in the new 
  3.5   correctional facility; 
  3.6      (2) the terms of the proposed contract; 
  3.7      (3) whether the state should construct a new facility or 
  3.8   modify an existing facility in which to operate the new 
  3.9   correctional facility; 
  3.10     (4) the proposed size of the facility and its security 
  3.11  level; and 
  3.12     (5) any other issues the task force finds relevant to the 
  3.13  feasibility of the new correctional facility. 
  3.14     (b) If the task force members agree that a particular 
  3.15  business entity is the best one to provide employment to the 
  3.16  inmates of a proposed correctional facility, the task force is 
  3.17  authorized to enter into a preliminary contract with the entity 
  3.18  to do so.  This preliminary contract is not binding on the state 
  3.19  unless the legislature and the governor approve funding for the 
  3.20  construction and operation of the new facility and mandatory 
  3.21  restitution sentences for chronic, repeat offenders within the 
  3.22  time period set forth in the contract. 
  3.23     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.24     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.25  commissioner of corrections for the fiscal year ending June 30, 
  3.26  1998, to be used to perform the task force duties described in 
  3.27  section 1.