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Sponsor pulls community-corrections fee bill after committee questions about limits and oversight
Summary
Senator Gilmore introduced a bill to give the Department of Community Corrections discretion to increase or decrease its $35 monthly supervision fee (subject to board and legislative council approval). After extended questioning about statutory limits and safeguards, the sponsor withdrew the bill for further drafting.
Senator Gilmore presented a bill to allow the Department of Community Corrections more flexibility to adjust its $35 monthly supervision fee established in prior law. Secretary Solomon Graves and Director Jerry Bradshaw appeared for the department and said the proposal is intended to provide options created by COVID-era pressures, including the ability to reduce fees where warranted and, over time, to move toward an individualized, risk-based supervision-fee structure.
Committee members pressed whether the change would remove the legislature's numeric control over fees and whether a statutory limit or additional guardrails should be included to prevent fee creep. DOC officials said any departmental recommendation must be approved by the Board of Corrections and then ratified by the Legislative Council; Secretary Graves said the department had no intention to raise fees arbitrarily and highlighted existing waiver and forgiveness mechanisms for indigent residents.
Members expressed concern about cumulative fee burdens on people under supervision and asked for language to protect legislative control and to allow individualized fee adjustments without permanent increases for all residents. Senator Gilmore acknowledged he lacked the votes to pass the measure in its current form and withdrew the bill to work on amended language with the committee.
