SB172: Bill Text

This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the Joint Legislative Council in the bill.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

SB172,,4 The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Legislative Council Study Committee on Increasing Offender Employment Opportunities. The bill requires the Department of Corrections (DOC) to contract with at least one nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, or public agency to establish a community reentry center. A community reentry center is a community site offering individuals who are being released from a state correctional institution initial points of contact for each of the following: health services, identification services, financial services, housing services, employment services, education services, and supervision services. The bill creates an appropriation for community reentry centers, but does not appropriate any funds.

To be eligible for a DOC contract, a nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, or public agency must operate the community reentry center in a location easily accessible by public transportation and by the population it serves, and provide initial points of contact for all the services listed above. DOC must also, when awarding contracts, prioritize organizations, entities, and public agencies that: (1) collaborate with organizations providing services at the center, justice-involved individuals, criminal justice coordinating councils, technical colleges, and workforce investment boards, as evidenced by letters of support; and (2) propose to operate a center in counties with the highest numbers of individuals being released from incarceration to those counties.

The organization, entity, or public agency contracting with DOC must oversee, coordinate, and develop memoranda of understanding with other organizations to provide services housed at the center. The organization, entity, or public agency must also develop multidisciplinary teams with the other organizations offering services at the center to review the needs and assessments of individuals receiving services there. DOC staff must be present on-site to provide case management to individuals served at the center, pursuant to an agreement between DOC and the organization, entity, or public agency.

The bill also requires DOC to create a comprehensive report examining the outcomes of services provided at each center. DOC must submit the first report by 2027, and must submit a report every two years thereafter. Under its contract with DOC, the organization, entity, or public agency operating a center must track and compile data for services provided at the center, including the number and type of services provided and reported outcomes.

SB172,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:

SB172,2 Section 2. 20.410 (1) (df) of the statutes is created to read:

SB172,,7 20.410 (1) (df) Community reentry centers. The amounts in the schedule to establish and operate community reentry centers under s. 301.098.

SB172,3 Section 3. 301.098 of the statutes is created to read:

SB172,,9 301.098 Community reentry centers. (1) In this section:

SB172,,10 (a) “Community reentry center” means a community site that offers initial points of contact for all of the following services to an individual at the time of his or her release from a state correctional institution upon completion of his or her sentence or to parole or extended supervision: health, identification, financial, housing, employment, education, and supervision.

SB172,,11 (b) “Nonprofit organization” means an organization described in section 501 (c) of the Internal Revenue Code that is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

SB172,,12 (c) “Public agency” has the meaning given in s. 106.13 (3m) (a) 2.

SB172,,13 (2) The department shall contract with at least one nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, or public agency to establish a community reentry center and shall consider contracting to establish a community reentry center in each region of the state. The contracted nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, or public agency shall oversee, coordinate, and develop memoranda of understanding with other organizations to provide services that will be housed at the community reentry center.

SB172,,14 (3) (a) To receive a contract under sub. (2), a nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, or public agency shall operate a community reentry center in a location that is easily accessible by the population served and accessible by public transportation, if available. Organizations that provide services housed at the community reentry center shall, at a minimum, be able to assess and assist individuals after release from incarceration to community supervision by providing all of the following services:

SB172,,15 1. Health: assistance in identifying and accessing appropriate health care services and mental health services based on the individual’s needs.

SB172,,16 2. Identification: assistance in obtaining identification documents such as the individual’s birth certificate, social security card, state identification card, or driver’s license, if eligible, including any necessary forms and instructions.

SB172,,17 3. Financial: assistance in creating a bank account, including obtaining a debit card at the time of the individual’s initial contact with the community reentry center.

SB172,,18 4. Housing: assistance in obtaining access to emergency housing options for homeless individuals and contacting landlords that rent to formerly incarcerated individuals.

SB172,,19 5. Employment: assistance in creating a resume, electronically submitting the resume where needed, and contacting relevant employment agencies to secure employment.

SB172,,20 6. Education: assistance in identifying whether and how to proceed with the next level of education or vocational training the individual may want or need.

SB172,,21 7. Supervision: a secured office space for department supervision agents to meet with individuals on community supervision.

SB172,,22 (b) A nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, or public agency contracted with under sub. (2) shall develop multidisciplinary support teams with participating organizations that provide services under par. (a) at the community reentry center to review the needs and assessments of participating individuals.

SB172,,23 (c) In awarding contracts under sub. (2), the department shall prioritize contracts with nonprofit organizations, for-profit entities, or public agencies that do any of the following:

SB172,,24 1. Collaborate with organizations that provide services that will be housed at the community reentry center, justice-involved individuals, criminal justice coordinating councils, technical colleges, and workforce investment boards, as evidenced by letters of support.

SB172,,25 2. Propose to operate a community reentry center in counties with the highest numbers of individuals being released from incarceration to those counties.

SB172,,26 (4) The department and the nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, or public agency contracted with under sub. (2) shall determine, by agreement, when department staff will be present on site, and the department shall provide department staff pursuant to the agreement to provide case management to eligible individuals at a community reentry center operated under sub. (3).

SB172,,27 (5) (a) A contract between the department and a nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, or public agency under sub. (2) shall require that the nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, or public agency define data collection requirements and track and compile data for all organizations that provide services housed at the community reentry center. The data shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:

SB172,,28 1. The number of individuals that participate in services provided at the community reentry center.

SB172,,29 2. Basic demographic information for the individuals served by the organizations.

SB172,,30 3. The number and type of services that were provided to individuals by the organizations.

SB172,,31 4. A description and number of services provided at and reported outcomes for the community reentry center.

SB172,,32 (b) By January 1, 2027, and biennially thereafter, the department shall submit to the governor and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3) a comprehensive report that examines the outcomes of the services provided at each community reentry center operated under sub. (3).

SB172,4 Section 4. Effective date.

SB172,,34 (1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2023 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

SB172,,35 (end)