* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: President Dixon
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
In Support of State Legislation - (Senate Bill 1060/House Bill 1484) -
Task Force to Study Prison Violence in Maryland
FOR the purpose of expressing support for this legislation that seeks to establish a Task Force to Study Prison Violence in Maryland, focusing on the scope, nature, patterns, the fundamental relationship of violence in the State's prisons, the impact of illegal drugs and exposure to other pollutants as it relates to violence, as well as the best practices of other state correctional systems in dealing with prison violence; urging the Honorable Members of the Baltimore City Delegation to the 2006 session of the Maryland General Assembly to secure passage of Senate Bill 1060/House Bill 148; and calling upon the Governor to sign the legislation into law.
Body
Recitals
This legislation would create a task force to study prison violence in Maryland. The level violence in our prisons is an ever-troubling issue. A recent study by the Division of Corrections found that a total of 157 inmates had assaulted staff members within Maryland prisons, and the inmate-on-inmate assaults topped out at a staggering 322. This problem even extends out of the prisons and into our courtrooms. Pretrial submitted 9 inmate-on-staff assaults for the quarter and 91 inmate-on-inmate instances of violence.
In order to combat this serious problem, we must first study it. This task force will be comprised of representatives whose input will be invaluable in helping to curb prison violence in the State of Maryland. These include former prisoners, experts in the field and legislators. With these different perspectives in place, this task force will bring many different views to the table and will provide unique options for how to best deal with the recurring violence within our criminal justice system.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body expresses support for this legislation that seeks to establish a Task Force to Study Prison Violence in Maryland that focuses on the scope, nature, patterns, the fundamental relationship of violence in the State's prisons, the impact of illegal drugs and exposure to other pollutants as it relates to violence, as well as the best practices of other state correctional systems in dealing with prison violence; urges the Honorable Members of the Baltimore City Delegation to the 2006 session of the Maryland General Assembly to secure passage of Senate Bill 1060/House Bill 148; and calls upon the Governor to sign the legislation into law.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Governor, the Mayor, the Honorable Members of the Baltimore City Delegation to the 2006 Maryland General Assembly, the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of State Relations, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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