Virginia House Bill 2325 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 19-0)
Status: Introduced on January 22 2021 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2021-02-05 - Left in Appropriations
Pending: House Appropriations Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

Creation of Office of the Department of Corrections Creation of Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman. Creates the Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman (the Office). The bill enumerates the duties and powers of the Office, which include (i) providing information, as appropriate, to inmates, family members, representatives of inmates, Department of Corrections employees and contractors, and others regarding the rights of inmates; (ii) monitoring conditions of confinement and assessing compliance with applicable federal, state, and local rules, regulations, policies, and best practices as related to the health, safety, welfare, and rehabilitation of inmates; (iii) providing technical assistance to support inmate participation in self-advocacy; (iv) providing technical assistance to local governments in the creation of correctional facility oversight bodies, as requested; (v) establishing a statewide uniform reporting system to collect and analyze data related to complaints received by the Department and data related to (a) deaths, suicides, and suicide attempts in custody; (b) physical and sexual assaults in custody; (c) the number of inmates placed in solitary confinement; (d) the number of facility lockdowns lasting longer than 24 hours; (e) the number of staff vacancies at each facility; (f) the inmate-to-staff ratios at each facility; (g) staff tenure and turnover; and (h) the number of in-person visits to inmates that were made and denied at each facility; (vi) establishing procedures to gather stakeholder input into the Office's activities and priorities, which must include, at a minimum, an annual 30-day period for receipt of and Office response to public comment; (vii) inspecting each state correctional facility at least once every three years and at least once every year for any maximum security facility and any facility where the Office has found cause for more frequent inspection or monitoring; and (viii) issuing publicly periodic facility inspection reports and an annual report with recommendations on the state correctional facilities and a summary of data and recommendations arising from any complaints investigated and resolved. The bill also establishes a Corrections Oversight Committee, which is responsible for selecting the Department of Corrections Ombudsman. The bill additionally outlines the Office's authority to conduct inspections of each Department or Board facility and requires the submission of an annual report to the Governor, the Attorney General, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the House Committee for Courts of Justice, and the Director of the Department. The bill also provides for the authority of the Office to conduct investigations of complaints made by inmates, family members or friends, and advocates.

Corrections Ombudsman, Office of the Department of; created, report.

Del. Patrick Hope [D]	Del. Kaye Kory [D]	Del. Mark Levine [D]	Del. Dawn Adams [D]
Sen. Lashrecse Aird [D]	Sen. Lamont Bagby [D]	Del. Betsy Carr [D]	Del. Joshua Cole [D]
Del. Dan Helmer [D]	Del. Jerrauld Jones [D]	Del. Mark Keam [D]	Del. Delores McQuinn [D]
Del. Kenneth Plum [D]	Del. Marcia Price [D]	Del. Sam Rasoul [D]	Del. David Reid [D]
Del. Marcus Simon [D]	Del. Shelly Simonds [D]	Del. Roslyn Tyler [D]

2021-02-01 - House - House: Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (7-Y 1-N) (Y: 7 N: 1 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]
2021-01-29 - House - House: Reported from Public Safety with amendment(s) (18-Y 2-N) (Y: 18 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]
2021-01-28 - House - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 1-N) (Y: 7 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2021-02-05	House	Left in Appropriations
2021-02-01	House	Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (7-Y 1-N)
2021-01-29	House	Assigned App. sub: Transportation & Public Safety
2021-01-29	House	Referred to Committee on Appropriations
2021-01-29	House	Reported from Public Safety with amendment(s) (18-Y 2-N)
2021-01-28	House	Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
2021-01-28	House	Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 1-N)
2021-01-25	House	Assigned PS sub: Public Safety
2021-01-22	House	Referred to Committee on Public Safety
2021-01-22	House	Presented and ordered printed 21103480D

Chapter	Article	Section	Citation Type	Statute Text
53	1	17.10	(n/a)	See Bill Text
53	1	17.2	(n/a)	See Bill Text

Type	Source
Summary	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+sum+HB2325
Text	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+ful+HB2325+hil
Amendment	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+amd+HB2325AH
Amendment	https://committees.lis.virginia.gov/pdfs/drafts/21103977A.pdf
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+vot+H1502V0011+HB2325
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+vot+H15V0017+HB2325
Roll Call	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?211+vot+H0207V0016+HB2325