Video & Transcript : 'jails' :
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WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session Feb 4th, 2026 at 10:30 am
Washington House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- of jail searches do so.
- of jail searches do so. yet published standards for these types of jail searches do so.
- We can't let the inmates run the jail.
- City and county jails often have different male and female jails.
- I know jails often have different male and female jails.
Summary:
The House met with a quorum, opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer, and then moved to second reading of House Bill 1604, a bill addressing standards for strip searches in local jails and related correctional procedures. The bill was described by supporters as implementing and clarifying existing federal law and providing local jails with clearer rules, while opponents argued it would create liability, staffing, bargaining, and operational problems, and would force female correctional officers to perform searches they objected to on privacy, consent, or religious grounds.
Members debated a series of amendments, most of which were rejected. Amendment 1470, changing the implementation date from 2025 to 2026, was adopted. Amendment 1492, which would have added intent language and liability protections, failed. Amendment 1494, requiring same-sex staff for invasive searches with a medical exception, failed. Amendment 1493, creating a religious accommodation process for staff, failed. Amendment 1491, focused on consent and boundaries for female officers, failed on a recorded vote of 37 yeas and 50 nays. Amendments 1495, 1496, and 1497, which would have expanded exigent circumstances, limited repeated gender-identity changes, or allowed temporary restraint when no appropriate search staff were available, also failed. A striking amendment to replace the bill entirely was likewise rejected.
On final passage, supporters said the bill would help local officials comply with federal and state requirements while protecting dignity and safety for incarcerated people. Opponents repeated concerns that the bill would be difficult to administer and would burden or endanger staff, especially women officers. The House then passed engrossed House Bill 1604 by a vote of 56 yeas to 39 nays, with three excused, and adjourned floor action for the day.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
S/C on County & Regional Government Apr 14th, 2025
S/C on County & Regional Government
Transcript Highlights:
- County Jail, and since...
- Someone is in your jail.
- Well, sir, I'm not a jail expert. I don't know all the databases in the jail.
- in the jail.
- The jail enforcement model allows county jails to hold ICE detainees for the federal government.
Keywords:
transportation, infrastructure, funding, state budget, public safety, child welfare, county boards, membership, local governance, public welfare, government service, social services, Texas Family Code, regulation, vendors, solicitors, roadside sales, county authority, Sweeny Hospital District, board of directors
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Lack of capacity can impact a small rural county jail just as easily as a large metropolitan county jail
- Most of our county jails.
- Um, our jail was full.
- That's just on the jail. uh, and again, we have lots of interaction with the state, uh, on the jail.
- that our jail failed jail standards due to a death.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- county jail.
- Are just as much of a challenge for a rural county jail as the 200 in the Harris County jail.
- for a high-performing jail if a jail is failing inspections And at the six-month mark, they're still
- That's just on the jail and again we have lots of interaction with the state on the jail.
- Jail. Standards due to a death.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The person is harder to stabilize in jail, and jail capacity increases.
- But you're only doing 10 real days in jail, as you know. in jail.
- Dallas County was troubling municipal jails and their county jail both.
- Then I moved on to run our jail program, our jail mental health program.
- and state jails?
TX
Texas 89th Regular
S/C on County & Regional Government Apr 28th, 2025
S/C on County & Regional Government
Transcript Highlights:
- held in our county jails.
- I'm a volunteer for Texas Jail Project. ...which is a statewide nonprofit group working on county jail
- can investigate the jail deaths.
- And we want to make sure that these jails have oversight, rather, that the jails have.
- No, this bill would help every county because it would apply to any county jail. ...or any jail that
Bills:
HB2814, HB4477, HB5084, HB5108, HB5127, HB5383, HB5611, HB5663, HB5664, SB1563, HB2668, HB3841, HB4114
Keywords:
juvenile justice, release documents, children, identification, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, civil service, staffing requirements, local government, positions exemption, Texas legislation, fireworks, Lunar New Year, retail permits, public safety, Texas law, holiday sales, HB 5108, deaths in custody, custodial death, jail death
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session Feb 4th, 2026
Washington House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- of jail searches do so.
- We can't let the inmates run the jail.
- City and county jails often have different male and female jails.
- I know jails often have different male and female jails.
