September 6, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives Callahan, Krug, Baldeh, Donovan, Moses, Mursau, Schmidt and Stubbs, cosponsored by Senators Wimberger and Knodl. Referred to Committee on Corrections.
AB401,,22An Act to create 301.096 of the statutes; relating to: performance grants based on improving employment rates for individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision. AB401,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill requires the Department of Corrections to award performance grants to adult probation and parole offices for increases in employment rates for individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision in the regions the offices serve.
The bill provides a formula to determine the amount of funds each adult probation and parole office is eligible to receive under this performance grant program. Under the formula, DOC must calculate a baseline employment rate for individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision who reside in the region the office serves by averaging the annual employment rate for those individuals in fiscal years 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22. Then, on July 1 of each fiscal year, DOC must calculate the employment rate for individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision who reside in the region the office serves for the fiscal year that just ended. DOC must subtract the baseline employment rate from the employment rate for the fiscal year that just ended. If the difference is negative, the office is not eligible for a performance grant in the fiscal year that just began. If the difference is positive, the office is eligible for a performance grant in the fiscal year that just began that is equal to that difference multiplied by the number of individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision who reside in the region the office serves, multiplied again by $2,500.
Under the bill, an office that receives a grant may spend up to 15 percent of the funds on data collection and administration for the grant and must spend at least 85 percent of the funds to improve supervision and rehabilitative services for individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision who reside in the office’s region. The bill specifies that the services may include implementing evidence-based practices for risk and needs assessments; implementing intermediate sanctions such as community service, home detention, or work furlough programs; expanding the availability of evidence-based practices for rehabilitation programs such as drug and alcohol treatment, anger management, and vocational training; hiring personnel to implement evidence-based practices for rehabilitative and vocational programming; procuring new technologies or equipment to supervise or rehabilitate or provide vocational training; and evaluating the effectiveness of programs.
The bill requires DOC to develop and publish outcome-based measures for each region such as the employment rate and the average length of employment for individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision; the percentage and employment status of individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision who are convicted of a crime while on the supervised status; the number and employment status of individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision who complete their period of supervised status; the programs for individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision that were created or eliminated; and an estimate of savings to the state as a result of reduced correctional costs due to lower crime rates among individuals on probation, parole, or extended supervision.
The bill requires DOC to work with the offices to prepare annual reports for the legislature. The reports must be available to the public and must include information about the effectiveness of the performance grants based on outcome-based measures and recommendations regarding resource allocations or collaboration with other state, regional, or local entities or other regions for improvements to the performance grant program.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
AB401,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: AB401,15Section 1. 301.096 of the statutes is created to read: AB401,,66301.096 Improving community supervision outcomes; employment. (1) Definitions. In this section: AB401,,77(a) “Baseline employment rate” means the average of the employment rates for the fiscal years 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22. AB401,,88(b) “Documentation of wage-earning hours” means employment records, pay stubs, employment letters, contracts, or similarly reliable methods of employment verification, as determined by the department.