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1996 SESSION

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963348825
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 115 Offered January 22, 1996 Directing the Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission to conduct a study on non-security staffing needs in Virginia's adult correctional institutions. ---------- Patrons-- Woodrum and Almand; Senator: Howell ---------- Referred to Committee on Rules ----------

WHEREAS, Virginia's adult correctional institutions' inmate population is increasing and will exceed 50,000 by the year 2005; and

WHEREAS, as the inmate population has grown, the program staff has been reduced; and

WHEREAS, while the Department of Corrections' security staff cuts were only 1.7 percent, Corrections' program staff was reduced by almost 16 percent in the past two years; and

WHEREAS, these reductions took place when prison populations were significantly expanding; and

WHEREAS, there are serious ramifications on long-term public safety due to the lack of program availability for inmates who will eventually be released back into the community; and

WHEREAS, the 1993 General Assembly passed legislation, § 53.1-32.1, which required forty hours of programming for inmates to be implemented by 1998; and

WHEREAS, the gaps in treatment slots, education slots, and work slots have widened since the passage of this legislation; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia State Crime Commission conducted a staffing study of Virginia's adult correctional institutions and recommended that a comprehensive study be undertaken by the Joint Legislative and Audit Commission to determine the non-security staffing needs of Virginia's adult correctional institutions, with particular emphasis on treatment and medical staffing needs; and

WHEREAS, the State Crime Commission also recommended that JLARC conduct an analysis of the requirements of § 53.1-32.1 to determine if the provisions are realistic; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission be directed to conduct a comprehensive study of the non-security staffing needs of Virginia's correctional institutions and to conduct an analysis of § 53.1-32.1 to determine the appropriate level of inmate programming to be accomplished by 1998.

The Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1997 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.