Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins

Maddy summaryHB 729 creates an independent "Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman" to monitor prison conditions and investigate inmate complaints. This office directly affects incarcerated individuals, their families, and prison staff by overseeing issues like sanitation, medical care, abuse, and access to programs. Key mechanisms include annual facility inspections (more frequent for high-risk sites), collecting data on incidents like suicides and assaults, and publishing annual reports with recommendations. The office will also handle complaints and provide resources to support inmate rights, using a statewide reporting system to track facility conditions.

Maddy summaryHB 774 creates a new "Office of the State Corrections Ombudsperson" within Missouri's Department of Corrections to monitor prison conditions and investigate complaints. The ombudsman will address specific "covered issues" like sanitation, safety, medical care, abuse, access to programs, and treatment for incarcerated people and correctional staff. This office will provide information, monitor compliance with safety standards, and investigate concerns directly affecting those in state prisons and their families. The bill establishes clear mechanisms for oversight but does not change sentencing, funding, or operational policies of the department.

Maddy summaryHB 603 establishes Missouri's Office of the Department of Corrections Ombudsman to independently monitor correctional conditions and investigate complaints. The ombudsman office, with inspection and complaints investigation sections, directly affects incarcerated people and correctional staff by addressing "covered issues" like sanitation, safety, medical care, access to programs, and abuse allegations. Key provisions require the ombudsman to monitor department compliance with safety standards, provide information about rights, and investigate concerns raised by incarcerated individuals, staff, or family members. The bill mandates the ombudsman report annually to the governor and legislature on findings and recommendations. This creates a new oversight mechanism within the Department of Corrections, focusing on transparency and accountability.

Maddy summaryHB 731 allows the Department of Corrections to file a separate "freestanding" claim of actual innocence in postconviction cases, meaning it can be raised independently of other appeals. Courts must review such claims if presented with clear and convincing evidence proving innocence, including evidence not previously considered at trial or during plea proceedings. If the evidence undermines confidence in the original conviction, the court must vacate the judgment. This directly affects individuals already convicted who seek to prove innocence through new evidence not available during their original trial.

Maddy summaryHB 1075 allows individuals already convicted of a crime to file a separate legal claim arguing they are factually innocent, directly affecting those challenging their conviction through postconviction proceedings. The bill requires courts to vacate a conviction if clear and convincing evidence shows the conviction is unreliable, considering new evidence not presented at trial, original trial evidence, and prior appeal records. It creates a specific process for courts to evaluate innocence claims without requiring a new trial. The bill does not change sentencing or create new crimes, focusing solely on reviewing existing convictions based on new factual evidence. This is a procedural change for postconviction cases, not a substantive policy shift in criminal law.

Maddy summaryHB 2205 creates a tax credit for Missouri taxpayers who donate to specific organizations that help people recover from substance use disorders. To qualify, the recipient organization must be a non-profit with an annual budget under five million dollars and cannot pay employees more than $125,000 per year. The donated funds must be used for recovery support services, such as housing, job training, and counseling, rather than to buy goods or services for the donor. Taxpayers can claim a credit equal to 50% of their donation, with a minimum contribution of $250 required to receive any credit, and the total amount of credits available statewide is capped at $2.5 million per year.

Maddy summaryThis bill abolishes the death penalty in Missouri and mandates that anyone convicted of first-degree murder be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, except by an act of the governor. It achieves this by repealing existing statutes that authorized capital punishment and replacing them with new sections that specify life without parole as the mandatory penalty for adults aged eighteen and older. The legislation also clarifies how offenses are classified based on potential prison terms and outlines rules for combining homicide charges with other crimes during legal proceedings. These changes directly affect the sentencing outcomes for individuals convicted of murder and alter the legal framework governing capital cases in the state.

Maddy summaryHB 2201 amends Missouri election laws to allow individuals on probation or parole to vote, provided they are not currently incarcerated. The bill removes the specific restriction that previously barred people convicted of felonies from registering to vote while serving their probation or parole sentences. This change directly affects residents of Missouri who are under community supervision after a felony conviction, enabling them to participate in elections once they meet the standard registration deadline. The legislation maintains existing rules that still prevent people who are physically confined in prison from voting.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new process for automatically sealing criminal records without requiring individuals to file a separate petition. Starting in 2026, the state will automatically close records for eligible offenses once specific time periods have passed since sentencing, such as one year for suspended sentences or five years for felonies, provided the person has not committed other serious crimes in the interim. The law sets lifetime limits on how many felonies and misdemeanors can be sealed and explicitly excludes juvenile records and motor vehicle offenses from this automatic process. Additionally, the bill clarifies that unpaid court fines and fees will not be cleared by this automatic system and may still be collected from future tax refunds or lottery winnings.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows the parole board to consider granting parole with lifetime supervision to certain offenders who were under twenty years old when they committed their crime. To qualify, an inmate must have served at least thirty years in prison, not have a prior dangerous felony conviction, and demonstrate reasonable efforts toward rehabilitation. Before parole is granted, officials must conduct a detailed assessment that reviews the offender's risk factors, disciplinary history, and community support, including statements from at least twenty local residents. If approved, the individual would be released but remain under the Division of Probation and Parole's supervision for their entire life, which includes mandatory electronic monitoring and regular meetings with a parole officer. The bill also requires the parole board to create specific rules for how this supervision and monitoring will be carried out.