- I don't believe by intent, but definitely by effect, is a jail killer, a jail killer for cities and counties
Summary:
The House convened, established a quorum, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard a prayer from a Scouting America leader. After caucuses and routine introduction and committee-report actions, the chamber took up House Bill 1604, dealing with standards for strip searches in local jails and related correctional procedures. Supporters said the bill would align local jails with existing federal law and provide clearer standards for staff and administrators; opponents argued it would create liability, staffing, and operational problems, and force female officers into unwanted searches of male inmates.
A series of amendments were debated and mostly rejected. Failed amendments sought to add liability protections, require same-sex searches, create religious accommodations for staff, broaden exigent circumstances, limit how often an inmate could change gender identity, and allow staff to decline searches or delay them when no appropriate staff were available. One amendment changing the implementation date from 2025 to 2026 was adopted. The final striking amendment was also defeated.
The bill was then advanced to third reading and final passage as Engrossed House Bill 1604. In closing debate, supporters emphasized public safety, dignity, and compliance with federal standards, while opponents repeated concerns about consent, staffing, and jail administration. The House passed the bill 56-39, with three excused, and the floor session ended afterward.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Local Government (11-20-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- Today, Kentucky has 70 full-service jails and three life safety jails.
- </c> with a closed jail. with a closed jail.
- </c> regional jail authority. regional jail authority.
- </c> non-citizens are currently in our jails? non-citizens are currently in our jails?
- </c> the jail. the jail.
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.
TX
Texas 89th 2nd C.S.
S/C on County & Regional Government Apr 28th, 2025
S/C on County & Regional Government
Transcript Highlights:
- jail standards.
- But Evan was murdered in the Harris County Jail March 22, 2022.
- I feel like this bill can help Harris County jail.
- Brandon Wood, executive director, Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
- We primarily focus on assisting jails meeting those minimum jail standards, the minimum that is set in
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- I work. hand-in-hand with the probate court to divert low-level offenders from jail to jail. treatment
- County jails and mental health issues.
- We incentivize people to remain in jail as opposed to getting out of jail. and serving their community
- We don't want anybody to go to jail.
- So it's already a state jail felony.
Keywords:
false reporting, emergency response, criminal penalties, restitution, public safety, penalties, emergency services, public institutions, false reports, criminal penalty, pretrial hearings, criminal competency, legal process, court timelines, restoration of competency, fines, community service, credit, criminal justice, defendants
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- That bump it up to a state jail.
- jail.
- to that, that jail.
- We incentivize people to remain in jail as opposed to getting out of jail and serving their community
- So it's already a state jail felony.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> legislature funded the jail legislature funded the jail consolidation<00:58:39.760><c> study</c>
- </c> undersized jails. undersized jails.
- They send them to jail and the jail.
- </c> disparities in jail populations, right? disparities in jail populations, right?
- </c> receive, like what the county jails receive, like what the county jails receive?
Keywords:
Duluth, Lake Superior Zoo, capital improvements, funding, bonds, appropriations, capital investment, port development, grant caps, state assistance, navigation facilities, Dakota County, state bonds, park improvements, infrastructure, transportation, safety, congestion, water infrastructure, bond issuance
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Courts, Corrections and Justice Sep 23rd, 2025
Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- We're overcrowded downtown, let's not put people in jail. We don't have room to put people in jail.
- increasing resources at the jail.
- jail.
- We reduced days in jail from 102 days to 57 days in jail the next year.
- Active jail at the same rate.
AR
Arkansas 2026 Regular Session
PUBLIC HEALTH- HOUSE HEALTH SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE Jun 25th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- And it keeps our jails from being able to house people that don't necessarily need to be inside the jail
- , prison, jail, prison, jail, prison, back into the community and back and forth, and back and forth.
- So when somebody goes into jail or into our state hospital, So when somebody goes into jail or into our
- That's key: how to divert them from a jail situation.
- health providers that work in that jail.
AR
Arkansas 2026 1st Special Session
PUBLIC HEALTH- HOUSE HEALTH SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE Jun 25th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- , prison, jail, prison, jail, prison, back into the community and back and forth, and back and forth.
- So when somebody goes into jail or into our state hospital, So when somebody goes into jail or into our
- That's key: how to divert them from a jail situation.
- and services are then provided there at the jail.
- health providers that work in that jail.
