Bill > S0518

This bill creates an eleven-member special legislative commission to study the impact and potential economic benefits of bail reforms, with a specific focus on Black Rhode Islanders. The commission will include members from the state Senate, the Attorney General's office, Judicial Branch, Parole Board, a prison warden, the Center for Health and Justice Transformation, the Department of Children, Youth & Families, and two formerly incarcerated individuals. The commission's purpose is to analyze the economic and societal benefits and risks of pre-trial supervised release as an alternative to pre-trial detention, with the goal of understanding how current practices affect Black Rhode Islanders and developing recommendations to reduce the population and associated costs of pre-trial detention. The commission members will receive no compensation, will be required to gather information from state departments and agencies, and must submit their findings to the Senate President by February 5, 2026, after which the commission will dissolve on April 5, 2026. The bill highlights the disproportionate impact of pre-trial detention on minority communities, noting that defendants detained before trial represent over 75 percent of jail inmates in some parts of the country, with significantly higher rates among Black and Hispanic individuals.

Justice

https://status.rilegislature.gov/