AB 725

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 affects availability for visiting periods or communication is in effect at that state correctional institution or county jail, 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 on a weekly basis the information about inmate movement restrictions, solitary confinement, and inmate total in the county jail that must be reported in the DOC reporting system and requires DOC to 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 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 affects availability for visiting periods or other communication.