AN ACT CONCERNING CHILDREN OF INCARCERATED PARENTS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2008) The Department of Correction shall create, within available appropriations, a position within the department to focus on issues concerning children with incarcerated parents. The person holding the position shall report directly to the Commissioner of Correction and the director of programs and treatment, and shall be responsible for: (1) Strategic planning, including developing short and long-term goals for providing services to children of incarcerated parents; (2) assisting with family reunification through re-entry planning and community referrals; (3) acting as a liaison between the correctional facility and community providers to ensure continuity of care for discharging offenders and their children; (4) gathering and evaluating data on the children and families of offenders to determine the impact of services on recidivism and intergenerational incarceration; (5) identifying agency training needs to increase staff awareness and services for children and offenders; and (6) participating in a collaborative oversight committee to guide services for children of incarcerated parents.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2008) (a) The Department of Correction shall establish, within available appropriations, a grant program to address issues concerning incarcerated parents. The program shall: (1) Provide early intervention services to break the cycle of crime; (2) strengthen families' ability to care for children; (3) help families maintain ties during incarceration; and (4) promote family reunification upon release.

(b) The department shall provide grants to entities offering services to families with incarcerated parents to: (1) Address the needs of incarcerated parents and their families in a cohesive manner that seeks to break the cycle of incarceration; (2) promote the positive development of children; (3) prevent the children of incarcerated parents from joining gangs; and (4) engage parents and caregivers in competent parenting and educational activities. The services shall focus on the dynamics of the family unit and the significant role that family relationships play in helping offenders rebuild their lives. Such services will be linked to both community agency and criminal justice programs.

(c) The Commissioner of Correction shall report, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the judiciary and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, and to the select committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children by July 1, 2009, and annually thereafter on the progress of the grant program in reaching its goals.

Statement of Purpose:

To provide services to children with incarcerated parents.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]