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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.1160 Type of Legislation:Joint Resolution JR Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:20000216 Primary Sponsor:Thomas All Sponsors:Thomas Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\ggs\22472cm00.doc Residing Body:House Current Committee:Judiciary Committee 25 HJ Date of Last Amendment:20000316 Subject:Local Jail Task Force Study Committee created, Prisons and Prisoners, Corrections Department History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ House 20000318 Introduced, read first time, 25 HJ referred to Committee ------ 20000317 Scrivener's error corrected Senate 20000316 Amended, read third time, sent to House Senate 20000308 Read second time Senate 20000308 Committee amendment adopted Senate 20000307 Committee report: Favorable, 03 SCP with amendment Senate 20000216 Introduced, read first time, 03 SCP referred to Committee Versions of This Bill Revised on March 7, 2000 - Word format Revised on March 8, 2000 - Word format Revised on March 16, 2000 - Word format Revised on March 17, 2000 - Word format
AS PASSED BY THE SENATE
March 16, 2000
S. 1160
S. Printed 3/16/00--S. [SEC 3/17/00 3:40 PM]
Read the first time February 16, 2000.
TO CREATE A LOCAL JAIL TASK FORCE TO IDENTIFY AND STUDY THE MANY PROBLEMS CONFRONTING LOCAL JAILS TO INCLUDE: WAYS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PENDING CASES ON THE CRIMINAL COURT DOCKET AND THE PROSECUTION PROCESS; FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR CONSTRUCTION AND EXPANSION OF JAILS; CONTROL OVER THE GROWING COSTS OF HOUSING INMATES AND PROVIDING FOR THEIR MEDICAL CARE; MORE AND BETTER TRAINING AND HIGHER SALARIES FOR CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS; AND ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION FOR LESSER CRIMES AND OTHER MEANS TO ALLEVIATE OVERCROWDING; TO PROVIDE FOR THE TASK FORCE MEMBERSHIP; AND TO REQUIRE THE TASK FORCE REPORT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2001, AT WHICH TIME THE TASK FORCE IS ABOLISHED.
Amend Title To Conform
Whereas, South Carolina's jail incarceration rate is one of the highest in the country, ranking fourth in the number of inmates booked, making problems in the jail system more likely to occur; and
Whereas, jails must hold both violent and non-violent offenders, ensure there are no escapes and, with limited resources, extract a form of repayment from those that legally can be required to work; and
Whereas, the backlog in the judicial system means that at any given time, at least eighty-five percent of jail detainees are awaiting trial. Weekend-sentenced inmates, family-court inmates, and the mentally impaired who have no other place to go exacerbate the problem. These factors made the state's jail population increase over fifty percent in the last five years; and
Whereas, counties lack local and state support for building jails and receive minimal and undependable grant funding for jail construction or expansion. In the last decade, over two hundred million dollars of local tax dollars have been spent on construction and expansion of county jails, and new facilities cannot be built as fast as the inmate population is increasing; and
Whereas, most correctional officers are underpaid, overworked, undertrained, and under great stress resulting in very high turnover and understaffing, which is made worse by a swelling inmate population; and
Whereas, medical costs for inmates have skyrocketed and jails have been confronted with treating epidemic proportions of inmates who are HIV-positive or who have contracted AIDS, tuberculosis, or hepatitis-B; and
Whereas, the impact of "get tough" legislation, though well-intentioned, has overlooked the effect on the criminal justice system - more arrests mean more court backlog which translates into more inmates for longer periods of time; and
Whereas, local jails are the forgotten and ignored element of the criminal justice system, yet there is not one inmate serving a prison sentence that did not first come through the county jail system. Many jail problems are created by factors mostly outside local officials' control, and the support and assistance of every player in the criminal justice system is critical. Now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. (A) There is created a Local Jail Task Force to identify and study the many problems confronting local jails. These problems include, but are not limited: to financial support for construction and expansion of jails, control over the growing costs of housing inmates and providing for their medical care; more and better training and higher salaries for correctional officers; and alternatives to incarceration for lesser crimes and other means to alleviate the overcrowding dilemma. Alternatives to incarceration may include better use of electronic monitoring, home detention, and other tools or programs.
(B) The Local Jail Task Force is composed of the following nineteen members:
(1) one member of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
(2) one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House;
(3) a representative from the Governor's Office;
(4) a representative from the Attorney General's Office;
(5) a representative from the South Carolina Department of Corrections;
(6) a representative from the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services;
(7) a representative from South Carolina Court Administration;
(8) a representative from the South Carolina Association of Counties;
(9) a representative from the South Carolina Jail Administrators' Association;
(10) a county magistrate appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;
(11) a family court judge appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;
(12) a circuit court judge appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;
(13) a county clerk of court;
(14) a circuit solicitor appointed by the Prosecution Coordination Commission;
(15) a public defender;
(16) a county chief administrative officer;
(17) a county council member;
(18) a sheriff who runs a jail; and
(19) a representative from the State Office of Victim's Assistance.
The Governor must appoint all members of the Local Jail Task Force except the members identified in subitems (1), (2), (10), (11), (12), and (14).
The Local Jail Task Force shall elect one of its members as chairman and other necessary officers. It shall meet as often as necessary for the discharge of its business before making its report to the Governor and General Assembly.
(C) The Local Jail Task Force shall submit a report with recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly before February 1, 2001, at which time the task force is abolished.
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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