Utah Code § 63M-7-204 — Utah Code / Title 63M / Chapter 63M-7 / § 63M-7-204
§ 63M-7-204. Duties of commission.
Status: in_force

7/1/2026 (1) The commission shall: (a) promote the commission's purposes as enumerated in Section 63M-7-201; (b) promote the communication and coordination of all criminal and juvenile justice agencies; (c) study, evaluate, and report on the status of crime in the state and on the effectiveness of criminal justice policies, procedures, and programs that are directed toward the reduction of crime in the state; (d) study, evaluate, and report on programs initiated by state and local agencies to address reducing recidivism, including changes in penalties and sentencing guidelines intended to reduce recidivism, costs savings associated with the reduction in the number of inmates, and evaluation of expenses and resources needed to meet goals regarding the use of treatment as an alternative to incarceration, as resources allow; (e) study, evaluate, and report on policies, procedures, and programs of other jurisdictions which have effectively reduced crime; (f) identify and promote the implementation of specific policies and programs the commission determines will significantly reduce crime in Utah; (g) provide analysis and recommendations on all criminal and juvenile justice legislation, state budget, and facility requests, including program and fiscal impact on all components of the criminal and juvenile justice system; (h) provide analysis, accountability, recommendations, and supervision for state and federal criminal justice grant money; (i) provide public information on the criminal and juvenile justice system and give technical assistance to agencies or local units of government on methods to promote public awareness; (j) promote research and program evaluation as an integral part of the criminal and juvenile justice system; (k) provide a comprehensive criminal justice plan annually; (l) review agency forecasts regarding future demands on the criminal and juvenile justice systems, including specific projections for secure bed space; (m) promote the development of criminal and juvenile justice information systems that are consistent with common standards for data storage and are capable of appropriately sharing information with other criminal justice information systems by: (i) developing and maintaining common data standards for use by all state criminal justice agencies; (ii) annually performing audits of criminal history record information maintained by state criminal justice agencies to assess their accuracy, completeness, and adherence to standards; (iii) defining and developing state and local programs and projects associated with the improvement of information management for law enforcement and the administration of justice; and (iv) establishing general policies concerning criminal and juvenile justice information systems and making rules as necessary to carry out the duties under Subsection (1)(k) and this Subsection (1)(m); (n) allocate and administer grants, from money made available, for approved education programs to help prevent the sexual exploitation of children; (o) allocate and administer grants for law enforcement operations and programs related to reducing illegal drug activity and related criminal activity; (p) request, receive, and evaluate data and recommendations collected and reported by: (i) agencies and contractors related to policies recommended by the commission regarding recidivism reduction, including the data described in Section 13-53-111 and Subsection 26B-5-102(2)(jj); and (ii) state agencies under Section 67-28-102; (q) establish and administer a performance incentive grant program that allocates funds appropriated by the Legislature to programs and practices implemented by counties that reduce recidivism and reduce the number of offenders per capita who are incarcerated; (r) oversee or designate an entity to oversee the implementation of juvenile justice reforms; (s) make rules and administer the juvenile holding room standards and juvenile jail standards to align with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act requirements pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Sec. 5633; (t) allocate and administer grants, from money made available, for pilot qualifying education programs; (u) request, receive, and evaluate the aggregate data collected from prosecutorial agencies and the Administrative Office of the Courts, in accordance with Sections 63M-7-216, 63M-7-216.1, and 78A-2-109.5; (v) compile a report of findings based on the data and recommendations provided under Section 13-53-111 thatseparates the data provided under Section 13-53-111 by each residential vocational or life skills program; (w) publish the report described in Subsection (1)(v) on the commission's website and annually provide the report to the Judiciary Interim Committee, the Health and Human Services Interim Committee, the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee, and the related appropriations subcommittees; (x) receive, compile, and publish on the commission's website the data provided under: (i) Section 53-25-202; (ii) Section 53-25-301; and (iii) Section 53-25-401; (y) review, research, advise, and make recommendations to the three branches of government regarding evidence-based sex offense management policies and practices, including supervision standards, treatment standards, and the sex offender registry; (z) receive and evaluate a referral from the Department of Public Safety received under Section 53-21-104.3 involving a denial of mental health resources to an eligible individual, including, if appropriate in the commission's discretion, deny the relevant entity from receiving any grant of state funds under Section 63M-7-218 for a specified period of time; and (aa) accept public comment. (2) (a) The commission may designate an entity to perform the duties described in this part. (b) If the commission designates an entity under Subsection (2)(a), the commission shall ensure that the membership of the designated entity includes representation from relevant stakeholder groups from the parts of the justice system implicated in the policy area. (3) In fulfilling the commission's duties under Subsection (1), the commission may seek input and request assistance from groups with knowledge and expertise in criminal justice, including other boards and commissions affiliated or housed within the commission.