Source: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/fc/2004HB-05211-R000528-FC.htm
Timestamp: 2019-08-18 06:59:03
Document Index: 462349096

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1', '§ 22', '§ 53', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 21', '§ 14']

House of Representatives, April 8, 2004
The Committee on Appropriations reported through REP. DYSON of the 94th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
Section 1. Section 54-124a of the general statutes, as amended by section 161 of public act 03-6 of the June 30 special session, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2004) :
(d) The [Commissioner of Correction] chairperson shall be the executive and administrative head of said board and shall have the authority and responsibility for (1) [directing and supervising] overseeing all administrative affairs of the board, [(2) preparing the budget and annual operation plan in consultation with the board, (3) assigning staff to parole panels, regions and supervision offices, (4) organizing parole hearing calendars to facilitate the timely and efficient processing of cases, (5) implementing a uniform case filing and processing system, (6) establishing policy] (2) adopting policies in all areas of [parole] pardons and paroles including, but not limited to, granting pardons, commutations of punishments or releases, conditioned or absolute, in the case of any person convicted of any offense against the state and commutations from the penalty of death, risk-based structured decision making [, ] and release criteria, [and supervision standards, (7) establishing specialized parole units as deemed necessary, (8) entering into contracts, in consultation with the board, with service providers, community programs and consultants for the proper function of parole and community supervision, (9) creating programs for staff and board member development, training and education, (10) establishing, developing and maintaining noninstitutional, community-based service programs, and (11) ] (3) consulting with the Department of Correction on shared issues including, but not limited to, prison overcrowding, (4) consulting with the Judicial Department on shared issues of community supervision, and (5) signing and issuing subpoenas to compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses at parole proceedings. Any such subpoena shall be enforceable to the same extent as subpoenas issued pursuant to section 52-143, as amended.
[(f) ] (k) In the event of the temporary inability of any member other than the [chairman] chairperson to perform his or her duties, the Governor, at the request of the board, may appoint a qualified person to serve as a temporary member during such period of inability.
[(g) ] (l) The chairperson of the Board of [Parole] Pardons and Paroles shall: (1) Adopt an annual budget and plan of operation, (2) adopt such rules as deemed necessary for the internal affairs of the board, (3) [develop policy for and administer the operation] adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, for the administration of the Interstate Parole Compact, and (4) submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly.
Sec. 3. Section 54-125a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 4. Section 54-125b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
[(c) ] (b) The chairperson of the Board of Parole shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to establish criteria and procedures for the administrative review and release of inmates without a parole hearing as provided in this section.
Sec. 5. Section 54-125e of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 7. Section 54-97 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
No person may be committed to [the Connecticut Correctional Institution, Somers, ] a correctional institution or a community correctional center without a mittimus signed by the judge or clerk of the court which committed [him] such person or, with respect to a person sentenced to a period of special parole, signed by the chairperson of the Board of Parole, declaring the cause of commitment and requiring the warden or Community Correctional Center Administrator to receive and keep [him] such person in the [Correctional Institution, Somers, ] correctional institution or the community correctional center, as the case may be, for the period fixed by the judgment of said court or said board or until [he] such person is legally discharged; and such mittimus shall be sufficient authority to the officer to commit such person, and to the warden or Community Correctional Center Administrator to receive and hold [him] such person in custody, except that any community correctional center may receive any person as provided in section 7-135 without such mittimus.
Sec. 8. Section 54-128 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 11. Section 18-86b of the general statutes, as amended by section 156 of public act 03-6 of the June 30 special session, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
(2) If the governmental vendor with which the commissioner has a contract under subsection (a) of this section on August 20, 2003, for the supervision of inmates outside this state is willing to accept additional inmates for supervision, the Commissioner of Correction may, notwithstanding the provisions of section 4a-57, enter into a contract with such governmental vendor for the supervision of such number of additional inmates as such governmental vendor is willing to accept. If the commissioner does not enter into such a contract with such governmental vendor or if, after contracting for the supervision of additional inmates by such governmental vendor, the number of inmates authorized to be supervised outside this state under subdivision (1) of this subsection has not been attained, the commissioner may enter into contracts with any governmental or private vendor for the supervision of all or part of the remaining number of inmates authorized to be supervised outside this state under said subdivision (1) .
