Hargrove to remain focused on public safety, saving tax dollars in 2007

OLYMPIA – The Senate Human Services & Corrections Committee will focus in 2007 on legislation to improve child safety and reduce the number of repeat offenders cycling through the criminal justice system, Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, said today.

“We have some very promising opportunities this session to build on major recent legislative successes that have reduced crime while saving public money and shrinking the number of crime victims,” Hargrove said. “I want to keep that momentum going by focusing on meaningful legislation that keeps Washington families safe and makes sensible use of taxpayer dollars.”

Hargrove will continue his work as chairman of the committee when the Legislature convenes on Jan. 8. Senate Democrats, who will hold a 32-17 seat majority, met recently to select chairs and vice chairs of the Senate’s 14 standing committees.

The committee is likely to consider a package of “offender re-entry” bills stemming from recommendations made by the Joint Legislative Task Force on Offenders Programs created by the Legislature in 2006. The task force was charged with finding ways to reduce recidivism — thereby saving tax dollars spent on corrections while boosting public safety — by improving the way Washington programs its offenders.

“We need to hold offenders more accountable for complying with services that will help them transition successfully back into their communities upon release,” Hargrove said. “Better partnering between the state Department of Corrections and local communities is an essential part of that equation.”

Other legislation expected to come before the committee includes measures to improve child safety. The two-year “Sirita” task force created by the Legislature in 2005 in response to several high-profile child fatalities and co-chaired by Hargrove has taken a comprehensive look at ways to improve the child welfare system. Recommendations are expected to include ways to improve services to parents, foster parents and other caregivers and to increase court oversight of children with multiple or extended placements while under state supervision.

The Human Services & Corrections Committee has been the starting point for several major public safety and crime reduction bills in recent years.

In 2006, Hargrove sponsored Senate Bill 6239, which attacked Washington’s methamphetamine epidemic by investing in treatment programs and giving local jurisdictions resources to boost anti-drug efforts and clean up meth-contaminated properties. The committee in 2006 also approved a package of legislation that cracked down on sex offenders by tightening registration and monitoring requirements and increasing punishment for those who prey on children and vulnerable adults.

The previous year, Hargrove’s Senate Bill 5763 streamlined the way mental health and substance abuse treatment is delivered in Washington, a measure that is expected to reduce the number of victims of violent crimes and save millions of state dollars in the coming decades.

“By focusing on common-sense legislation that invests in what works, we have the potential to make 2007 another incredibly productive year for improving public safety in Washington,” Hargrove said.

Hargrove has served on the Senate human services committee since 1993, assuming his duties as chair in 1995. As a member of the House of Representatives from 1985 to 1992, he served on the House human services panel for six years and chaired its subcommittee on corrections issues.

The 2007 legislative session is expected to last 105 days.

Return to Sen. Hargrove's home page