Transcript Highlights:

• And what percentage of the inmates or the population do you all serve?
• Speaker: ...percentage of the inmates or the population do you all serve?
• And what percentage of the inmates or the population do you all serve?
• And what percentage of the inmates or the population do you all serve?
• What percentage of the inmates or population do you serve?

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to get into that population.
• And when we talk to the inmates, because we have inmate councils. We have an amazing one at Angola.
• Our inmate—the DOC inmates—get in and out of there pretty quick, so we haven't been a part of that.
• So if you look at our population of inmates, you could go—anybody could go onto our website.
• So if you look at our population of inmates, you could go, anybody could go on to our website.

Summary: The committee heard FY27 budget presentations for the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, beginning with Public Safety Services. House Fiscal Division staff reviewed the department’s recommended budget of $645.9 million, including supplemental pay, State Police, Motor Vehicles, and the State Fire Marshal. Officials explained that the overall budget reflects a net decrease from FY26, driven largely by shifts in funding sources, removal of one-time statutory dedications, and adjustments tied to undercollections in fees and self-generated revenues. State Police was recommended at $459.7 million, OMV at $86.7 million, and the Fire Marshal at $41.1 million. Department leaders also described ongoing modernization efforts, staffing vacancies, and the use of efficiencies identified internally. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Burns and agency heads testified about State Police operations, including increased cadet graduations, improved Mardi Gras security, progress on APHIS and OMV modernization, and the new crime lab under construction. Members asked about undercollections, vacancies, the role of public tag agents, and whether the agency could expand counter-drone capabilities. Burns said the department has identified about $11 million in efficiencies, but warned that counter-drone work would require additional funding, citing a $4.5 million fiscal note for HB 940 and roughly $9 million more for a robust unit. OMV officials said staffing and retention remain difficult, but modernization should improve service and reduce lines; they also said the agency continues to rely on public tag agents and is working through reinstatement fee collection issues. The committee then reviewed the Department of Corrections FY27 budget, recommended at $902.3 million, with most funding from State General Fund and a large increase tied to higher incarceration costs, medical needs, overtime, and added capacity at Louisiana State Penitentiary. DOC officials said the department remains under pressure from vacancies, turnover, contraband, and medical costs, and that the budget includes funding to add 150 correctional officers at Angola and to house ICE detainees at Camp J. They also discussed criminal justice reinvestment savings, prison enterprises, and reentry programs funded through the Second Chance Act. Members asked about staffing, inmate deaths at Elaine Hunt, work-release pay, and whether the department is tracking the true long-term cost of incarceration. Officials said they are pursuing pay increases, recruitment, expanded training and reentry programs, and more data-driven workforce alignment, while acknowledging that many budget pressures remain unresolved.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our special management Inmates, which our psychiatric service unit serves about 41% of the jail population
• So for a general population, one inmate costs $266.82 a day.
• That's what it costs us to house one general population inmate.
• population of folks outside of the system.
• Most of the jail population is pre-adjudicated.

Transcript Highlights:

• for male inmates will be coming into the...
• So there is no net gain in our population, as you can see the trend line. population, as you can see
• 100 to 125 state inmates in the county jail. 125 state inmates in the county jail ready to be picked
• We also go out of state on inmate transports, where another state might have one of our inmates, and
• Yes, they've had inmates there, but...

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He said risk and threat can come from other inmates upon inmates or staff upon inmates, but the falsehood
• It can be other inmates upon inmates, or staff upon inmates.
• It can be other inmates upon inmates, as you said. It can be staff upon inmates.
• He said risk and threat can come from other inmates upon inmates, or staff upon inmates, and that the
• It can be other inmates upon inmates, as you said, or staff upon inmates.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• A 50% increase in inmate-on-inmate assaults in our system.
• Now the facts: the population has increased by 10,000 inmates since 2021.
• This is in large part due to that increase in population. We've increased 10,000 inmates.
• The population, again, has increased 10,000 inmates.
• The population, again, has increased 10,000 inmates.

