HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 122
(By Delegate
Perdue, Hatfield, Eldridge, Lawrence, Marshall,
Perry, Phillips, Poling, Rodigherio, Spencer, Susman, Border
C.Miller, J. Miller and Rowan
)
[Originating in the Committee on Health and Human Resources;
Reported March 10, 2010]
Requesting the Joint Committee on the Government and Finance to
study the feasibility and potential effectiveness of justice
reinvestment strategies as a mechanism to better direct our
expenditures in criminal justice to help prevent crimes, not
merely to punish them.
Whereas, Rising corrections budgets and high recidivism rates
in many states are forcing policymakers to develop new strategies
for increasing public safety; and
Whereas, Despite increasing corrections expenditures,
recidivism rates remain high with half of all persons released from
prison nationally returning within three years; and
Whereas, The notion of justice reinvestment is to advance
fiscally-sound, data driven criminal justice policies to break the
cycle of recidivism, avert prison expenditures and make communities
safer; and
Whereas, Justice reinvestment aids in generating various
options that recognize the unique problems in our criminal justice
system and tailors these to better manage the growth of a state's prison population and increase public safety; and
Whereas, These options include strategies to reduce parole and
probation revocations; focus supervision resources where they can
have the greatest impact; and hold offenders (and service
providers) accountable for the successful completion of programs
such as drug treatment and job training; and
Whereas, Policymakers can use generated data to develop plans
for reinvesting a portion of these savings in new or enhanced
initiatives in areas where the majority of people released from
prisons and jails return to benefit everyone in the community,
regardless of their involvement in the criminal justice system; and
Whereas,
D
esigning
policies to manage the growth of the
corrections system, improve the accountability and integration of
resources concentrated in particular communities, and reinvesting
a portion of the savings generated from these efforts to make
communities receiving the majority of people released from prison
safer, stronger, and healthier is a sound topic of study;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
requested to study the feasibility and potential effectiveness of
justice reinvestment strategies and their potential use in the
State of West Virginia; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and
Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2011, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts
of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this
study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be
paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on
Government and Finance.