You asked a number of questions about inmate accounts, employment, and education.

QUESTIONS ABOUT BILL CREATING INMATE DISCHARGE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

Summary of sHB 7217

In its current form as amended by House Amendment “A,” sHB 7217, requires the Department of Correction (DOC) to create a discharge savings account for each inmate to accumulate up to $ 1,000 payable to the inmate on discharge. It allows DOC to deduct up to 10% of any deposit into an inmate's individual account for transfer to the inmate's discharge savings account. Once the discharge savings account reaches $ 1,000, DOC must deduct 10% from any deposits to reimburse the state for the inmate's cost of incarceration, as necessary.

The bill requires placing the money an inmate receives for jobs he or she performs in an individual bank account for the inmate and authorizes funds to be transferred from it to the inmate's discharge savings account.

The bill excludes money in the discharge savings account from the state's claim for the inmate's costs of incarceration. But it reduces the amount payable to the inmate due to required payments under other statutes.

Does the bill require two separate accounts?

According to DOC, there would be two separate accounts: the discharge savings account would be a sub-account of the inmate's regular trust account.

Do inmate accounts currently earn interest payable to the inmate and would the accounts under the bill earn interest?

According to DOC, inmate accounts do not currently earn interest payable to the inmate.

Under CGS § 18-85, inmates receive compensation for performing services on behalf of the state and any interest that accrues is credited to any institutional fund established for the welfare of inmates.

As DOC interprets the current provisions of sHB 7217, the agency anticipates paying interest on the discharge savings accounts to inmates.

If an inmate dies in prison, does someone inherit money in the inmate's account currently? What would happen with the accounts under the bill?

According to DOC, currently the money in an inmate's account goes to a deceased inmate's estate, minus any funeral expenses paid by the state. DOC states that this also would occur with the bill's accounts.

INMATE EMPLOYMENT

How many inmates are currently employed?

According to DOC, for FY 07 there are:

1. 359 Correctional Industries positions;

2. 142 commissary positions;

3. no outside employment positions; and

4. based on facility pay plans, 11,592 approved positions in prisons with 7,580 filled as of May 2, 2007.

How much are inmates paid?

According to DOC, facility pay plans for positions in prisons have three hourly pay levels:

1. Level 1 = $ 0. 75

2. Level 2 = $ 1. 25

3. Level 3 = $ 1. 75

Correctional Industries pays $ 0. 30 to $ 1. 50 per hour. But some operations have production rate incentives that may pay more. They may pay the production amount as opposed to the hour rate, ranging from $ 0. 10 to $ 2. 00 per item.

Commissary pay ranges from $ 0. 30 to $ 1. 00 per hour.

INMATE EDUCATION

How many inmates take high school and college courses and earn course credits in prison?

DOC's Unified School District #1 Annual Report for 2005-2006 states that during 2005-2006, DOC enrolled 23,061 students, or 12,195 individual students. This includes:

1. 6,040 individuals participating in adult basic education,

2. 2,471 in the general educational development (GED) program,

3. 2,494 in vocational education, and

4. 669 in post-secondary programs.

Regarding high school classes, DOC awarded 621 GEDs and eight External Diploma Program Certificates of high school completion.

The report states that 297 students completed college courses. DOC offers college credit programs through a federal grant program, the Corrections Learning Network, correspondence courses, and the DANTES testing program. The report states that:

1. 270 students completed college courses, earning 810 college credits, in the Federal Youth Offender Grant program (state community college academic and vocational post-secondary courses, coupled with transition services, are offered to youth offenders who meet federal requirements for this grant program);

2. 27 ABE (adult basic education) to College students completed college courses within the Nellie Mae Grant program at Webster Correctional Institution (which prepares inmates to transition to college by funding a counselor and teacher to provide a curriculum to students);

3. 154 students participated in correspondence courses, 23 completed courses and received 69 credits; and

4. 53 students took part in the DANTES college testing program, with 10 students receiving 30 credits.

The report provides more information on DOC educational programs and a copy of the full report is attached. It is also available online at: http: //www. ct. gov/doc/lib/doc/PDF/PDFReport/EducationStatistics0506. pdf.

CR: ro