Legislation

Two pieces of legislation sought to address the presence of SROs and the need for mental health personnel on school campuses – one positively, and one negatively.

As a state with one of the most protective Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights statutes in the country – imposing numerous barriers to disciplining wayward officers – it is long past time for significant revisions to be made to this law.

This important legislation would have provided individuals protection from prosecution for certain drug crimes if they had contacted police to address any medical emergency, not just a drug overdose.

We strongly supported legislation which would have required fiscal impact analyses for any bills which increase or put in place criminal sentences.

We opposed a provision in a bill addressing disability benefits based on occupationally-related PTSD for first responders, noting that it could allow police officers to recoup disability benefits if they alleged to suffer from PTSD from misconduct that they have themselves inflicted on a civilian.

We supported legislation which would have barred private prisons from operating in the state of Rhode Island entirely and limited the ability for carceral facilities in Rhode Island to cooperate with ICE.

We joined a number of organizations in supporting legislation which would have limited the ability for carceral facilities in Rhode Island to utilize solitary confinement.

We strongly supported legislation which would have bolstered the right to vote at the ACI by requiring the posting of voting rights information in its facilities and the appointment of a “jail voting coordinator” to assist incarcerated voters.

We initially opposed legislation which sought to implement a strict background check procedure for any individual who teaches or instructs children under the age of eighteen, but it was amended to address our concerns.