DOC officials tell Senate committee eliminating supervisory fees would reduce admin burden but not eliminate supervisee costs

Department of Corrections officials told the Senate Institutions Committee on April 29 that H. 635, a bill to eliminate supervisory fees charged to people on community supervision, would reduce administrative work for field staff but would not remove many of the costs those people still face.

"Our general position is that it's useful for accountability, but it does create friction," Jerry Marvel, deputy director of Field Services, told senators during the committee's meeting. Marvel said fee collection draws staff time and probation officers "generally don't like doing the business of having to deal with money."

The committee and DOC staff described a range of costs that people under supervision commonly encounter: transportation and child care for meetings, copays for treatment or counseling, expenses tied to required programming, and medication costs. Marvel said some services remain mandatory and that the costs or co‑pays can vary by provider, insurance and location.

"If you need substance‑use treatment, you're going to have to pay co‑pay... depending on what kind of insurance you have," Marvel said, calling out that treatment obligations tied to certain offenses often carry direct costs for the supervisee. He said the department contracts with independent providers for some specialized services and covers most of the treatment bill but that small copays sometimes remain.

Committee members asked DOC to provide a written list of typical costs by conviction or supervision type so lawmakers understand what supervised people confront when reentering the community. "I think that would be really helpful," a senator said; Marvel agreed the department could compile examples and provide rough cost estimates.

Marvel also described supervision classifications and caseload limits, saying higher‑risk "risk management" cases have a cap of about 45 individuals per officer and lower‑intensity administrative caseloads can cap around 150. He said those caps reflect different expectations for active engagement and monitoring.

On program delivery, DOC staff said the department has shifted away from directly providing many community programs and now funds separate county or private providers. Marvel noted domestic violence accountability programming (DVAP) is provided at the county level and that the department now funds those programs to cover costs that previously were not consistently funded.

The committee did not record a formal vote during the session. DOC officials offered to follow up in writing with more detailed examples and cost breakdowns; a member said, "I think we're ready to to vote the bill," but no vote tally or motion text appears in the transcript.

The committee is expected to consider the department's written materials and may schedule a formal vote in a subsequent meeting.