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H 7546Criminal Procedure

Criminal Procedure - Arrest

This bill grants legal "peace officer" status to juvenile program workers and shift coordinators at the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
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Introduced Feb 6, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the Rhode Island General Laws regarding the legal definition of a "peace officer." Specifically, it expands the list of recognized peace officers to include juvenile program workers and shift coordinators employed by the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). By adding these specific DCYF employees to the statute, the bill grants them the same legal status and designation under the arrest laws as other existing peace officers, such as police, fire marshals, and corrections officers.

For younger readers

This law changes a list of people who are officially called "peace officers." Peace officers are people like police officers and security guards who have the power to enforce rules and keep people safe. This new rule adds certain workers from the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to that list. Specifically, the workers who help run programs for young people and manage the work shifts at DCYF will now be considered peace officers, just like police officers are.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Juvenile program workersDCYF shift coordinatorsIncarcerated youthDepartment of Children Youth and FamiliesPolice unions
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Recognizes the challenging and often dangerous working conditions of juvenile program workers, potentially leading to better workplace safety protocols and professional validation for these civil servants.
  • May allow for more immediate de-escalation and management of safety incidents within youth facilities by staff who know the youth, reducing the need to call in external municipal police who may be less familiar with the specific needs of the population.
  • Could facilitate better training opportunities and legal protections for low-to-mid-level state employees who are responsible for the care and custody of vulnerable youth.
  • Expands the definition of law enforcement to include social service workers, potentially furthering the "carceral state" model where care is replaced by policing and custody.
  • Risks blurring the lines between therapeutic support and law enforcement, potentially eroding trust between at-risk youth and the staff meant to help rehabilitate them.
  • May lead to an increase in the criminalization of behavioral issues within juvenile facilities if staff are encouraged to view their roles primarily through a law enforcement lens rather than a social work lens.
For Conservatives
  • Strengthens law and order within state-run juvenile facilities by ensuring staff have the proper legal designation to maintain discipline and control.
  • Reduces the burden on local municipal police departments by empowering on-site state employees to handle arrests or security issues that occur within DCYF facilities.
  • Corrects a potential oversight in the law by granting custodial authority to those directly responsible for detaining juvenile offenders, aligning them with adult corrections officers.
  • Expands the size and authority of the government bureaucracy by granting police powers to a new class of state agency employees.
  • Could result in increased long-term costs to taxpayers if this designation leads to demands for enhanced benefits, pensions, or insurance coverage associated with law enforcement status.
  • Risks government overreach by extending the definition of "peace officer" to roles that have traditionally been viewed as administrative or social service oriented.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 4 additions · 1 deletion

SECTION 1. Section 12-7-21 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-7 entitled "Arrest" is hereby amended to read as follows: 12-7-21. “Peace officer” defined. “Peace officer,” as used within this chapter, means the following individuals or members of:

(1) Rhode Island state police;

(2) Any member of a municipal or local police department;

(3) Rhode Island airport corporation police;

(4) Rhode Island park police;

(5) Rhode Island capitol police;

(6) Rhode Island conservation officers;

(7) Rhode Island department of environmental management officers;

(8) Rhode Island fire marshals;

(9) Brown University police officers;

(10) University of Rhode Island campus police officers;

(11) Rhode Island College campus security;

(12) Campus security at the Community College of Rhode Island;

(13) Rhode Island sheriff’s department;

(14) The investigators of the department of attorney general appointed pursuant to § 42-9- 8.1;

(15) Any federal law enforcement officer;

(16) Correctional investigators, chief inspector and inspectors within the office of inspections, and correctional officers of the Rhode Island department of corrections;

(17) The witness protection coordinator of the department of attorney general;

(18) The warden, associate wardens, majors, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, correctional officers and investigators employed by a project operated by a municipal detention facility corporation, including, but not limited to, the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility; provided, such parties listed in this subsection (18) herein shall be deemed to be peace officers while in performance of their duties for the municipal detention facility only, and shall not be deemed to be peace officers at any time when they are not in performance of said duties;

(19) Retired non-permanent sworn members of any municipal police department shall be deemed to be peace officers only while in the performance of their duties for any municipal police department, and shall be permitted to carry their firearm while in the performance of their duties for the municipal police department, and shall be subject to in-service training requirements of title 42, chapter 28;

(20) Auto theft investigators appointed pursuant to § 31-50-1;

(21) Providence fire department arson investigators; provided, that the arson investigator is a graduate of a police-training academy; and

(22) Rhode Island School of Design police officers; and

(23) Juvenile program workers and shift coordinators of the department of children, youth and families.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.