AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT (Increases the minimum wage amount for any person committed to the adult correctional institution from $3.00 to $5.00 a day for every day the person shall labor.)

S2622

2026 -- S 2622
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LC003406
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT

Introduced By:
Senators Mack, Valverde, Kallman, Euer, and Acosta

Date Introduced:
February 13, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Labor & Gaming
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 42-56-22 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-56 entitled "Corrections
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Department" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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42-56-22. Labor by persons committed on mesne process or to answer criminal
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charge.
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(a) Every person who shall be committed to the adult correctional institutions to answer for
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any criminal offense, whether convicted or awaiting trial, or on mesne process in any qui tam or
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penal action, or on mesne process or execution in any civil action, may be permitted to labor in the
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discretion of the director, or the director’s designee, for the state, and in that case may be paid not
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more than
three dollars ($3.00)

five dollars ($5.00)
a day for every day the person shall labor with
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the express consent of the director, or the director’s designee, of the department, to be credited to
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the prisoner’s account by the assistant director of administration, or the assistant director’s
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designee, and to be disbursed to the prisoner in accordance with the rules and regulations of the
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institutions; provided, further, however, there shall be maintained on account at all times at least
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twenty-five percent (25%) of the earnings of each prisoner up to a maximum of one hundred dollars
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($100) for those persons serving a sentence of life imprisonment without parole under §§ 11-23-2,
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12-19.2-1 et seq., and up to a maximum of two thousand dollars ($2,000) for all other prisoners;
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those funds to be turned over to the prisoner at the time of the prisoner’s release from the institution,
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the funds being the prisoner’s property; the moneys to be paid to the prisoner by order of the
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assistant director of management services upon the general treasurer.

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(b) Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the use of the funds in the account for
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the payment of any court fees and court costs required to be paid for the filing, prosecution, and
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defense of any action.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT
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This act would increase the minimum wage amount for any person committed to the adult
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correctional institution from three dollars to five dollars a day for every day the person shall labor.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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