SB-0009, As Passed Senate, March 9, 2017

HOUSE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL NO. 9

     A bill to amend 1953 PA 232, entitled

"Corrections code of 1953,"

(MCL 791.201 to 791.285) by adding section 69b.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

     Sec. 69b. (1) Subject to the policies and procedures adopted

under subsection (2) for screening and approving applicants, the

department shall allow representatives from all nonprofit faith-

based, business and professional, civic, and community

organizations to apply to be registered with the department under

this section for the purpose of providing inmate reentry services.

Reentry services include, but are not limited to, counseling,

providing information on housing and job placement, and money

management assistance.

     (2) The department shall develop and adopt policies and

procedures for screening, approving, and registering organizations,

and representatives from those organizations listed under

subsection (1) that apply to provide inmate reentry services. The

department may deny approval and registration to an organization,

or a representative from an organization listed under subsection

(1) if the department determines that the organization or

representative does not meet the department's screening guidelines.

The department and each of the correctional facilities in this

state retain the discretion to deny entry into a correctional

facility at any time to a representative of an organization listed

under subsection (1) regardless of whether that representative

previously applied to and was registered with the department to

provide inmate reentry services within a correctional facility.

     (3) The department shall post a department telephone number

and provide an application for registration on its public Internet

website for use by representatives from an organization described

in subsection (1) who wish to provide inmate reentry services to

obtain information and to begin the application process for

registration with the department.

     (4) The department shall not endorse or sponsor any faith-

based reentry program or endorse any specific religious message.

The department shall not require an inmate to participate in a

faith-based program.

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

after the date it is enacted into law.