Summary: The committee met to hear fiscal year 2026-2027 legislative budget requests from several justice-related agencies. The Florida Commission on Offender Review requested funding for investigator and revocation staff salary increases to address turnover, plus nonrecurring funds for Wi-Fi, seven vehicles, technology support, and commissioner salary adjustments. The State Courts Administrator presented a broad judicial branch request focused on trial court case-management technology, additional case managers, trust fund authority for child support hearing officers, courthouse furnishings, district court flexibility in staffing, a future courthouse for the Sixth District Court of Appeal, Supreme Court elevator replacement, POM accounting implementation support, judicial security liaison positions tied to the Florida Fusion Center, expanded senior management service authority, and judicial salary adjustments. The Office of the Attorney General outlined pay and operating requests for consumer protection, citizen services, ethics, crime compensation, victim services, vehicle replacement, IT and cybersecurity, lease and operating costs, and PALM-related expenses, while several senators questioned the office about outside counsel contracts, contingency-fee arrangements, transparency, and the use of private law firms. The Department of Corrections made the largest presentation, describing severe staffing shortages, high turnover, rising inmate populations, increased assaults, and heavy overtime use. Secretary Ricky Dixon said the agency’s request was driven by constitutional and public safety needs and included funding for operations, security equipment, inflationary costs, vehicle replacement, offender information system modernization, technology restoration, inmate health services, drug and food cost increases, staffing pilots, maintenance, security infrastructure, Florida PALM, recruitment and retention, and $56 million for new correctional housing units. Members asked about inmate labor, prison safety, overtime, vehicle breakdowns, and whether more National Guard support was needed; Dixon said the agency needed more staffing and pay competitiveness rather than a long-term military presence. A correctional officers’ union representative also urged support for pay raises, citing low pay and staffing concerns. No votes were taken on the budget requests. The chair allowed extended questioning, especially for the Department of Corrections, but noted time constraints and asked agencies to return in a later committee meeting, including FDLE, which was deferred because of a House site visit.

Transcript Highlights:

• They represent the largest portion of what is commonly referred to as the county inmate population.
• If a jail cannot meet inmates.
• </c> eligible for this particular population. eligible for this particular population.
• Not every other state has counties contracting to house state inmate populations. >> Okay. >> So, Kentucky's
• </c> state inmate populations. state inmate populations. &gt;&gt; Okay. &gt;&gt; Okay.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the October 21 minutes, and then heard a KO presentation focused on county jail funding pressures. KO leaders and county judges said jail costs have become a statewide crisis, noting that county general fund contributions to jail budgets have risen sharply since 2019. They said the organization’s sole legislative priority this session is to “reshape the shared responsibility” for county jails through three main proposals: incentivizing regional jails, clarifying responsibility for pre-trial felony detainees, and changing the model for housing state inmates. On regional jails, KO proposed one-time state construction help for new or expanded regional facilities, allowing former county jails to become 96-hour holdover facilities, changing regional jail authority boards so each participating county jailer can serve, increasing the closed-jail supplement, and offering a one-time payment to counties that close a jail and join a regional plan. On pre-trial felony detainees, Judge Mosley argued counties bear the full cost for people held before trial, sometimes for years, and said counties should be reimbursed for time served credit when those inmates are later sentenced. On state inmates, KO said the current per diem of $35.34 is below the average daily county jail cost of $63.44, and proposed a new contract model requiring the Department of Corrections to pay actual housing costs while counties provide agreed programming such as substance use treatment, cognitive behavioral programming, re-entry services, workforce training, and academic programming. Members asked about the fiscal impact of the package, the feasibility of regional jail population thresholds, and whether the proposal could affect counties’ ability to house federal inmates. KO said regionalization should remain a local decision, that a bill draft and fiscal note were being developed, and that only certain jails are eligible to house federal inmates under existing agreements. Representative Maddox also asked about social media comments by Judge Mosley regarding homeschooling; Mosley said the remarks were unrelated to KO and apologized for any offense. Senator Mills asked what counties would do with savings from jail costs, and judges said the money would likely go to local services such as roads, ambulance service, senior programs, parks, economic development, infrastructure, broadband, and water projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• populations in all of our facilities.
• population.
• And so, it sounds like you're also trying to consolidate the inmate population, but there are restrictions
• population.
• Working with the most at-risk inmates. Is that not true?