Sec. 12. Subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 18-50 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 13. Subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 18-98d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 14. Section 18-87j of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
There is established a Commission on Prison and Jail Overcrowding which shall be within the Office of Policy and Management for administrative purposes only. The commission shall consist of the Chief Court Administrator, [or his designee, ] the Commissioner of Correction, the Commissioner of Public Safety, the Chief State's Attorney, [or his designee, ] the Chief Public Defender, [or his designee] the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the chairperson of the Board of Parole, or their designees, the executive director of the Court Support Services Division or other designee of the Chief Court Administrator and the following members, each of whom shall be appointed by the Governor: Three government officials, a police chief, two persons representing offender and victim services within the private community and two public members. The Governor shall appoint a chairperson from among the members of the commission. The commission shall meet at such times as it deems necessary.
Sec. 15. Subsection (b) of section 17b-94 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 16. Section 18-85 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 17. Section 18-85a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage and applicable to actions or proceedings pending or commenced on or after said date) :
Sec. 18. Section 18-85b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 19. Section 18-85c of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 20. Subsection (b) of section 18-101 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 21. Subsection (b) of section 52-321a of the general statutes, as amended by section 119 of public act 03-19, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
(b) Nothing in this section shall impair the rights of an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in Section 414(p) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended. Nothing in this section or in subsection (m) of section 52-352b shall impair the rights of the state to proceed under section 52-361a, as amended, to recover the costs of incarceration under section 18-85a, as amended by this act, and regulations adopted in accordance with section 18-85a, as amended by this act, from any federal, state or municipal pension, annuity or insurance contract or similar arrangement described in subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section, provided the rights of an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in Section 414(p) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, shall take precedence over any such recovery. Nothing in this section or in subsection (m) of section 52-352b shall impair the rights of a victim of crime to proceed under section 52-361a, as amended, to recover damages awarded by a court of competent jurisdiction from any federal, state or municipal pension, annuity or insurance contract or similar arrangement described in subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section when such damages are the result of a crime committed by a participant or beneficiary of such pension, annuity or insurance contract or similar arrangement, [; ] provided the rights of an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order, as defined in Section 414(p) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, shall take precedence over any such recovery.
Sec. 23. Section 17a-696 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 27. (Effective from passage) To implement the provisions of section 54 of public act 03-1 of the June 30 special session, the Department of Correction shall, not later than October 1, 2004, issue a request for proposals for a Community Justice Center. Such request for proposals shall require such facility to have a capacity of not less than five hundred beds, be located in the city of Hartford and be operated by a not-for-profit corporation that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, and has experience in operating such a facility. Each corporation submitting a proposal in response to such request for proposals must have a site acceptable for use as a Community Justice Center as of the due date for the submission of such proposal.
Sec. 30. Subsection (e) of section 18-100 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Sec. 31. Section 18-101a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage) :
Passage of the bill results in significant costs and savings primarily related to increasing the supervision of offenders in the community and decreasing the incarceration of certain offenders. Because annual costs associated with supervising offenders in the community is less expensive than annual incarceration costs, the net impact of the bill would be significant savings. Many of the bill’s provisions seek to increase the pool of those eligible for parole. In addition, the bill establishes various methods of reducing recidivism that would potentially enhance anticipated savings.
(1) Creates a new Board of Pardons and Paroles (BPP) ;
(7) Makes technical changes to provisions and establishes time limitations regarding liens on offenders’ inheritances, wages, pensions and property;
(11) Requires the Legislature to track the results of the bill’s provisions;
(14) Authorizes “compassionate parole” for certain offenders; and
Section 1 of the bill merges the Board of Pardons and Board of Parole into the new Board of Pardons and Paroles (BPP) .1 The bill provides that the board would consist of a total of 13 members with 8 being assigned to Parole and 5 assigned to Pardons. The bill also requires the BPP chairman to appoint an executive director and that the board conduct pardons hearings at least four times per year. Passage of these provisions would result in costs of $100, 000 – $120, 000. These costs include $75, 000 - $85, 000 for an executive director and $25, 000 - $35, 000 for additional pardons hearings.2
Section 3 of the bill does the following: (1) prohibits parole for those convicted of 1st degree aggravated sexual assault; 3 (2) permits parole for certain offenders convicted crimes involving firearms w/in 1, 500 feet of school; and (3) establishes a conditional parole release policy.4 There are currently 300 offenders in DOC custody that have served 75% of their sentence but have yet to be paroled. If these offenders or some portion were granted conditional parole, there would be a savings to DOC offset by the cost of additional community supervision staff. The annual cost per parolee is about $5, 000 (including community programming) and the annual cost per DOC inmate is $26, 000.5 Thus, there is an annual savings of about $20, 000 to supervise an offender in the community as opposed to incarceration.