Summary:
The House Health Services Subcommittee met to approve the October 7, 2024 minutes and then shifted to behavioral health as the main topic. Representatives Woodridge and Vaught described the work of the behavioral health working group, saying Arkansas needs a more proactive system that improves access, reduces red tape, and focuses on a few achievable policy changes for the 2027 session rather than many bills. Members discussed barriers such as low reimbursement, workforce shortages, licensing and credentialing hurdles, rural access problems, and the need to better use community providers, compacts, and step-down services.
Director Paula Stone of DHS’s Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health gave a detailed overview of the behavioral health system. She said Medicaid pays for more than 75% of behavioral health services in Arkansas and explained that when people are jailed or admitted to the state hospital, Medicaid generally stops, leaving state general revenue to cover care. She described current efforts including family-centered treatment for children, community reintegration group homes, a new adolescent substance use disorder residential unit, expanded community mental health center contracts, a secured restoration unit to reduce state hospital backlogs, and an IMD waiver to allow Medicaid payment for certain residential services. She also said DHS is working on crisis services, forensic evaluations, and provider rebidding in areas previously served by ERISA.
Members asked about reimbursement for jail services, the lack of a statewide behavioral health dashboard, civil commitment options, crisis stabilization units, and whether Arkansas should expand step-down or long-term facilities for people who cannot safely return to the community. Stone said the state hospital backlog remains significant, average stays are still about 14 months, and crisis stabilization units have had mixed success, with Fort Smith and Jonesboro performing better than Fayetteville and Little Rock. The meeting ended with a commitment to continue the work, with more substantive discussion planned for August.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
JHA Public Hearing - Wed Apr 22, 2026 @ 3:00 PM HST
Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> billion-dollar super jail billion-dollar super jail or or or if<00:34:00.200><c> we</c><00:34:00.360
- We explore jails that have the problem. jails that have the problem.
- ,</c> absolutely we're going to build a jail, absolutely we're going to build a jail, my<00:36:17.560
- saying we need to build a bigger jail.
- views on how the new jail is developed and designed.
Summary:
The Committee on Hawaiian Affairs heard several Senate concurrent resolutions. SCR 11, urging Congress to amend the Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, drew support from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women and Pride at Work Hawaii, both of which backed the measure as a statement of equality and protection for LGBTQIA+ people. A member also reminded testifiers to keep signs and statements relevant to the measure. SCR 22, recognizing the 50th anniversary of the restoration of Ahu and Aliʻa, had no testimony. SCR 58, calling for a progressive enforcement framework for parking violations in DLNR boating and ocean recreation lots, drew strong support from multiple testifiers who argued that towing is overly punitive, costly, and unfair to beach and harbor users; they favored warnings or smaller citations instead of towing and raised concerns about signage, contract oversight, and the cost of proposed enforcement technology. One member asked about whether DLNR could use HPD or other officers for citations, and the discussion focused on staffing and enforcement authority.
The committee then heard SCR 60 SD1, requesting an update on the “Breaking Cycles” study on alternative rehabilitation and restorative justice models on Oahu. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was not present, but the Corrections Reform Working Group strongly supported the resolution, saying the study reflects extensive community outreach and should not be shelved. Testifiers urged the committee to use the report to examine alternatives to a new jail, including diversion, pre-trial reform, probation reform, and renovations to existing facilities, and one testifier suggested amendments to add experts in those areas and technical assistance from the Prison Policy Initiative. Another testifier described Maui’s use of wraparound reentry services, prosecutorial discretion, and programming as an example of reducing incarceration without expanding jail capacity.
SCR 184, asking the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission to examine anti-discrimination laws as applied to algorithmic and automated decision systems, had no in-person testimony, with the chair noting one support and one comment submitted. The final measure, SCR 89 SD1, which would create an advisory committee under the Hawaii correctional system oversight commission to develop recommendations on alternative rehabilitation and restorative justice models on Oahu, also had no testimony from the department, but the Corrections Reform Working Group supported it as a way to ensure community input into jail planning. A later testifier echoed concerns about building a large new jail and urged the committee to consider alternatives to incarceration and to include people with expertise in diversion, pre-trial reform, and probation reform. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.
AR
Arkansas 2026 Regular Session
PUBLIC HEALTH- HOUSE HEALTH SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE Jun 25th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- And it keeps our jails from being able to house people that don't necessarily need to be inside the jail
- , prison, jail, prison, jail, prison, back into the community and back and forth, and back and forth.
- Again, not in jail and not at the state hospital.
- , and services are then provided there at the jail.