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of its prison population out of state. of its prison population out of state.
• with Hawaii inmates in Sigaro.
• But we do not allow them to house other inmates with our inmates.
• </c> states with Hawaii inmates in Sigaro. states with Hawaii inmates in Sigaro.
• </c> house other inmates with our inmates. house other inmates with our inmates.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard three resolutions first. STR 32/SR 18 asked the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to work with the Department of Transportation to use inmate work furlough programs for state roadway and highway maintenance. Testimony was generally supportive of the intent, but the Correctional System Oversight Commission raised concerns about using work furlough for maintenance and emphasized that participants should be paid at least minimum wage, be able to meet restitution and support obligations, and not have their release timing affected. The measures were later recommended and adopted by both committees with no amendments in the joint portion. STR 199/SR 179 concerned increased caution regarding foreign infrastructure. There was no public testimony. In decision-making, the committees split the measures: STR 199 was deferred because of a similar measure, while SR 179 was passed with amendments. The amendments were described as clarifying Hawaii’s goals of self-sufficiency, local self-reliance, and self-determination, and encouraging scrutiny by departments and agencies to reduce dependence on imports. STR 231/SR 207, which would direct DOT to install electronic equipment at state airports and harbors to scan for illegal fireworks, drew mixed testimony, including support from the Oahu Filipino Community Council and comments from Matson Navigation. DOT said it supported the intent. The committees adopted amendments to address Matson’s concerns by moving inspections to a place outside the immediate loading and unloading area, and both committees passed the measures as amended. The Public Safety and Military Affairs committee then took up additional resolutions. STR 113/SR 94, designating Hawaii as a Purple Heart state on August 7, 2025, received no testimony and was not discussed further. STR 204/SR 164, asking the Department of Law Enforcement for information on disposal, detonation, and destruction of explosive fireworks and similar hazardous materials, also drew no testimony in the excerpt. STR 107/SR 88, urging military branches in Hawaii to provide hurricane-resistant shelters for active and retired personnel and families, likewise received no testimony. STR 148/SR 119, supporting construction of a floating dry dock at Pearl Harbor, drew broad support from industry, military, and state economic development representatives. STR 149/SR 120, creating a vegetation management working group to address wildfire risk, received extensive testimony in support and comments, with speakers from DCCA, PUC, Hawaiian Electric, IBW 1260, Hawaiʻi Telecom, and Kamehameha Schools discussing wildfire hazards, responsibility for vegetation near utility infrastructure, and the need to include workers and landowners in the process. STR 126/SR 105, calling for an incremental reduction in the number of inmates housed in private out-of-state facilities, prompted a lengthy discussion with DCR. The director said Hawaii’s out-of-state incarceration is driven by overcrowding and security needs, not a quota, described the per-person-per-day cost of CoreCivic housing, noted that Hawaii pays about $96 per inmate per day out of state versus about $37 in-state, and said the department is working on a master plan and future facility needs. The committee also discussed the need for a new prison and possibly a new jail. The excerpt ends with the committee still in discussion, without showing a final vote on STR 126/SR 105.

Transcript Highlights:

• to get into that population.
• And when we talk to the inmates, because we have inmate councils. We have an amazing one at Angola.
• And when we talk to the inmates, because we have inmate councils. We have an amazing one at Angola.
• If you look at our population of inmates, you could go—anybody could go onto our website.
• of availability is there for our female inmates.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first issue addresses the rising inmate population you just heard about at TDCJ.
• We used to have a restrictive housing population or ADSEG of about 9,000 inmates.
• We also have x-ray scanners that we can use for our inmate population to better help us see things we
• need to see within the inmate population.
• And what percentage of the inmates or the population do y'all serve? What numbers?

