AB 939

This bill requires the Department of Corrections to establish and maintain on

its website an interactive reporting system that reports all of the following for each

state correctional institution or county jail: 1) whether any type of restriction upon

an inmate or group of inmates that impacts availability for visitation periods or

communication is in effect at that state correctional institution, and if a restriction

is in effect, a statement identifying the reason that the restriction is in effect and how

long the restriction has been in effect; 2) the number of inmates who are currently

being held in solitary confinement; and 3) the total number of inmates being held.

The bill requires sheriffs to report to DOC the information about inmate

movement restrictions, solitary confinement, and inmate total in the county jail that

is required to be reported in the DOC reporting system on a weekly basis, and

requires DOC furnish sheriffs with instructions, a format, and the process for

sending the information.

Under the bill, the reporting system must be active six months after the bill's

passage, and until the reporting system is active, DOC must report to the

appropriate standing committees of the legislature twice per week on any partial or

full prison lockdowns that are currently in effect and once every three months on the

total number of individuals who have been placed in solitary confinement during

that three-month period.

The bill also requires DOC and sheriffs to establish and maintain a notification

system that allows up to three individuals designated by an inmate of a state

correctional institution or county jail the ability to elect to be automatically notified

via email, text message, or other electronic message within 24 hours of that inmate

being placed under any type of individual or group restriction that impacts

availability for visitation periods or other communication.