- health providers that work in that jail.
Summary:
The House Health Services Subcommittee met to approve the October 7, 2024 minutes and then shifted to a broad discussion of behavioral health policy, taking up work previously handled by a behavioral health working group. Representatives Wooldridge and Vaught described major gaps in Arkansas behavioral health care, emphasizing access problems, workforce shortages, rural service barriers, low reimbursement, and the need to move from a reactive crisis system to more proactive community-based care. Members discussed possible 2027-session priorities such as reducing red tape, improving provider licensing and supervision pathways, expanding billing codes and reimbursement structures, and considering interstate compacts and other workforce fixes.
A major focus was the state’s crisis and forensic system, including long waits for competency evaluations, the backlog at the Arkansas State Hospital, and the use of county jails for people awaiting treatment. DHS Director Paula Stone explained that Medicaid pays for most behavioral health services, but cannot pay for services in jails or state hospitals because those individuals are treated as inmates of public institutions, leaving state general revenue to cover much of that cost. She outlined DHS efforts including secured restoration beds, therapeutic communities, community mental health center contracts for jail-based services, and plans for an institution-for-mental-disease waiver that could allow Medicaid payment for certain hospital-based services.
Members also discussed crisis stabilization units, with DHS noting that Fort Smith and Jonesboro have been more successful than Fayetteville and Little Rock, largely because of location, partnerships, and law enforcement coordination. Questions covered reimbursement for county jails, step-down facilities, civil commitment options, non-emergency behavioral health transportation, and whether DHS should create a bed-availability dashboard similar to hospital systems. DHS said it does not currently have such a dashboard but is exploring the idea. The meeting ended with a commitment to continue the work, with more detailed discussion planned for August, and the subcommittee adjourned.
MN
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- That county jails, until you're convicted, you can still vote.
- And generally speaking, the language carves out local jails.
- So these are people pretrial in the county jails. County jails don't currently do that.
- So in rural areas and rural jails, and Mr.
- And, you know, I've been in most jails across the state.
Keywords:
HB4272, vessel title, boat title, outboard motor, marine title, certificate of title, uniform certificate of title for vessels act, Service Oklahoma, boat registration, watercraft, hull identification number, hull damaged, title brand, secured party, lien perfection, electronic title, paper title, dealer licensing, boat dealer, marine enforcement
Summary:
The Public Safety Committee heard several bills related to vehicle titling and VIN inspection procedures. House Bill 4272, by Representative Miller, would create a formal certificate of titling system for boats and vessels in Oklahoma to document ownership and reduce fraud; it passed 6-0. House Bill 3277, a cleanup bill on VIN inspections and salvage vehicles, clarified who may perform inspections and added salvage pools as authorized entities; it passed 7-0. House Bill 3148 made additional changes to the VIN inspection process, including salvage pool language and anti-fraud protections, and also passed 7-0. House Bill 3323 removed notarization requirements for documents submitted electronically to Service Oklahoma and passed 7-0. House Bill 4105 clarified exemptions under the Oklahoma Security Guard Act and passed 6-0. House Bill 3304, renamed the Ray Davis Safe Roads Act, requires Service Oklahoma to check the methamphetamine database before issuing commercial driver licenses and passed 6-0.
The committee also considered House Bill 4287, which would change how incarcerated people are counted for legislative apportionment by using their last residence rather than the prison location. Supporters argued it would create more equal representation and address a historical anomaly, while opponents said it would disconnect incarcerated constituents from the districts that currently represent them and could affect rural representation. After debate, the bill failed 4-5 and remained in committee.
House Bill 3345, a Department of Mental Health bill, would expand pretrial behavioral health and substance use screening services to any charge, felony or misdemeanor, to help identify diversion opportunities earlier and support treatment referrals. Testimony emphasized that the screenings would be done by certified local contractors at no cost to county jails and would help courts, prosecutors, and defense counsel. The bill received a 4-4 vote but was reported out as a due pass. The committee then laid over House Bill 315 until the following week and adjourned.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- Because not everybody that is in jail is in jail for the same reason.
- I mean, you have to have a jail. So, for example, we'd... ...I mean, you have to have a jail.
- What is the cost for the in-jail service? The jail-based restoration service? Yeah.
- It's not jail-based. And so it's not in the jail. And then that helps with an avoidance.
- Those are the ones that just got out of jail, right? Or were paid for through jail per diem.