Bill > SB378

This bill creates a new Office of State Ombudsman for Inmates in the Custody of the Department of Corrections to improve oversight and protect inmates' rights. The ombudsman, appointed by the governor for a six-year term, will have broad powers to inspect correction facilities at least annually, monitor conditions, receive and investigate complaints, and produce public reports. The office can access facility records, interview inmates and staff, and examine issues such as sanitation, nutrition, abuse, medical care, staffing, and rehabilitation programs. The ombudsman will establish procedures for handling complaints from inmates, family members, or others, and can make recommendations to improve facility conditions. The bill explicitly protects complainants from retaliation, with provisions allowing employees who believe they've been discriminated against to file complaints with the attorney general. Key provisions include creating a statewide reporting system to track critical metrics like inmate assaults, solitary confinement, staff vacancies, and facility lockdowns, and mandating that the Department of Corrections provide a corrective action plan in response to the ombudsman's recommendations. The office is designed to be independent, with restrictions ensuring the ombudsman and their immediate family members have no current or previous connection to the Department of Corrections.

Justice

https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=41