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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 14, 2022 12:37 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Clint Owlett |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Surprise County Jail Inspections |
| I will soon be introducing legislation intended to improve the conditions and functioning of our county jails by requiring surprise inspections of these facilities. Currently, the Department of Corrections is tasked with inspecting county jails at least every two years. The statewide Office of County Inspections and Services conducts independent field inspections of county jails to monitor compliance with controlling statutes and regulations. The minimum operational regulations contain 48 essential standards and 94 non-essential standards. The inspection process evaluates each standard individually, consisting of a review of written policies/procedures, supporting documentation, and an inspection of the physical plant of the facility. But our recent Appropriations Committee hearings shone a light on the fact that all such inspections are announced in advance. While there may certainly be a benefit to having announced inspections, I believe periodic unannounced inspections are also necessary in order to ensure that facilities have a strong incentive to maintain conditions between announced inspections. This is certainly not a new concept; even our dairy farmers are subject to regular, unannounced inspections – resulting in higher quality operations overall. Please join me in sponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HB2463