Bill > HB729

This bill establishes the Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman, a new oversight body designed to monitor and improve conditions within Missouri's correctional facilities. The office will consist of two sections - an inspection section and a complaints investigation section - and will be led by a state ombudsman selected by a newly created Corrections Oversight Committee. The ombudsman will have broad powers to inspect facilities, investigate complaints, access records, and interview inmates and staff confidentially. Key responsibilities include conducting periodic facility inspections, creating uniform reporting systems to track conditions like staff vacancies and inmate assaults, establishing complaint submission processes through online forms and hotlines, and producing annual public reports with recommendations. The office will focus on addressing "covered issues" such as sanitation, nutrition, medical care, abuse, visitation rights, and access to rehabilitative programming. The bill aims to increase transparency and accountability in the state's correctional system by providing an independent mechanism for monitoring inmate conditions and investigating potential violations of inmates' rights, with strict confidentiality protections for complainants and provisions to prevent retaliation against those who file complaints.

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https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB729&year=2025&code=R