Florida Senate - 2018                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 226
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì654530{Î654530                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                   Comm: RS            .                                
                  10/09/2017           .                                
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       The Committee on Criminal Justice (Bracy) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Subsections (1), (2), and (4) of section
    6  944.705, Florida Statutes, are amended and a new subsection (7)
    7  is added to that section to read:
    8         944.705 Release orientation program.—
    9         (1) The department shall provide participation in a
   10  standardized release orientation program to every eligible
   11  inmate. The program must consist of at least 200 hours of
   12  instruction time and begin 360 days prior to the inmate's
   13  release.
   14         (2) The release orientation program instruction must
   15  include, but is not limited to:
   16         (a) Employment skills.
   17         (b) Money management skills.
   18         (c) Personal development and planning.
   19         (d) Special needs.
   20         (e) Community reentry concerns.
   21         (f) Community reentry support.
   22         (g) Housing placement information.
   23         (h) Job search assistance.
   24         (i)(g) Any other appropriate instruction to ensure the
   25  inmate’s successful reentry into the community.
   26         (4) The department shall conduct a needs assessment of
   27  every inmate to determine which, if any, basic support services
   28  the inmate needs after release. The department shall assist the
   29  inmate in securing the identified basic support services.
   30         (7) The department shall notify every inmate of
   31  opportunities for industry certifications and job placement in
   32  the community in which the inmate will be released.
   33         Section 2. Effective upon becoming law, the Legislature
   34  finds that an essential element of inmate reentry services and
   35  reducing recidivism is providing all inmates with the
   36  opportunity to obtain industry certifications and vocational
   37  training. The Department of Corrections shall report to the
   38  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
   39  House of Representatives on the opportunities currently
   40  available for all inmates to receive industry certifications and
   41  vocational training. The report shall include recommendations on
   42  improving and enhancing the availability of industry
   43  certifications and vocational training for inmates. The
   44  department must provide a written report to the Governor, the
   45  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
   46  Representatives by October 1, 2018.
   47         Section 3. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
   48  act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
   49  this act being a law, this act shall take effect October 1,
   50  2018.
   51  
   52  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   53  And the title is amended as follows:
   54         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   55  and insert:
   56                        A bill to be entitled                      
   57         An act relating to inmate reentry services; amending
   58         s. 944.705, F.S.; requiring the release orientation
   59         program to consist of at least 200 hours of
   60         instruction time; requiring the program to begin 360
   61         days prior to the inmate's release; requiring housing
   62         placement information and job search assistance be
   63         included in the release orientation program; requiring
   64         the department to assist inmates in securing the
   65         identified basic support services; requiring the
   66         department to notify every inmate of opportunities for
   67         industry certifications and job placement in the
   68         community in which the inmate will be released; making
   69         Legislative findings; requiring the Department of
   70         Corrections to report to the Governor, President of
   71         the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
   72         Representatives on the opportunities available for all
   73         inmates to receive industry certifications and
   74         vocational training; requiring the report to include
   75         recommendations for improvement and availability;
   76         requiring the report be provided to the Governor and
   77         the Legislature by a specified date; providing
   78         effective dates.