| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to faith- and character-based correctional |
| 3 | institution programs; amending s. 944.803, F.S.; revising |
| 4 | legislative findings; providing requirements for faith- |
| 5 | and character-based programs; deleting provisions relating |
| 6 | to funding; revising requirements for participation; |
| 7 | deleting provisions relating to assignment of chaplains; |
| 8 | providing an effective date. |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Section 1. Section 944.803, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 13 | to read: |
| 14 | 944.803 Faith- and character-based Faith-based programs |
| 15 | for inmates.- |
| 16 | (1) The Legislature finds and declares that faith- and |
| 17 | character-based faith-based programs offered in state and |
| 18 | private correctional institutions and facilities have the |
| 19 | potential to facilitate inmate institutional adjustment, help |
| 20 | inmates assume personal responsibility, and reduce recidivism. |
| 21 | (2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the |
| 22 | department of Corrections and the private vendors operating |
| 23 | private correctional facilities shall continuously: |
| 24 | (a) Measure recidivism rates for inmates who have |
| 25 | participated in faith- and character-based religious programs.; |
| 26 | (b) Increase the number of volunteers who minister to |
| 27 | inmates from various faith-based and secular institutions in the |
| 28 | community.; |
| 29 | (c) Develop community linkages with secular institutions |
| 30 | as well as churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith-based |
| 31 | institutions to assist inmates in their release back into the |
| 32 | community.; and |
| 33 | (d) Fund through the use of annual appropriations, in |
| 34 | department facilities, and through inmate welfare trust funds |
| 35 | pursuant to s. 945.215, in private facilities, an adequate |
| 36 | number of chaplains and support staff to operate faith-based |
| 37 | programs in correctional institutions. |
| 38 | (3)(a) The department must have at least six new programs |
| 39 | fully operational. These six programs shall be similar to and in |
| 40 | addition to the current faith-based pilot program. The six new |
| 41 | programs shall be a joint effort with the department and faith- |
| 42 | based service groups within the community. The department shall |
| 43 | ensure that an inmate's faith orientation, or lack thereof, will |
| 44 | not be considered in determining admission to a faith- and |
| 45 | character-based faith-based program and that the program does |
| 46 | not attempt to convert an inmate toward a particular faith or |
| 47 | religious preference. |
| 48 | (b) The programs shall operate 24 hours a day within the |
| 49 | existing correctional facilities and. The programs must |
| 50 | emphasize the importance of personal responsibility, meaningful |
| 51 | work, education, substance abuse treatment, and peer support. |
| 52 | (c) Participation in a the faith-based dormitory program |
| 53 | shall be voluntary. However, at least 80 percent of the inmates |
| 54 | participating in this program must be within 36 months of |
| 55 | release. Assignment to a program these programs shall be based |
| 56 | on evaluation and the length of time the inmate is projected to |
| 57 | be assigned to that particular institution. In evaluating an |
| 58 | inmate for this program, priority shall be given to inmates who |
| 59 | have shown an indication for substance abuse. A right to |
| 60 | substance abuse program services is not stated, intended, or |
| 61 | otherwise implied by this subsection. The department may not |
| 62 | remove an inmate once assigned to a the program except for the |
| 63 | purposes of population management, for inmate conduct that may |
| 64 | subject the inmate to disciplinary confinement or loss of gain- |
| 65 | time, for physical or mental health concerns, or for security or |
| 66 | safety concerns. To support the programming component, the |
| 67 | department shall assign a chaplain and a full-time clerical |
| 68 | support person dedicated to each dormitory to implement and |
| 69 | monitor the program and to strengthen volunteer participation |
| 70 | and support. |
| 71 | (4) The Department of Corrections shall assign chaplains |
| 72 | to community correctional centers authorized pursuant to s. |
| 73 | 945.091(1)(b). These chaplains shall strengthen volunteer |
| 74 | participation by recruiting volunteers in the community to |
| 75 | assist inmates in transition, and, if requested by the inmate, |
| 76 | placement in a mentoring program or at a contracted substance |
| 77 | abuse transition housing program. When placing an inmate in a |
| 78 | contracted program, the chaplain shall work with the |
| 79 | institutional transition assistance specialist in an effort to |
| 80 | successfully place the released inmate. |
| 81 | (4)(5) The department shall ensure that any faith |
| 82 | component of any program authorized in this chapter is offered |
| 83 | on a voluntary basis and, an offender's faith orientation, or |
| 84 | lack thereof, will not be considered in determining admission to |
| 85 | such a faith-based program and that the program does not attempt |
| 86 | to convert an offender toward a particular faith or religious |
| 87 | preference. |
| 88 | (5)(6) The department shall ensure that state funds are |
| 89 | not expended for the purpose of furthering religious |
| 90 | indoctrination, but rather, that state funds are expended for |
| 91 | purposes of furthering the secular goals of criminal |
| 92 | rehabilitation, the successful reintegration of offenders into |
| 93 | the community, and the reduction of recidivism. |
| 94 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |
