Bill > SB198

This bill allows the Department of Community Correction, alongside the Department of Correction, to participate in private sector prison industry enhancement programs, which are initiatives where inmates work for private companies. This means that goods produced by inmates in these programs can be sold like those made by non-inmates, provided the inmates are paid at least the state minimum wage, with exceptions for hobby items or work done on their own time. The bill also clarifies that inmates in these programs, who are earning at least minimum wage, will have their wages managed by facility supervisors in a separate fund. The Directors of both the Department of Correction and the Department of Community Correction will establish rules to protect inmate rights, allow for hearings, and govern how an inmate's wages are used, including supporting their family, paying legal obligations like restitution, covering the costs of their incarceration, providing funds for their release, reimbursing the state for damaged property or escape-related costs, and contributing to a Crime Victims Reparations Revolving Fund.