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Staff briefed committee on community custody changes including expedited absconder apprehension and expanded sanctions; hearing continued
Summary
Staff briefed the House Community Safety Committee on House Bill 1668, which would direct DOC to locate absconders within five days, create a liaison to local law enforcement, raise confinement sanctions for high-level violations, and require enhanced electronic monitoring; the committee deferred further public hearing until next Monday.
Committee staff on Feb. 13 presented House Bill 1668, a package of changes to community custody policies that would affect Department of Corrections supervision and local enforcement.
Michelle Rusk, staff to the committee, described the bill’s main provisions: community corrections officers must take “all reasonable efforts” to locate a supervised person who has absconded within five days of a DOC warrant; the bill would require a liaison position (subject to appropriation) to strengthen DOC–local law-enforcement cooperation in apprehensions; the Department of Corrections may impose sanctions of greater than 30 days confinement for high-level violations when a person poses a substantial public-safety risk or has absconded for a prolonged or concerning period; the seriousness level for escape from community custody would be elevated; providers of mental-health and substance-use treatment would be required to give compliance updates to a person’s community corrections officer; DOC must track polygraph compliance; and DOC electronic-monitoring capabilities would have to include real-time monitoring, steel-reinforced ankle bracelets, victim notification technology and specified alcohol-monitoring technology.
Staff recommended more time for committee consideration. The chair announced the committee would continue the hearing on House Bill 1668 at a later date (next Monday in the transcript) and asked those who traveled to testify remotely to await the resumed hearing.
Ending: No formal action was taken; the committee deferred further consideration to the next scheduled meeting.
