The Senate Corrections and Public Safety Committee held an oversight hearing on Delaware's Level 4 work release program, focusing on the recent closure of the Plummer Community Corrections Center in Wilmington and the relocation of residents to the Community Corrections Treatment Center (CCTC) in Smyrna. No legislation was voted on; the hearing surfaced sharp disputes between DOC Commissioner Tara Taylor and community advocates over conditions at the Smyrna facility, strip search policies, and whether the transition has helped or harmed residents' reentry prospects.
Senator Hoffner argued that requiring strip searches including bend-over-and-cough procedures on individuals approximately 60 days from release and returning from work is humiliating and counterproductive to rehabilitation, stating 'if we're trying to rehabilitate these men but every single time they come back we're humiliating them by having this kind of search like they're not going to feel a certain way.' Rachelle Wilson echoed this, calling the searches humiliating and questioning their necessity. Commissioner Taylor defended the policy as required by DOC Policy 8.32, tied to ACA national standards, applied uniformly across all facilities, and justified by the frequent introduction of contraband including weapons, drugs, and fentanyl, stating 'one time and somebody gets catastrophic. It's too much.' Taylor also noted that the same strip search policy applied at the Plummer Center.
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“Since 2007, the number of individuals residing in our Level 4 community corrections facilities has declined by 70% from approximately 1,300 individuals to just 325 today. This significant reduction is a positive outcome and is one that should be recognized and frankly celebrated.”
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Sign in to subscribeIs that on now? Okay, great. Thank you. Okay. The Senate Correction and Public Safety Committee meeting is now called to order. As chair of the Senate Correction and Public Safety Committee and in accordance with the Senate rules, the committee is authorized to meet in hybrid format. Committee members and members of the public can participate either in person or virtual through zoom webinar. The public may participate virtually by registering the meeting link posted on the General assembly website. Instructions for the providing of the public comment are posted on the General Assembly's website under the committee's meeting notice and will be provided during the public comment portion of this hearing. Members of the public are also welcome to attend the meeting in person and should also sign up. As you can see down here, use the sign up form format. To begin. We're going to take roll call of the members of the committee. Myself, Ray Siegfried. Present. Senator Hoffner, Senator Pinckney, Senator Pooren, Senator Sokola. Here. Senator Lawson and Senator Pettijohn. Okay. Seeing that we do have a quorum, will begin. I am going to offer an open comment regarding the hearing and then we'll go…
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