On Tuesday, March 12, Natasha Mehu submitted written testimony in support of HB 928 Correctional Services – Inmate Release (Suzanne Jones Act).

This bill would establish procedures that ensure individuals released from state correctional facilities are returned home upon their release.

From the MACo Testimony:

The bill aims to address the problem of when individuals are released from state facilities but have not identified or committed to an intended area of residence. Consequently, these individuals end up being concentrated in the communities surrounding the state facilities.

HB 928 would require the Division of Corrections (DOC) to transfer an inmate upon release from a state correctional facility to the jurisdiction in which they lived prior to incarceration. It also requires the Division of Parole and Probation (DPP) to provide any required probation, parole, or mandatory supervision of an inmate in the jurisdiction where the inmate lived prior to incarceration.

The bill creates a common-sense process for ensuring individuals are returned to their home jurisdictions upon release from a state correctional facility.

For more on 2019 MACo legislation, visit the Legislative Database.