Assembly Bill No. 241–Assemblywoman Angle

 

February 26, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Concurrent Committees on Judiciary
and Ways and Means

 

SUMMARY—Requires Director of Department of Prisons to establish pilot program to improve literacy of offenders. (BDR S‑653)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: No.

                                    Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation not included in Executive Budget.

 

~

 

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to prisons; requiring the Director of the Department of Prisons to establish a pilot program to improve the literacy of offenders; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. 1.  The Director of the Department of Prisons shall

1-2  establish a pilot program to improve the literacy of offenders that is

1-3  patterned after the program in Arizona known as “Action Reading” and

1-4  that includes a successful 96-hour pronunciation course for English as a

1-5  Second Language adult students adapted by a Nevada adult basic education

1-6  program from the Action Reading and Focus on Phonics programs. The

1-7  Director shall select one prison of medium security in this state in which to

1-8  carry out the program. The Director may accept gifts and grants from any

1-9  source for the support of the program.

1-10    2.  The pilot program to improve the literacy of offenders established

1-11  by the Director must provide that:

1-12    (a) An offender who enters the prison must be tested to determine his

1-13  level of literacy;

1-14    (b) If the offender’s level of literacy is below the level designated by the

1-15  board of state prison commissioners pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS

1-16  209.393, the offender must be given the option of voluntarily participating

1-17  in the program; and

1-18    (c) An offender who participates in the program must agree to adhere

1-19  strictly to all rules and regulations of the prison in a manner that is

1-20  respectful to the correctional officers and other employees of the prison

2-1  and to comply with all standards of personal hygiene established by the

2-2  Director.

2-3    3.  The warden of the prison selected for the pilot program shall obtain

2-4  and provide to the Director of the Department of Prisons appropriate

2-5  statistical information to:

2-6    (a) Evaluate the success of the program;

2-7    (b) Allow the participants in the program to function as a control group

2-8  for comparative research; and

2-9    (c) Assist in the implementation at other locations of effective programs

2-10  to improve the literacy of offenders.

2-11    4.  On or before February 1, 2003, the Director of the Department of

2-12  Prisons shall submit a written report to the Director of the Legislative

2-13  Counsel Bureau for transmission to the 72nd session of the Nevada

2-14  Legislature that evaluates the success of the pilot program established by

2-15  the Director and makes recommendations for any appropriate statutory

2-16  changes.

2-17    Sec. 2.  1.  There is hereby appropriated from the state general fund

2-18  to the Department of Prisons the sum of $50,000.

2-19    2.  The money appropriated by subsection 1 must be used for:

2-20    (a) Such personnel as are necessary to carry out the pilot program

2-21  required by section 1 of this act, including, without limitation:

2-22      (1) A literacy specialist; and

2-23      (2) A master tutor and an appropriate number of additional tutors;

2-24    (b) The expenses of travel and subsistence necessarily incurred to carry

2-25  out the pilot program required by section 1 of this act; and

2-26    (c) A clinical researcher to prepare the report required by subsection 4

2-27  of section 1 of this act.

2-28    3.  Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection 1

2-29  must not be committed for expenditure after June 30, 2003, and reverts to

2-30  the state general fund as soon as all payments of money committed have

2-31  been made.

2-32    Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2001.

 

2-33  H