Bill > H2635

This bill establishes an independent Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity Unit (IDAREU) within the state government to address structural racism in correctional facilities. The unit will be led by an Anti-Racism Corrections Inspector General, who will be appointed for a 5-year term by the Attorney General, State Auditor, and Chair of the Black and Latino Caucus. The office will have broad powers to investigate and address racial inequities in correctional systems, including the ability to conduct comprehensive reviews of correction records, investigate complaints of disparate treatment, and access facility records. The bill defines four types of racism (institutional, systemic, interpersonal, and internalized) that exist within the correctional system, with a particular focus on the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in correctional facilities. The Inspector General will have the authority to examine various aspects of correctional operations, from food services to staff training, and can impose sanctions on departments or facilities that fail to cooperate. A 10-member community council will provide oversight, with at least half the members being directly impacted by structural racism. The office is designed to be independent, transparent, and focused on dismantling systemic racial inequities in the state's correctional system, with an annual requirement to report findings and recommendations to the legislature and governor.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2635