Sec. 69b.

(1) Subject to the policies and procedures adopted under subsection (2) for screening and approving applicants, the department shall allow representatives from all nonprofit faith-based, business and professional, civic, and community organizations to apply to be registered with the department under this section for the purpose of providing inmate reentry services. Reentry services include, but are not limited to, counseling, providing information on housing and job placement, and money management assistance.

(2) The department shall develop and adopt policies and procedures for screening, approving, and registering organizations, and representatives from those organizations listed under subsection (1) that apply to provide inmate reentry services. The department may deny approval and registration to an organization, or a representative from an organization listed under subsection (1) if the department determines that the organization or representative does not meet the department's screening guidelines. The department and each of the correctional facilities in this state retain the discretion to deny entry into a correctional facility at any time to a representative of an organization listed under subsection (1) regardless of whether that representative previously applied to and was registered with the department to provide inmate reentry services within a correctional facility.

(3) The department shall post a department telephone number and provide an application for registration on its public Internet website for use by representatives from an organization described in subsection (1) who wish to provide inmate reentry services to obtain information and to begin the application process for registration with the department.

(4) The department shall not endorse or sponsor any faith-based reentry program or endorse any specific religious message. The department shall not require an inmate to participate in a faith-based program.

History: Add. 2017, Act 6, Eff. June 29, 2017 Popular Name: Department of Corrections Act