Bill > S76

This bill establishes a special interagency task force to investigate and study ways to improve gender-responsive programming for girls involved in the juvenile justice system, aiming to make services more effective for them. This task force will be composed of members from the Senate and House of Representatives, along with designees from various state agencies including Health and Human Services, Elementary and Secondary Education, Probation, Youth Services, Children and Families, Mental Health, Public Health, Public Counsel Services, and the Juvenile Court. Additionally, eight members will be appointed by the governor who represent current state vendors providing direct services to high-risk girls. The task force's duties include reviewing existing gender-responsive programs, studying best practices, identifying factors that lead girls into the juvenile justice system, analyzing data collection methods, evaluating vendor contracts, and reporting on recidivism rates and service utilization. They will also hold regional meetings to gather community input and create a way to include the perspectives of the girls themselves in their findings. The task force is required to meet at least four times a year and will submit biennial reports with recommendations to the legislature, with the first report due by January 31, 2016.