House Bill 0749

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 749

        By Representative Reddick






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to a Citizens Committee on

  3         Prisons; creating a Citizens Committee on

  4         Prisons; providing purposes; specifying

  5         membership; providing duties and

  6         responsibilities; requiring reporting;

  7         providing for funding of committee activities;

  8         providing an effective date.

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10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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12         Section 1.

13         (1)  The Citizens Committee on Prisons is created in

14  the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Legal Affairs.

15  The purpose of the committee is to ensure that there is

16  systemic oversight of how prisoners are treated.

17         (2)  The committee shall consist of a prisoners rights

18  advocate, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a representative of

19  local government, a social worker, a minister, a former

20  inmate, and an educator.

21         (3)  The committee shall conduct regular visits to

22  state and local correctional facilities in this state for the

23  purpose of determining how prisoners at such facilities are

24  treated and if there is any evidence of prisoners being

25  deprived of any rights secured by the State Constitution or

26  the laws of this state. The committee may visit any state or

27  local correctional facility without notice. Administrative,

28  supervisory, and enforcement personnel at such facilities

29  shall cooperate with and provide assistance to the committee

30  in carrying out its charge under this act.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 749

    146-244-00






  1         (4)  The committee shall report to the Attorney General

  2  and the Department of Corrections on its activities and the

  3  results and conclusions of any visits to correctional

  4  facilities.

  5         (5)  Activities of the committee shall be funded

  6  through the Department of Corrections.

  7         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  8  law.

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11                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Creates the Citizens Committee on Prisons in the Office
13    of Civil Rights of the Department of Legal Affairs to
      ensure systemic oversight of prisoner treatment.
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