COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. No.: 2781-01
Bill No.: SB 673
Subject: Crimes and Punishment; Prisons and Jails; Department of Corrections
Type: Original
Date: January 14, 2002
FISCAL SUMMARY
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2003 | FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
| General Revenue | Less than ($100,000) | Less than ($100,000) | Less than ($100,000) |
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on All State Funds |
Less than ($100,000) | Less than ($100,000) | Less than ($100,000) |
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2003 | FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
| None | |||
| Total Estimated
Net Effect on All Federal Funds |
$0 | $0 | $0 |
| FUND AFFECTED | FY 2003 | FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
| Local Government | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Numbers within parentheses: ( ) indicate costs or losses.
This fiscal note contains 3 pages.
ASSUMPTION
Officials from the Office of State Courts Administrator and the Office of the State Public Defender assume the proposed legislation would have no fiscal impact on their agencies.
Officials from the Office of Prosecution Services assume the costs of the proposed legislation can be absorbed within existing resources.
Officials from the Department of Corrections (DOC) stated that the DOC's procedure strictly prohibits the type of criminal behavior outlined in this proposal. Currently, the DOC cannot predict the number of new commitments which may result from the creation of the offense outlined in this proposal. An increase in commitments depends on the utilization by prosecutors and the actual sentences imposed by the court.
If additional persons are sentenced to the custody of the DOC due to the provisions of this legislation, the DOC will incur a corresponding increase in operational cost either through incarceration (FY 01 average of $35.78 per inmate per day, or an annual cost of $13,060 per inmate) or through supervision provided by the Board of Probation and Parole (FY 01 average of $3.34 per offender per day, or an annual cost of $1,219 per offender).
The DOC is unable to determine the number of people who would be convicted under the provisions of this bill and, therefore, the number of additional inmate beds that may be required as a consequence of passage of this proposal. Estimated construction cost for one new medium to maximum security inmate bed is $55,000. Utilizing this per-bed cost provides for a conservative estimate by the DOC, as facility start-up costs are not included and entire facilities and/or housing units would have to be constructed to cover the cost of housing new commitments resulting from the cumulative effect of various new legislation, if adopted as statute.
In summary, supervision by the DOC through probation or incarceration would result in additional unknown costs to the department. Eight (8) persons would have to be incarcerated per fiscal year to exceed $100,000 annually. Due to the narrow scope of this new crime, DOC assumes the impact would be less than $100,000 per year.
| FISCAL IMPACT - State Government | FY 2003
(10 Mo.) |
FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
| GENERAL REVENUE FUND | |||
| Costs - Department of Corrections
Incarceration/Probation costs |
Less than ($100,000) | Less than ($100,000) | Less than ($100,000) |
| ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUND | Less than ($100,000) | Less than ($100,000) | Less than ($100,000) |
| FISCAL IMPACT - Local Government | FY 2003
(10 Mo.) |
FY 2004 | FY 2005 |
| $0 | $0 | $0 |
FISCAL IMPACT - Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal.
DESCRIPTION
The proposed legislation would create the class C felony of sexual contact with an inmate. An employee of any jail, prison, or correctional facility would be guilty of the offense if the employee had sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with an offender.
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not require additional capital improvements or rental space.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Office of Prosecution Services
Office of State Courts Administrator
Office of State Public Defender
Department of Corrections
Mickey Wilson, CPA
Acting Director
January 14, 2002