Bill > SB1159

This bill, titled the "Proximity Placement and Family Visitation Incentive Act," mandates that the Tennessee Department of Correction conduct a study on the benefits of keeping incarcerated individuals close to their families to reduce the likelihood of them reoffending after release, a concept known as recidivism. The study will examine how regular family visits impact an inmate's chances of reoffending, the financial burden on families traveling to visit incarcerated loved ones in distant facilities, and successful programs in other states that allow eligible inmates to transfer to prisons nearer to their families, including the requirements, costs, and positive outcomes of such programs. The Department can request information from other government agencies, which must cooperate, and the study must be completed using existing resources, with findings reported to the General Assembly by January 31, 2027.