HP0809, LD 1074, item 1, An Act To Create the Position of Juvenile Community Service Director in the Department of Corrections

An Act To Create the Position of Juvenile Community Service Director in the Department of Corrections

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 34-A MRSA §7009 is enacted to read:

§ 7009. Juvenile Community Service Director

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A. "Database" means the comprehensive community service program database as described in subsection 3, paragraph C.

B. "Director" means the Juvenile Community Service Director.

C. "Program" means a community service program for juveniles.

2. Appointment. The Juvenile Community Service Director is appointed by the commissioner and serves at the pleasure of the commissioner.

3. Duties and responsibilities. The director shall consult with juvenile community corrections officers, the Juvenile Justice Advisory Group, the judicial branch, prosecutors and other juvenile justice agencies to identify effective services for juvenile clients. The director shall coordinate volunteers, community businesses and nonprofit organizations to create opportunities for programs for juveniles and manage the database under paragraph C. Specifically, the director shall:

A. Provide oversight and direction for the achievement of juvenile community service through planning and executing innovative programs;

B. Evaluate and improve upon the structure, systems, resources and tools of the juvenile justice system and juvenile community services and treatment programs to maximize effectiveness and ensure efficient and effective operations and measurable growth in the provision of programs for juveniles;

C. Create and organize a comprehensive community service database that includes contact information for all programs that are available through nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, business partners and other persons and that may be used to obtain high school credit or satisfy court-ordered community service. The database must include at least one telephone number or publicly accessible website to enable volunteers to find the information needed to join a program in their own community;

D. Communicate with all organizations that offer programs for juveniles and publish on a publicly accessible website a current schedule of programs by zip code;

E. Recruit businesses to provide meaningful programs to benefit juveniles and the community and assist those businesses in creating programs and matching them with the organizations that work with volunteers;

F. Inform schools of the database and assist them in finding or creating programs within each school unit; and

G. Evaluate the quality and performance of programs to ensure that there is proper oversight and that the programs are effective. The director shall provide this information to schools, the department, the courts and the Legislature.

4. Costs; rules. The costs of maintaining the director position may not be supported by the General Fund but must be supported by probation fees paid by juveniles and adults in the correctional system. The department shall determine through rulemaking the cost necessary to support the director position and the implementation of the director's duties. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. The department also shall introduce legislation proposing statutory changes to probation fees that it determines necessary to support the director position and the director's duties.

summary

This bill creates the position of Juvenile Community Service Director in the Department of Corrections. The director's duties include coordinating volunteers and community businesses and nonprofit organizations to create opportunities for community service programs for juveniles and a comprehensive information network of those opportunities and assisting juvenile community corrections officers, the court, prosecutors and schools to find appropriate community service programs. The cost of maintaining the director position may not be paid with General Fund money but must be supported by probation fees, the amount of which must be determined by the Department of Corrections.

HP0809 LD 1074	First Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature		LR 121 Item 1
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