Rhode Island HR 5131: HOUSE RESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS IN THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE TO INMATES AND INDIVIDUALS AWAITING TRIAL IN THE CUSTODY OF THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Bill Text

2025 -- H 5131 
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LC000721 
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S T A T E     O F     R H O D E     I S L A N D 
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 
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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N 
CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY AND PROVIDE 
RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS IN THE DELIVERY OF 
HEALTHCARE TO INMATES AND INDIVIDUALS AWAITING TRIAL IN THE CUSTODY 
OF THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (RIDOC) 
Introduced  By: Representatives  Perez,  Noret,  Finkelman,  Azzinaro,  Phillips,  Slater, 
Corvese, Handy, Voas, and DeSimone 
Date Introduced: January 22, 2025 
Referred To: House Judiciary 
 
 
WHEREAS, RIDOC's mission “is to maintain a safe and secure correctional system that 1 
prioritizes the well-being of staff, incarcerated individuals, and the community”; and  2 
WHEREAS,  The  Health  Care  Services  Unit  is  constitutionally  mandated  to  provide 3 
medical, dental, and  behavioral health care  to the  incarcerated  inmate  population who are  either 4 
sentenced or awaiting trial within all facilities of RIDOC; and  5 
WHEREAS,  RIDOC  has  an  on-site  comprehensive  medical  program  in  each  facility 6 
provided  by  internists  and  generalists  under  the  clinical  supervision  of  the  Medical  Programs 7 
Director; and  8 
WHEREAS,  In  FY23,  RIDOC  included  six  Adult  Correctional  Institutions  with  an 9 
average population of 2,298 inmates and 7,978 persons awaiting trial, with a significant number 10 
requiring  medical  services,  including  mental  health  and  psychiatric  care,  and  treatment  for 11 
substance use disorders; and 12 
WHEREAS, In 2023, between 5 and 10 percent of Rhode Island's prison population were 13 
considered severely and persistently mentally ill; and  14 
WHEREAS,  As  of  January  2023,  44  percent  of  Rhode  Island's  prison  population  were 15 
receiving psychiatric services, 31 percent were receiving mental health counseling, and 70 to 80 16 
percent have histories of substance use; and  17 
WHEREAS,  RIDOC  has  faced  issues  with  the  delivery  of  healthcare,  including  limited 18 

 
 
 
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access to mental health care and necessary substance use disorder treatments; and  1 
WHEREAS, A lack of consistent and adequate medical treatment can have disastrous and 2 
fatal consequences; now, therefore be it 3 
RESOLVED, That  a  special  legislative  commission  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  created 4 
consisting of  nine (9) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island House 5 
of  Representatives,  not  more  than  two  (2)  from  the  same  political  party,  to  be  appointed  by  the 6 
Speaker  of  the  House;  one  of  whom  shall  be  the  Director  of  the  Rhode  Island  Department  of 7 
Corrections,  or  designee;  one  of whom  shall  be  the  Medical  Director  of  the  Rhode  Island 8 
Department  of  Corrections,  or  designee;  one  of  whom  shall  be  the  Rhode  Island  Attorney 9 
General,  or  designee;  one  of  whom  shall  be  the  Director  of  the  Rhode  Island  Department  of 10 
Health, or designee; and two (2) of whom shall be representatives of an inmates’ rights group, to 11 
be appointed by the Speaker of the House. 12 
In  lieu  of  any  appointment  of  a  member  of  the  legislature  to  a  legislative  study 13 
commission,  or  any  commission  created  by  a  General  Assembly resolution,  the  appointing 14 
authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator.  15 
The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study and analysis of 16 
the  delivery  of  healthcare  services  at  Rhode  Island’s correctional  institutions  and  provide 17 
recommendations  to  address  concerns  and  deficiencies  in  the  delivery  of  these  healthcare 18 
services. 19 
Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at 20 
the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select a chairperson.   21 
Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. 22 
The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. 23 
All  departments  and  agencies  of the  state  shall  furnish  such  advice  and  information, 24 
documentary  and  otherwise,  to  said  commission  and  its  agents  as  is  deemed  necessary  or 25 
desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. 26 
The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized  and directed to provide suitable quarters 27 
for said commission; and be it further 28 
RESOLVED, That the  commission shall report its findings  and recommendations  to the 29 
House  of  Representatives  no  later  than  January  5,  2026,  and  said  commission  shall expire  on 30 
March 5, 2026. 31 
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LC000721 
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EXPLANATION 
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 
OF 
H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N 
CREATING A