GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

EXTRA SESSION 1994

S            	3 

SENATE BILL 39
Second Edition Engrossed 2/15/94
Third Edition Engrossed 2/25/94

Short Title: Inmate Job Training. 	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Jordan; Martin of Guilford, Conder, Parnell, Albertson, Warren, Edwards, Martin of Pitt, Daniel, Lee, Lucas, Ballance, Soles, Hoyle, Walker, Marshall, Harris, Odom, Gunter, Speed, Plyler, Sands, Seymour, Ward, Tally, and Forrester.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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February 9, 1994

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR PROVIDING INMATES WITH LITERACY AND JOB TRAINING SKILLS PRIOR TO RELEASE FROM PRISON.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The Department of Correction shall develop a plan for ensuring that inmates within the Department's custody for whom there is a reasonable likelihood that the prisoner will serve an active sentence of more than one year receive comprehensive skills training such that each inmate has, upon release from prison, the following:
(1)	To the extent practicable with respect to the inmate's abilities, at least a general education diploma,
(2)	Skills in how to seek, apply, and interview for employment, and
(3)	Marketable job skills in at least one job skills area of business or industry located in North Carolina, and which business or industry job skills area is considered to be an area where the demand for such job skills is expected to remain constant or experience growth over the five-year period following completion of training.
The plan shall provide that, to the extent practicable and permitted by law, each inmate complete the skills training as a condition of release from prison.
In developing the plan the Department may consult with the Department of Community Colleges, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services of the Department of Human Resources, the Employment Security Commission, and other State agencies to ensure that all State-funded job skills training programs available to inmates during and after incarceration utilize State funds in the most cost efficient and effective manner, avoid duplication of effort and, where appropriate, enhance the effectiveness of programs currently in existence.  In developing the plan in accordance with this section, the Department shall also consider the recommendations of the Prison Education Task Force of the Department of Community Colleges, as authorized by Section 105 of Chapter 321 of the 1993 Session Laws.  The plan shall be developed in sufficient time to ensure that inmates released from prison on or after January 1, 1996, have received the skills training required under this section.
Sec. 2. The Department of Correction shall report quarterly on the progress of its plan development to the Joint Legislative Corrections Oversight Committee and to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations beginning not later than October 1, 1994.
Sec. 3. This act is effective upon ratification.