Florida Senate - 2018                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 226
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì183674BÎ183674                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  10/09/2017           .                                
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       The Committee on Criminal Justice (Bracy) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Substitute for Amendment (654530) (with title
    2  amendment)
    3  
    4         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    5  and insert:
    6         Section 1. Subsections (1), (2), and (4) of section
    7  944.705, Florida Statutes, are amended and a new subsection (7)
    8  is added to that section to read:
    9         944.705 Release orientation program.—
   10         (1) The department shall provide participation in a
   11  standardized release orientation program to every eligible
   12  inmate. The program must consist of at least 200 hours of
   13  instruction time and begin at least 360 days prior to the
   14  inmate's release.
   15         (2) The release orientation program instruction must
   16  include, but is not limited to:
   17         (a) Employment skills.
   18         (b) Money management skills.
   19         (c) Personal development and planning.
   20         (d) Special needs.
   21         (e) Community reentry concerns.
   22         (f) Community reentry support.
   23         (g) Housing placement information.
   24         (h) Job search assistance.
   25         (i)(g) Any other appropriate instruction to ensure the
   26  inmate’s successful reentry into the community.
   27         (4) The department shall conduct a needs assessment of
   28  every inmate to determine which, if any, basic support services
   29  the inmate needs after release. The department shall assist the
   30  inmate in securing the identified basic support services.
   31         (7) The department shall notify every inmate of
   32  opportunities for industry certifications and job placement in
   33  the community in which the inmate will be released.
   34         Section 2. Section 944.7065, Florida Statutes, is amended
   35  to read:
   36         944.7065 Transition course for inmates.—In an effort to
   37  ensure that inmates released from the Department of Corrections
   38  successfully reenter the community, beginning December 1, 2002,
   39  each inmate released from incarceration by the department must
   40  complete a at least a 200 100-hour comprehensive transition
   41  course that covers job readiness and life management skills.
   42  This requirement does not apply to inmates released in an
   43  emergency situation.
   44         Section 3. Effective upon becoming law, the Legislature
   45  finds that an essential element of inmate reentry services and
   46  reducing recidivism is providing all inmates with the
   47  opportunity to obtain industry certifications and vocational
   48  training. The Department of Corrections shall report to the
   49  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
   50  House of Representatives on the opportunities currently
   51  available for all inmates to receive industry certifications and
   52  vocational training. The report shall include recommendations on
   53  improving and enhancing the availability of industry
   54  certifications and vocational training for inmates. The
   55  department must provide a written report to the Governor, the
   56  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
   57  Representatives by October 1, 2018.
   58         Section 4. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
   59  act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon
   60  this act being a law, this act shall take effect October 1,
   61  2018.
   62  
   63  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   64  And the title is amended as follows:
   65         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   66  and insert:
   67                        A bill to be entitled                      
   68         An act relating to inmate reentry services; amending
   69         s. 944.705, F.S.; requiring the release orientation
   70         program to consist of at least 200 hours of
   71         instruction time; requiring the program to begin at
   72         least 360 days prior to the inmate's release;
   73         requiring housing placement information and job search
   74         assistance be included in the release orientation
   75         program; requiring the department to assist inmates in
   76         securing the identified basic support services;
   77         requiring the department to notify every inmate of
   78         opportunities for industry certifications and job
   79         placement in the community in which the inmate will be
   80         released; amending s. 944.7065, F.S.; requiring each
   81         inmate released from incarceration by the department
   82         to complete at least a 200-hour comprehensive
   83         transition course; making Legislative findings;
   84         requiring the Department of Corrections to report to
   85         the Governor, President of the Senate, and the Speaker
   86         of the House of Representatives on the opportunities
   87         available for all inmates to receive industry
   88         certifications and vocational training; requiring the
   89         report to include recommendations for improvement and
   90         availability; requiring the report be provided to the
   91         Governor and the Legislature by a specified date;
   92         providing effective dates.