Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Corrections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House advances package of prison reforms including dyslexia screening, health RFP changes and reporting provisions
Summary
Lawmakers passed a suite of bills addressing inmate health and prison oversight — including dyslexia screening of incoming inmates, hepatitis C and HIV planning, and a shift to Department of Finance & Administration oversight of inmate-health RFPs — with sponsors stressing the measures carry no immediate state funding obligations.
A package of measures aimed at improving inmate health and corrections oversight cleared the House after sponsors said the bills would cost no state general-fund dollars and would instead set reporting and procurement standards. Among the changes was an instruction to screen incoming inmates for dyslexia to help determine educational and rehabilitation needs, a requirement that the Department of Health and corrections craft plans for hepatitis C, HIV and women's health services, and a change in procurement to put the DFA in charge of competitive bidding for inmate health contracts.
Sponsor Representative (Lincoln) described the bills as early interventions to reduce fatalities and improve care: "None of these bills cost us any money... Do we wait while more people die? I just can't," she told colleagues. Lawmakers discussed scope, costs and whether the changes would be voluntary or mandatory; the House adopted the amendments and passed the package with recorded tallies reported in the transcript (including a recorded vote of 119–0 on a related item). Sponsors said the measures create oversight and procurement changes rather than immediate spending increases and built in reverse repealers on some items to allow further refinement in conference.