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard the Legislative Budget Board’s overview of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s 2026-27 budget, followed by extensive testimony from DPS leadership. The LBB presentation covered funding and staffing changes across driver license services, facilities, troopers and recruit schools, crime labs, vehicle and aircraft operations, and border security. The recommendations included added support for customer service staffing and trooper hiring, but did not include several DPS exceptional items such as major driver license staffing and technology requests, new regional headquarters in El Paso and San Antonio, and other capital projects. Members also discussed proposed rider changes, including a new rider to lapse unused trooper funding and require reporting after recruit schools. Much of the committee’s questioning focused on driver license operations, where senators criticized long call wait times, low call-answer rates, appointment delays, and what they viewed as an overreliance on adding staff rather than improving processes. DPS and LBB witnesses said the agency is pursuing some technology upgrades, including automation, online pre-population of applications, and appointment-system improvements, but acknowledged that the driver license division remains a major problem area. Senators also raised concerns about whether the 2019 efficiency study led to meaningful changes and whether the agency should consider broader process redesign or even a different administrative structure. Colonel Freeman and other DPS officials then defended the agency’s broader law enforcement and border-security work, emphasizing the need for the Williamson County training academy, the 500 additional troopers funded in prior sessions, and continued support for Operation Lone Star. They described DPS’s role in border interdiction, threat-to-life investigations, oilfield theft cases, Capitol and Alamo security, and highway safety, and said the agency is stretched thin by deployments and overtime. Members asked about border reimbursement possibilities, regional staffing differences, pursuit safety, fleet and aircraft replacement needs, and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame museum. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• DOC's second-largest inmate population is behind that of MCI Norfolk, based on my personal knowledge
• At Susan Baranowski, general population inmates' out-of-cell time is restricted to less than four hours
• As is, it constitutes inequitable treatment of an inmate population having the same custody and security
• Massachusetts inmate population is deserving of this evidence-based model, which indicates that less
• This state has the highest percentage of elderly in the inmate population.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security focused on several correction-related bills, including visitation reform, elder and medical parole, incarcerated persons’ human rights, and creation of an independent correctional oversight office. Vice Chair Christopher Worrell chaired the hearing in place of Chair Dan Cahill for much of the session and explained that the committee would first hear from incarcerated individuals remotely, then move to public testimony. The committee repeatedly enforced three-minute limits and accepted written testimony as well. Much of the testimony from incarcerated people emphasized that visitation is central to rehabilitation, family stability, and reentry, and that current DOC policies—visitor caps, pre-approval requirements, scheduling rules, dress-code enforcement, and restrictions on contact—have reduced family contact and caused harm. Several speakers argued that elderly and medically frail prisoners should be released through parole because incarceration is costly, ineffective, and inhumane for people who pose little public-safety risk. Others described poor prison conditions, limited programming, inadequate healthcare, segregation-like housing, and the impact of K2 use, suicides, and self-harm. Supporters of the oversight bill said an independent office is needed to address racial disparities, grievance failures, and lack of accountability within the DOC. A number of speakers tied their support to personal experiences, including alleged racial discrimination, denial of programs, and barriers to family visits. Some testified that rehabilitative programming, education, and restorative justice reduce violence and improve outcomes, while others said the DOC spends too little on programming and too much on punishment. Committee members asked a few follow-up questions, including about K2 contraband and how to reduce drugs in facilities, and one member asked about typical visitation lengths. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony on the bills and several witnesses urged favorable reports.

