(a) A permanent legislative committee, to be known as the Joint Legislative Prison Oversight Committee, which shall be composed of eight members, two of whom shall be ex officio members and six of whom shall be appointed members, three each to be appointed by the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House, who shall both serve as the ex officio members, shall be formed to examine all aspects of the operations of the Department of Corrections. The chair of the committee shall be selected by and from among the membership.
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Terms Used In Alabama Code 29-2-20

  • circuit: means judicial circuit. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) The committee shall examine Alabama’s present and long term prison needs and they shall file reports of their findings and recommendations to the Legislature not later than the fifteenth legislative day of each regular session.
(c) The committee shall study and address mental health issues for prisoners reentering the community after a term of imprisonment in order to streamline the sharing of critical mental health information and in order to address barriers to accessing mental health treatment for prisoners. The committee shall report the findings to the Legislature not later than the fifteenth legislative day of each regular session, and shall work in conjunction with all of the following in studying and addressing the issues:

(1) Department of Corrections.
(2) Board of Pardons and Paroles.
(3) Department of Mental Health.
(4) Administrative Office of Courts.
(5) Office of Prosecution Services.
(6) Office of the Attorney General.
(7) Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.
(8) Association of County Commissions of Alabama.
(9) Alabama Probate Judges Association.
(10) Alabama Sheriffs’ Association.
(11) Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.
(12) Alabama Circuit Judges’ Association.
(13) Department of Public Health.
(14) Office of the Governor.
(15) Alabama District Attorneys Association.
(16) Alabama Drug Abuse Task Force.
(17) Any other advocacy groups as determined by the committee.
(d) The committee shall study and address issues related to felony restitution collection in order to improve rates of collection for restitution obligations in felony cases and establish best practices relating to a defendant‘s ability to pay obligations owed. The committee shall report the findings to the Legislature not later than the fifteenth legislative day of each regular session, and shall work in conjunction with all of the following in studying and addressing the issues:

(1) Department of Corrections.
(2) Board of Pardons and Paroles.
(3) Administrative Office of Courts.
(4) Office of Prosecution Services.
(5) Office of the Attorney General.
(6) Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.
(7) Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.
(8) Alabama Circuit Judges’ Association.
(9) Association of County Commissions of Alabama.
(10) Alabama Sheriffs’ Association.
(11) Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission.
(12) The Alabama Circuit Clerk’s Association.
(13) Two crime victims’ rights advocates designated by the Attorney General.
(14) Two members from the Alabama District Attorneys Association, of which one shall be from a largely populated metropolitan judicial circuit and the other shall be from a small, rurally populated judicial circuit.
(15) Any other advocacy groups as determined by the committee.
(e) The committee shall study and address capacity issues within the Department of Corrections to include, but not be limited to, the issue of design capacity and operational or functional capacity, as well as the construction of new prison facilities and the renovation of current correctional facilities as they relate to prison overcrowding and public safety. The committee shall report the findings to the Legislature not later than the fifteenth legislative day of each regular session, and shall work in conjunction with the following in studying and addressing the issues:

(1) Department of Corrections.
(2) Board of Pardons and Paroles.
(3) Department of Mental Health.
(4) Department of Public Health.
(5) Administrative Office of Courts.
(6) Office of Prosecution Services.
(7) Office of the Attorney General.
(8) Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.
(9) Alabama Drug Abuse Task Force.
(10) Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.
(11) Alabama Circuit Judges’ Association.
(12) Association of County Commissions of Alabama.
(13) Two members from the Alabama Sheriffs’ Association, of which one shall be from a largely populated metropolitan judicial circuit and the other shall be from a small, rurally populated judicial circuit.
(14) Two members from the Alabama District Attorneys Association, of which one shall be from a largely populated metropolitan judicial circuit and the other shall be from a small, rurally populated judicial circuit.
(f) The studies and collaborating partners provided for in this section shall reflect the racial, gender, geographic, urban/rural, and economic diversity of the state.
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