Division of Correction - Volunteer Services Program
Summary
HB108 establishes a new Release Preparation Volunteer Services Program within the Division of Correction. The program is intended to give incarcerated people access to volunteers who can help with release preparation, and it expressly includes formerly incarcerated individuals and organizations led by formerly incarcerated individuals as eligible volunteers. The Division of Correction must create a registration protocol for volunteers, submit that protocol to the Attorney General for approval, keep a record of registered volunteers, and allow volunteers who are formerly incarcerated to provide a written schedule for facility access.
The bill also amends the Cannabis Regulation and Enforcement Fund to make the fund available to support the new release-preparation program. In addition to its existing uses for administering and enforcing cannabis law and supporting the Social Equity Partnership Grant Program, the fund may now be used to cover costs associated with the volunteer services program. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.
Impact
HB108 adds a new section to the Correctional Services Article creating a statewide correctional-facility volunteer program focused on reentry and release preparation, and it modifies the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article to expand the allowable uses of the Cannabis Regulation and Enforcement Fund. The measure affects the Division of Correction’s operational procedures by requiring volunteer registration, Attorney General review of the protocol, recordkeeping, and rules governing access and scheduling in state correctional facilities. It also creates a new funding pathway for reentry-related services by authorizing cannabis-related revenues to support the program.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and moved through both chambers overwhelmingly. The recorded third-reading votes were 126-2 in the House and 41-0 in the Senate, indicating strong approval with very limited opposition. No committee transcript was provided, but the final vote totals suggest the measure was generally viewed favorably as a reentry and correctional-services initiative.
Contention
The main policy questions raised by the bill are likely to concern security, transparency, and public access. The bill requires the Division of Correction to register volunteers and submit a protocol for Attorney General approval, and it allows formerly incarcerated volunteers to choose whether their names are made public, which balances privacy with transparency. Another possible point of discussion is the use of the Cannabis Regulation and Enforcement Fund to finance a correctional reentry program, since that ties cannabis revenues to prison-release services rather than solely to cannabis regulation and equity programs. No specific objections are reflected in the provided transcripts, and the recorded votes suggest any concerns were limited.