Transcript Highlights:

• For our detainee and offender population, just gives you a breakdown of our population.
• of our population we have breakdown of our population we have pre-trial<00:18:48.840><c> detainees</
• This is so difficult, the post-booking population, as well as the pre-trial population.
• This is so difficult, the post-booking population, as well as the pre-trial population.
• This is so difficult, the post-booking population, as well as the pre-trial population.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , not only our population but how we.
• We're at a 1.7% increase in population right now.
• We are very proud of our recidivism rate, the number of inmate-on-inmate assaults with serious injury
• Inmate-on-inmate assaults have stayed somewhat flat.
• Inmate counts were taken 2.5 hours.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• population, I would love to.
• population, I would love to.
• Post-COVID and as it relates to the inmate population, I would like to draw your attention to January
• Now the inmates we're getting are more violent.
• Another shocking statistic: with the aging population, the volatile inmates, the violence, the self-harm

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice heard an update from Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon on staffing, overtime, capital needs, and inmate population growth. Dixon said the prison population has risen by about 8,000 since January 2021 while staffing has not kept pace, forcing the agency to open 53 housing units without funded positions and rely heavily on overtime and National Guard support. He cited a $189 million deficit tied to salaries and overtime, noted that most staff have less than three years of experience, and argued the solution is to fully fund posts for operational housing units. He also reviewed the department’s fixed capital outlay projects, including repairs, new housing construction, and medical modular units intended to reduce outside hospital transports, and gave an update on the VINE victim notification system and its expansion. The committee then heard from Florida clerks of court representatives Jason Welty and Miami-Dade Clerk Juan Fernandez-Barquin, who described clerks’ court-related and county duties and said clerk budgets have not kept pace with the broader justice system. They requested reimbursements for injunctions for protection ($3.3 million), Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator cases ($2.5 million), and juror management ($4.8 million), and said future funding for new judges should include the full courtroom system, not judges alone. Fernandez-Barquin also raised concerns about unfunded mandates, rising retirement and health costs, low court-side pay, and the need to revisit filing fees and trust fund allocations. Members asked about collections, payment plans, license suspensions, and whether some fees or trust fund distributions could be redirected; the governor’s budget had already picked up the $2.5 million request for Baker/Marchman/SVP cases. During public testimony, speakers urged broader criminal justice reforms and additional funding priorities. A prosecutor emphasized that adding judges requires funding for prosecutors, public defenders, and clerks as well. Other speakers called for parole or long-term sentencing reform to reduce prison populations and costs, criticized staffing and conditions in prisons, and raised concerns about inexperienced correctional officers, visitation delays, and lack of air conditioning in some facilities. The committee took no substantive votes on the items discussed and adjourned after hearing the presentations and public comments.

Transcript Highlights:

