53B-35-202. Council duties — Reporting.
| (1) |
The council shall:
Terms Used In Utah Code 53B-35-202- Board: means the Utah Board of Higher Education described in Section 53B-1-402. See Utah Code 53B-1-101.5
- council: means the Higher Education and Corrections Council created in Section 53B-35-201. See Utah Code 53B-35-101
- Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
| (a) |
coordinate, facilitate, and support the delivery of higher education in the state‘s correctional facilities to prepare incarcerated individuals for integration and productive employment upon release; |
| (b) |
explore and provide recommendations to the board and the Utah Department of Corrections for the efficient and effective delivery of higher education programs to incarcerated individuals, including:
| (i) |
evidence-based practices and technologies; |
| (ii) |
methods of maximizing and facilitating incarcerated individuals’ access to educational programs; |
| (iii) |
methods of supporting and facilitating timely completion of courses, certificates, and degrees; |
| (iv) |
methods of emphasizing educational programs that:
| (A) |
align with current and future workforce demands of the state; |
| (B) |
lead to occupations that are accessible to released incarcerated individuals; |
| (C) |
provide sustainable wages following release; and |
| (D) |
maximize accessibility and timely completion during incarceration; |
|
| (v) |
use of cross-institutional application of coursework toward certificates and degrees; |
| (vi) |
use of coursework that encourages personal and civic development; and |
| (vii) |
methods of leveraging innovative course delivery, including technology resources; |
|
| (c) |
explore methods and make recommendations for the collection and analysis of critical data regarding:
| (i) |
enrollment and completion of postsecondary education courses, certificate programs, credentials, and degree programs; |
| (ii) |
federal and state student aid awarded to incarcerated individuals; |
| (iii) |
costs of postsecondary education in prison, including any recommendations for continued improvement; and |
| (iv) |
outcomes of formerly incarcerated individuals who participated in postsecondary programming during incarceration if the individual is under the supervision of the Department of Corrections, including recidivism, employment, and post-release postsecondary education engagement; and |
|
| (d) |
recommend requests for legislative appropriations to the board to support the purposes and objectives of the council. |
|
| (2) |
The council shall annually report regarding the council’s plans and programs, the number of enrollees served, and the number of enrollees receiving degrees and certificates to:
| (b) |
before the committee’s November interim committee meeting, the Education Interim Committee; and |
| (c) |
at least 30 days before the beginning of the annual legislative session, the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee. |
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Enacted by Chapter 147, 2022 General Session
Technically renumbered to avoid duplication of enacted Chapter also enacted in SB 226, Chapter 461.
