Bill > H3956

This bill establishes an independent Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity Unit (IDAREU) within the Office of the Attorney General to address structural racism in the Commonwealth's correctional system. The key provisions include: 1. Creation of an Anti-Racism Corrections Inspector General position appointed by the Attorney General, State Auditor, and Chair of the Black and Latino Caucus, with input from a Community Advisory Council. 2. Establishment of the Anti-Racism Corrections Inspector General Community Council, which includes representatives from impacted communities such as family members of incarcerated individuals and formerly incarcerated individuals. 3. Granting the Anti-Racism Corrections Inspector General broad investigative and oversight powers to identify and address systemic issues of structural racism in corrections, including the ability to impose sanctions and fines on the Department of Correction and county jails for non-compliance. 4. Requiring the development of a statewide uniform racial data collection system and regular reporting to the Legislature, Governor, and Attorney General on the progress in dismantling structural racism in the correctional system. 5. Protecting whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing related to structural racism in the correctional system. The overall goal of this bill is to create an independent oversight entity with the authority and resources to investigate, identify, and facilitate the implementation of reforms to address the disparate treatment and impact of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals within the Commonwealth's correctional system.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H3956