• complex population on average.
• Matter of fact, very few of us could call them inmates. From warehousing inmates. We don't do it.
• So we want to look at what's And populations.
• , not increase the populations.
• Numbers and the growth in that population.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission on correctional consolidation and collaboration heard testimony focused on how Massachusetts uses custody levels, staffing, programming, and medical release tools, with Prisoners’ Legal Services arguing that the system is overusing expensive high-security settings and underusing step-down options. Dave Rainey said the incarcerated population has dropped substantially over the last several years, but spending and staffing have not fallen in proportion. He argued that DOC overclassifies people into medium and maximum security, relies too heavily on behavioral assessment units that function like segregation, and keeps people in restrictive settings such as Souza-Baranowski and Shattuck Hospital longer than necessary. He also said medical parole is underused and that many people with serious chronic illness or advanced age pose little public-safety risk and should be released through existing legal pathways. Sheriffs and other commission members pushed back on some of those points, emphasizing that staffing needs are driven by the acuity of the current population, that corrections is not overstaffed, and that classification decisions involve serious public-safety judgments. They also stressed that some high-cost medical placements are necessary because people remain under sentence and require care, and that furloughs and other release tools can create security risks if contraband or substance use is involved. The discussion also covered the role of county sheriffs versus DOC in reentry, with several members saying county systems tend to do more day-to-day step-down and release planning, while DOC has more difficulty moving people through lower-security settings before release. Ben Foreman of MassINC offered a more systemwide, data-focused perspective, praising the state’s transparency and arguing that Massachusetts has made major progress in reducing incarceration and increasing public safety. He said the state still has an opportunity to improve by right-sizing facilities, investing in community-based mental health treatment, and using the commission to better understand the capital and operating costs of the current system. In response to questions, he said he was aware of DOC studies on programs like furlough but had not reviewed recent ones, and he noted that total-control facilities like Souza-Baranowski have long been criticized in the research literature for poor outcomes. Nora Wassel of the Women and Incarceration Project then testified that the commission should issue an interim report and scrutinize the planned new women’s prison, which she said is not justified by current population trends or available data. She argued that women are overclassified under DOC’s own tools, that reentry beds and minimum-security placements are underused, and that the system may be failing to account for women’s distinct medical and reentry needs. The meeting ended with continued discussion of reentry, furloughs, day reporting, and whether consolidation should mean fewer facilities, better step-down pathways, or both.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Schwarz asks about the importance of having a female-only space for inmates.
• It's not a huge population.
• </c><00:28:23.120><c> in</c> from a trans identifying male inmate in from a trans identifying male inmate
• you</c> can be other inmates upon inmates as you can be other inmates upon inmates as you said<00:36:
• </c><00:36:31.160><c> but</c> said it can be staff upon inmates but said it can be staff upon inmates

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the 30% of the general population the 30% of the general population uh<00:03:55.599><c> prison</
• </c> uh prison population in me in Michigan. uh prison population in me in Michigan.
• </c> House Bill Five, qual qualifying inmates House Bill Five, qual qualifying inmates will<00:05:08.960
• </c><00:10:00.880><c> less</c> inmates who are substantially less inmates who are substantially less
• The inmate leaves his family behind.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, this bill has to do with the, with invasive searches of female inmates within TDCJ.
• And most of the time, admittedly so, it is male inmates.
• My class of 16 inmates was led into a large empty room and told to get naked every morning.
• House Bill 3618 is a step in restoring dignity and encouraging programming for female inmates.
• Approximately 1/3 of the women's jail prison population suffers from some form of depression.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to make it clear: we want to bring our inmates home, but I do not control the population in the
• </c> not control the population in the state. not control the population in the state.
• </c> present there are 818 inmates there. present there are 818 inmates there.
• The population controls the population.
• </c> inmates in 1995. inmates in 1995.

Bills: HB1769

Keywords: criminal justice reform, rehabilitation, private prisons, racial equity, Native Hawaiians, community well-being, mass incarceration, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1769, which would require the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to incrementally reduce the number of people incarcerated in private out-of-state correctional institutions. The DCR director opposed the bill, saying the department does not control overall prison population levels because courts determine admissions, and arguing that Hawaiʻi’s in-state facilities are already over capacity, especially Halawa, which he said is 165% over design capacity. He said only a small portion of the population is under departmental control through furlough programs and argued that bringing people home would require building a new medium-security prison. Supporters, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, the Public Defender’s office, and several individuals, argued the bill creates a phased, accountable path to reduce reliance on mainland prisons and bring people home. Supporters emphasized the harms of separating incarcerated people from ʻohana and culture, the disproportionate impact on Native Hawaiians, and the need for diversion, treatment, re-entry support, and fair sentencing. Several testifiers also said the department has more control than it claimed, pointing to underused furlough options, reclassification, and empty beds at some in-state facilities, while others urged clearer statutory language and guardrails. Members questioned the director about whether people could be reclassified or moved to available beds at facilities such as Kulani and Waiawa, and about whether the department could do more through staffing and contract changes. The director said some proposals had been sent to the Department of Human Resource Development, but that major facility changes would be costly and that minimum-security facilities would need substantial upgrades to house medium-security inmates. After discussion, the chair said the committee would defer HB 1769 to Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. for decision-making and adjourned the meeting.