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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
education programs; county jails; appropriations
Purpose
Requires a county jail education program to serve prisoners who are 21 years of age or younger who do not have a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma, rather than prisoners who are under 18 years of age. Appropriates $114,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2023 to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) for county jail education programs.
Background
Each county that operates a county jail must offer an education program to serve all prisoners under 18 years of age and prisoners with disabilities who are 21 years of age or younger. A county jail may operate its jail education program through an accommodation school program, or the county school superintendent may establish a county jail education fund (education fund) to provide financial support to the program. Each education fund must consist of a base amount plus a variable amount funded by the state GF, subject to legislative appropriation. The variable amount is calculated as prescribed based on the number of hours and days of an instructional program a prisoner receives in the prior fiscal year (A.R.S. § 15-913.01).
S.B. 1683 appropriates $114,000 from the state GF in FY 2023 to the SPI for county jail education programs.
Provisions
1. Requires a county jail education program to serve prisoners who are 21 years of age or younger who do not have a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma, rather than prisoners who are under 18 years of age.
2. Appropriates $114,000 from the state GF in FY 2023 to the SPI to distribute to county school superintendents for offering an education program to county jail prisoners 21 years of age or younger.
3. Makes technical changes.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 11, 2022
LB/MS/slp