Florida Senate - 2018 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 226
Ì183674BÎ183674
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Criminal Justice (Bracy) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Substitute for Amendment (654530) (with title
2 amendment)
3
4 Delete everything after the enacting clause
5 and insert:
6 Section 1. Subsections (1), (2), and (4) of section
7 944.705, Florida Statutes, are amended and a new subsection (7)
8 is added to that section to read:
9 944.705 Release orientation program.—
10 (1) The department shall provide participation in a
11 standardized release orientation program to every eligible
12 inmate. The program must consist of at least 200 hours of
13 instruction time and begin at least 360 days prior to the
14 inmate's release.
15 (2) The release orientation program instruction must
16 include, but is not limited to:
17 (a) Employment skills.
18 (b) Money management skills.
19 (c) Personal development and planning.
20 (d) Special needs.
21 (e) Community reentry concerns.
22 (f) Community reentry support.
23 (g) Housing placement information.
24 (h) Job search assistance.
25 (i)(g) Any other appropriate instruction to ensure the
26 inmate’s successful reentry into the community.
27 (4) The department shall conduct a needs assessment of
28 every inmate to determine which, if any, basic support services
29 the inmate needs after release. The department shall assist the
30 inmate in securing the identified basic support services.
31 (7) The department shall notify every inmate of
32 opportunities for industry certifications and job placement in
33 the community in which the inmate will be released.
34 Section 2. Section 944.7065, Florida Statutes, is amended
35 to read:
36 944.7065 Transition course for inmates.—In an effort to
37 ensure that inmates released from the Department of Corrections
38 successfully reenter the community, beginning December 1, 2002,
39 each inmate released from incarceration by the department must
40 complete a at least a 200 100-hour comprehensive transition
41 course that covers job readiness and life management skills.
42 This requirement does not apply to inmates released in an
43 emergency situation.
44 Section 3. Effective upon becoming law, the Legislature
45 finds that an essential element of inmate reentry services and
46 reducing recidivism is providing all inmates with the
47 opportunity to obtain industry certifications and vocational
48 training. The Department of Corrections shall report to the
49 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
50 House of Representatives on the opportunities currently
51 available for all inmates to receive industry certifications and
52 vocational training. The report shall include recommendations on
53 improving and enhancing the availability of industry
54 certifications and vocational training for inmates. The
55 department must provide a written report to the Governor, the
56 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
57 Representatives by October 1, 2018.
58 Section 4. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
59 act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
60 this act being a law, this act shall take effect October 1,
61 2018.
62
63 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
64 And the title is amended as follows:
65 Delete everything before the enacting clause
66 and insert:
67 A bill to be entitled
68 An act relating to inmate reentry services; amending
69 s. 944.705, F.S.; requiring the release orientation
70 program to consist of at least 200 hours of
71 instruction time; requiring the program to begin at
72 least 360 days prior to the inmate's release;
73 requiring housing placement information and job search
74 assistance be included in the release orientation
75 program; requiring the department to assist inmates in
76 securing the identified basic support services;
77 requiring the department to notify every inmate of
78 opportunities for industry certifications and job
79 placement in the community in which the inmate will be
80 released; amending s. 944.7065, F.S.; requiring each
81 inmate released from incarceration by the department
82 to complete at least a 200-hour comprehensive
83 transition course; making Legislative findings;
84 requiring the Department of Corrections to report to
85 the Governor, President of the Senate, and the Speaker
86 of the House of Representatives on the opportunities
87 available for all inmates to receive industry
88 certifications and vocational training; requiring the
89 report to include recommendations for improvement and
90 availability; requiring the report be provided to the
91 Governor and the Legislature by a specified date;
92 providing effective dates.