Thursday, September 4, 2008
The General Assembly is not in session.
Tracking Virginia’s General Assembly
since 2007.
HB191: Inmates; functional literate to participate in literacy program.
Patrons-- Ward, BaCote, Bowling, Eisenberg, Englin, Howell, A.T., Plum, Scott, J.M., Shuler, Sickles and Ware, O.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 22.1-344.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 53.1-41.1 as follows:
§ 22.1-344.1. Literacy program.
In coordination with the Department of Corrections and the
Parole Board, the Superintendent shall develop a functional literacy program
for inmates testing below a selected grade level, which shall be at least at
the eighth grade level. The program shall include guidelines for implementation
and test administration participation
requirements, and criteria for satisfactory
completion.
For the purposes of this section, the term "functional literacy" shall mean those educational skills necessary to function independently in society, including, but not limited to, reading, writing, comprehension, and arithmetic computation.
§ 53.1-41.1. Functional Literacy Program.
A. Beginning January 1, 2007, the Department of Corrections shall require all mentally capable inmates who are not functionally literate to participate in the functional literacy program established pursuant to § 22.1-344.1.
B. Completion of the functional literacy program shall mean testing on a nationally recognized standardized test at an eighth grade level or higher.
C. Non-English speaking inmates shall be required to participate in an English-As-A-Second-Language program until they function at the equivalence of the eighth grade on a nationally recognized educational achievement test.
D. The principal of the Department of Correctional Education at each institution may grant waivers for good cause, as determined by the Board of Correctional Education. Waivers must be documented on an individual basis.
E. For purposes of this section, "functional literacy" has the same meaning as defined in § 22.1-344.1.
Additional Data
Explanation
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Words that are highlighted in yellow are
proposed additions, and words that are crossed out in
red are proposed removals.
The numbers with the § symbol before them are references to existing laws, and if you click on them they’ll take you to that part of the law on the state's website.