OLR Bill Analysis
AN ACT CONCERNING THE REPORTING OF INMATE POPULATION DENSITY AND CORRECTIONAL FACILITY SPECIFIC DATA.
The law requires the Department of Correction (DOC) commissioner to submit to the governor and the Judiciary and Labor committees, quarterly reports containing information about inmate assaults on staff and other inmates, inmate disciplinary reports, and workers' compensation claims for the quarter specified in the report. This bill requires that the reports provide the required information for each correctional facility, instead of the system as a whole. In addition, the bill requires the reports to include, for each facility and each calendar quarter, the:
1. average number of inmates,
2. average number of permanent beds, and
3. inmate population density.
The bill requires that if, during any calendar quarter, the inmate population density for a correctional facility increased by more than 10% above what was reported for the preceding calendar quarter or for the same calendar quarter of the preceding fiscal year, the commissioner must include in the report submitted an explanation for the increase and a general description of the measures DOC will take to address the increase. The law imposes the same requirement if disciplinary reports, assaults, or workers' compensation claims increased by more than five per cent from the number of the preceding calendar quarter or for the same calendar quarter of the preceding fiscal year.
The bill specifies that “inmate population density” means the average number of inmates for a correctional facility divided by the average number of permanent beds for such correctional facility.
The changes the bill makes apply to the first calendar quarter of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, and each subsequent calendar quarter.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2009
COMMITTEE ACTION
Judiciary Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea |
38 |
Nay |
0 |
(03/27/2009) |