1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to crime; requesting the legislative audit 
  1.3             commission to direct the legislative auditor to 
  1.4             conduct a study on the direct and indirect costs of 
  1.5             crime. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [STUDY REQUESTED.] 
  1.8      The legislative audit commission is directed to direct the 
  1.9   legislative auditor to conduct a study of the costs that 
  1.10  criminal activity places on the state and local communities.  
  1.11  The study shall include not only the direct costs to state and 
  1.12  local governments of responding to, prosecuting, and punishing 
  1.13  criminal offenders, but also the indirect economic and social 
  1.14  costs that criminal activity places on local communities and 
  1.15  their residents.  To the extent possible, this study shall 
  1.16  compare, by offense type, the costs of imprisoning an offender 
  1.17  to the costs of criminal behavior if the offender is not 
  1.18  incarcerated. 
  1.19     If the commission directs the auditor to conduct this 
  1.20  study, the auditor shall report findings to the chairs of the 
  1.21  senate crime prevention and house judiciary committees by 
  1.22  February 15, 1999.