PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo wants to reform the state’s criminal justice system through a series of proposals in her budget and administrative actions.
The Democratic governor released a nearly $10.2 billion state budget plan this month. The legislature will review the proposals and present its plan before the 2021 fiscal year begins in July.
The budget includes recommendations from Raimondo’s working group on criminal and juvenile justice. Among them, the proposal seeks to improve discharge planning, shift staffing to improve access to health care, update the parole statute to include geriatric parole and provide incestives for work release programs. Raimondo is also looking to bring her signature workforce training program to prisons.
She said last week that her administration is also taking action to ensure a more seamless transition to public benefits upon discharge from prison or juvenile detention, and improve youth employment opportunities and services at the hearing board that diverts youth from traditional prosecution.
“These new reforms will help eliminate barriers to reentry and shift the focus of our juvenile justice system towards rehabilitation and opportunity,” Raimondo said in a statement.
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