(a) The department shall provide one employee, trained and accredited by the department, for every five state prisons to assist incarcerated veterans in applying for and receiving any federal or other veterans’ benefits for which the veterans or their families may be eligible.
(b) The department shall cooperate and collaborate with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to ensure that department employees have the greatest access and effectiveness practicable, while taking all necessary safety precautions, in order to assist veterans incarcerated within the state prisons.