Section 301.095 - Council on offender reentry The council on offender reentry shall do all of the following:
(1) Inform the public as to the time and place of council meetings and, for at least one meeting per year, encourage public participation and receive public input in a means determined by the chairperson.(2) Coordinate reentry initiatives across the state and research federal grant opportunities to ensure initiatives comply with eligibility requirements for federal grants.(3) Identify methods to improve collaboration and coordination of offender transition services, including training across agencies and sharing information that will improve the lives of the offenders and the families of offenders.(4) Establish a means to share data, research, and measurement resources that relate to reentry initiatives.(5) Identify funding opportunities that should be coordinated across agencies to maximize the use of state and community-based services as the services relate to reentry.(6) Identify areas in which improved collaboration and coordination of activities and programs would increase effectiveness or efficiency of services.(7) Promote research and program evaluation that can be coordinated across agencies with an emphasis on research and evaluation practices that are based on evidence of success in treatment and intervention programs.(8) Identify and review existing reentry policies, programs, and procedures to ensure that each policy, program, and procedure is based on evidence of success in allowing an offender to reenter the community, improves the chances of successful offender reentry into the community, promotes public safety, and reduces recidivism.(9) Promote collaboration and communication between the department and community organizations that work in offender reentry.(10) Work to include victims in the reentry process and promote services for victims, including payments of any restitution and fines by the offenders, safety training, and support and counseling, while the offenders are incarcerated and after the offenders are released.(11) Annually submit a report to the governor, any relevant state agencies, as identified by the council, and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172(2) that provides information on all of the following: (a) The progress of the council's work.(b) Any impact the council's work has had on recidivism.(c) The effectiveness of agency coordination and communication.(d) The implementation of a reentry strategic plan.(e) Recommendations on legislative initiatives and policy initiatives that are consistent with the duties of the council.