House Engrossed

 

coordinated reentry planning services programs.

 

 

 

 

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

2021

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL 2189

 

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending title 11, chapter 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding article 15; appropriating monies; relating to REENTRY programs.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 11, chapter 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding article 15, to read:

ARTICLE 15. REENTRY PLANNING SERVICES PROGRAMS

START_STATUTE11-392. Coordinated reentry planning services programs; planning committee; fund

A. A county may establish a coordinated reentry planning services program within a county jail for the purpose of screening and assessing persons who are booked into a county jail and connecting those persons with behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment providers at the earliest possible stage in the criminal justice process.

B. a coordinated reentry planning services program must:

1. Allow entities to access and use a cross-system recidivism tracking database that incorporates data that is obtained from prearrest diversion programs, reentry screenings that occur during the booking process, reentry planning that occurs before and during release and postrelease treatment engagement.

2. Allow Entities to work in conjunction with counties, cities, towns and other political subdivisions of this state and superior courts to CREATE AN information exchange mechanism that includes reentry planning efforts.

3. Allow county and community-wide collaborative efforts to be established and maintained for jail reentry planning services that include treatment, peer support, housing, transportation and employment services and all branches of the criminal justice and court systems through the development of a new or the extension of an existing coalition.

4. Establish working agreements with coalition partners in which treatment providers use the cross-system recidivism tracking database to record postrelease treatment engagement.

5. Use the cross-system recidivism tracking database to record baseline and ongoing statistics for identified needs, referrals and future recidivism of reentry coordination participants.

C. A county that establishes a coordinated reentry planning services program shall establish a committee to develop the program's policies and procedures, including eligibility criteria, program implementation and operation.  At a minimum the committee shall consist of the following persons:

1. Representatives of the law enforcement agencies participating in the program.

2. A representative of the program services provider.

3. A public defender or the public defender's designee.

4. A prosecuting attorney or the prosecuting attorney's designee.

5.  a presiding superior court judge or the superior court judge's designee.

6. A clerk of the court or the clerk's designee.

7. Other stakeholders.

D. The coordinated reentry planning services program fund is established to provide monies to counties that establish a coordinated reentry planning services program. The Arizona criminal justice commission shall administer the fund. The fund consists of monies appropriated to the fund.  Monies in the fund are subject to legislative appropriation. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Appropriations; coordinated reentry planning services program fund; counties

A. The sum of $8,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2021-2022 and $7,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in each of fiscal years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 to the coordinated reentry planning services program fund established by section 11—392, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.

B. The sum of $8,000,000 is appropriated from the coordinated reentry planning services program fund established by section 11-392, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, in fiscal year 2021-2022 to a county with a population of not more than one million five hundred thousand persons to establish a coordinated reentry planning services program. Of the total appropriation, up to $1,000,000 may be used to establish cross-system recidivism tracking databases. Each eligible county shall receive a proportional share of the monies based on the county's population.

C. The sum of $7,000,000 is appropriated from the coordinated reentry planning services program fund established by section 11-392, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, in each of fiscal years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 to distribute to a county with a population of not more than one million five hundred thousand persons that has established or to establish a coordinated reentry planning services program. Each eligible county shall receive a proportional share of the monies based on the county's population.