BSB/2/10
Sponsored by Krish Himatsingani of Ravenwood High School
This legislation was filed in the Correction category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH LEGISLATURE |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section I: Terms in this act are defined as follows: |
| 4 | a.) Recidivism: the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend. |
| 5 | b.) Ex-Convict: a convicted criminal who is no longer serving a prison sentence. |
| 6 | c.) Three-year recidivism rate: the percent of ex-convicts to re-offend after 3 years of serving a |
| 7 | sentence. |
| 8 | d.) User fees: a sum of money paid as a necessary condition to gain access to a particular service |
| 9 | or facility. |
| 10 | e.) Government-Issued Identification Documents: material produced by government bodies at the |
| 11 | local, state, federal, and international level (SSN, passport, etc.) |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Section II: Acknowledging that the 2024 three-year recidivism rate for prison-ex-convicts in |
| 14 | Tennessee is 47.6 percent, marking a 6% increase from last year. With the current system in |
| 15 | place to support incoming ex-convicts, this issue will likely only worsen in the future due to this |
| 16 | increase, and the earlier action is taken, the less dire this problem will become. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Section III: Deeply concerned by the fact that, as of 2022, the Knox County Jail has the highest |
| 19 | recidivism rate in any correctional facility in Tennessee at 67%. Consequently, Knoxville has a high |
| 20 | poverty rate of 25 percent, which is 10% higher than the state average, and two-thirds of convicts |
| 21 | state-wide detained in jails report annual incomes under $12,000 before arrest. Indefinitely, there |
| 22 | is a positive correlation between high rates of recidivism and poverty. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Section IV: Alarmed by the fact that, in the first full calendar year after the Tennessee ex-convict’s |
| 25 | release, only 55 percent reported any earnings, with the median earnings being $10,090. |
| 26 | Furthermore, 10% of reported ex-convicts were reported to be homeless. With this in mind, being |
| 27 | homeless, unstably housed, or living a low income will all heighten an individual's risk of |
| 28 | reoffending. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | Section V: Addressing the difficulty of opening banking accounts and other financial necessities for |
| 31 | convicts due to minimal access to resources involving government identification, desirable credit, |
| 32 | and financial literacy. Many ex-convicts resort to non-bank alternatives, such as check cashing |
| 33 | services and payday lenders. These resources expose ex-convicts to unnecessary risks, are |
| 34 | extremely costly, and should not be the only available solution. |
| 35 | |
| 36 | Section VI: Calling upon the Tennessee Department of Corrections for a total of $30 million per |
| 37 | year for the development of a state-wide reform that will assist ex-convicts before and after |
| 38 | |
| 39 | financial services, employment opportunities, a mandate for access to government-issued |
| 40 | documents, and the elimination of user fees in all correctional facilities in the state. |
| 41 | |
| 42 | Section VII: Requesting 20 million USD for the greater advancement of psychiatric, rehabilitative, |
| 43 | and healthcare services in state jails and prisons. This advancement would include an increase in |
| 44 | staff, translators, rooms, and additional access to technologies that will enhance the healthcare |
| 45 | systems in Tennessee correctional services. This will help recidivism by ensuring ex-convicts are |
| 46 | provided the support they need to be healthy after serving their sentence. |
| 47 | |
| 48 | Section VIII: Further requesting 10 million USD for the development of a mentor program in state |
| 49 | prisons and jails which will assist incoming ex-convicts with having an education on financial |
| 50 | literacy and how to get back on their feet after serving their sentence. This program would include |
| 51 | how to develop employment opportunities, credit, a greater understanding of how the bank works, |
| 52 | and housing opportunities. |
| 53 | |
| 54 | Section IX: Requesting that state jails and prisons ensure that all inmates obtain access to |
| 55 | government-issued identification documents. Without such documentation, ex-convicts leaving |
| 56 | correctional facilities face extreme challenges securing employment and housing, registering for |
| 57 | school, opening bank accounts, and accessing health care. |
| 58 | |
| 59 | Section X: Seeking the elimination of user fees for incarcerated individuals in Tennessee. This is |
| 60 | because people who have been incarcerated frequently encounter financial challenges involving |
| 61 | the use of user fees. Justice-involved individuals are charged fees for public defense, and more so, |
| 62 | fees for the time they spend in jail. This debt can be very difficult to eliminate and places a heavy |
| 63 | financial burden on those who are already struggling to re-adjust. |
| 64 | |
| 65 | Section Xl: Through the implementation of these programs, recidivism will have the best chance to |
| 66 | decrease, causing a decrease in homelessness and poverty and an increase in employment and |
| 67 | overall Tennessee economic development. Specifically, many job opportunities will be |
| 68 | implemented from this development through the additional healthcare and financial assistance |
| 69 | services instated in this bill. Approximately 200 individuals receive employment opportunities |
| 70 | through these correctional facility programs. |
| 71 | |
| 72 | Section XIl: All laws or parts of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed. |
| 73 | |
| 74 | Section XIII: This act will go into effect immediately upon passage. |
| 75 |