HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 54

(By Delegates C. Miller, Perdue, Miley, Sobonya, Ellem,

              J. Miller, Fleischauer and Border)

Requesting the Joint Committee on the Judiciary to study the feasibility and potential effectiveness of justice reinvestment strategies as a mechanism to better direct our expenditures in criminal justice to help prevent crimes, not merely to punish them.

    Whereas, Rising corrections budgets and high recidivism rates in many states are forcing policymakers to develop new strategies for increasing public safety; and

    Whereas, Despite increasing corrections expenditures, recidivism rates remain high with half of all persons released from prison nationally returning within three years; and

    Whereas, The notion of justice reinvestment is to advance fiscally-sound, data driven criminal justice policies to break the cycle of recidivism, avert prison expenditures and make communities safer; and

    Whereas, Justice reinvestment aids in generating various options that recognize the unique problems in our criminal justice system and tailors these to better manage the growth of a state’s prison population and increase public safety; and

    Whereas, These options include strategies to reduce parole and probation revocations; focus supervision resources where they can have the greatest impact; and hold offenders (and service providers) accountable for the successful completion of programs such as drug treatment and job training; and

    Whereas, Policymakers can use generated data to develop plans for reinvesting a portion of these savings in new or enhanced initiatives in areas where the majority of people released from prisons and jails return to benefit everyone in the community, regardless of their involvement in the criminal justice system; and

    Whereas, Of the corrections system, improve the accountability

designing policies to manage the growth and integration of resources concentrated in particular communities, and reinvesting a portion of the savings generated from these efforts to make communities receiving the majority of people released from prison safer, stronger and healthier is a sound topic of study; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Joint Committee on the Judiciary is hereby requested to study the feasibility and potential effectiveness of justice reinvestment strategies and their potential use in the State of West Virginia; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on the Judiciary report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2011, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finanse.