The average length of all sentences is about 3 years or 36 months. If 100 offenders were conditionally released to parole after completion of 75% of their sentences, there would be a total savings of 27, 400 bed days. The corresponding annual savings would be about $2 million. Similarly, the annual cost to supervise these offenders on parole would be $500, 000. Hence, there would be a net savings of $1.5 million. 6
Section 4 of the bill extends parole to certain offenders (prohibited under current law) including those convicted of manslaughter, 1st degree assault, 1st degree robbery and kidnapping. There are currently about 3, 000 offenders (sentenced and unsentenced) in DOC custody that fall into these categories. In addition, the bill permits parole for offenders with more than 3 years remaining on their sentence. To the extent that these provisions result in more offenders being supervised in the community and less incarceration, passage of the bill would result in a net savings.
Section 6 of the bill requires the implementation of an administrative hearing process for revocations and rescissions. The Board of Parole takes full panel action on about 2, 000 hearings and administratively acts on another 2, 000. Approximately, half of the full panel actions involve revocations and rescissions. To the extent that this provision increases the parole grant rate of the board, passage of the bill would result in net savings.7
Section 9 authorizes DOC to transfer certain offenders who have been granted parole and are within 18 months of their parole release date to approved community programs and residences. Approximately, 1, 400 offenders are released to parole per year. If the time spent in a correctional facility were reduced for these offenders as a result of this provision, net savings would result.
Section 10 authorizes pre-trial release of certain offenders charged with a class D felony or misdemeanor to the community. There are currently 18, 700 inmates in DOC custody and 23% are unsentenced. Of these 4, 300 offenders, there are 1, 200 (sentenced and unsentenced) offenders in DOC custody that meet the specifications of this provision. To the extent that this provision results in more offenders being supervised in the community and less incarceration, passage of the bill would result in a net savings.
Section 11 authorizes DOC to enter into a contract to send an additional 2, 000 inmates out of state. Passage of the bill could result in annual significant savings of about $18.25 million. Connecticut currently has a contract with the State of Virginia to house 500 offenders. The cost to house inmates in Virginia is approximately $25/day less than the cost to house these same offenders in state.
Section 12 and 13 increase daily credit earned by inmates toward fines and bail to the average daily cost of incarceration.8 The number of offenders that would be impacted by this provision is unknown at this time. However, to the extent that passage of the bill results in offenders being released to the community earlier than what the current law provides there would be savings. There are currently 283 offenders serving sentences for fines valued at approximately $233, 835. At $50/day, the number of bed days would be about 4, 677. At $75/day, the number of bed days would be 3, 118 bed days, which is a difference of over 1, 559 bed days.9
Sections 17 through 19 and 21 establish certain limits on offenders’ property, lawsuit proceeds, inheritances, pensions and estates that the state can place liens on to seek reimbursement for incarceration costs. Passage of the bill would result in a potential revenue loss.
Section 22 authorizes the court to deviate from mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent offenders. To the extent that this provision reduces the amount of time an offender would spend in DOC custody or reduces admissions, passage of the bill would result in significant savings. There are currently about 1, 300 offenders serving minimum mandatory sentences and about half are for nonviolent offenses. The magnitude of this section’s impact on the prison population is uncertain, pending actions by the court.
Section 23 allows the court to order suspension of prosecution and treatment for alcohol or drug dependency if the court makes certain findings concerning a defendant (effective July 1, 2004) .10 This option would be available to the court even where a defendant had been ordered to treatment twice prior. This change could divert up to 450 people from prison and into treatment programs annually. The potential state savings from reducing prison admissions under this provision, net treatment and supervision costs described below, is estimated to be greater than $1 million annually beginning in FY 05.
Section 24 provides that any juvenile who is arrested and held at various state-owned and operated or contracted facilities earn a reduction in any subsequent period of probation imposed that is equal to the number of days spent in said facilities. There are approximately 2, 500 juveniles on probation on any day. The number of those who were previously held in secure facilities is unknown at this time, but could be substantial. A decrease to the average length of supervision would reduce the caseload of juvenile probation officers and could result in savings for various contracted services.
Section 25 requires the legislature’s Program Review and Investigation Committee and Office of Fiscal Analysis to track the outcomes of the bill. Passage of this provision would not result in the need for additional resources.
Section 26 requires the Judicial Branch, the Board of Parole and DOC to develop plans to reduce the number of incarcerations due to technical violations of probation by 20%. Development of these plans that are to include cost estimates would not result in the need for additional resources. It should be noted that about 10% of DOC’s sentenced population (2, 000 inmates) has an offense status of violation of probation. To the extent that the actual implementation and success of the plans submitted reduce the prison population, there would be significant savings.
sHB 5211
This bill combines the Board of Pardons and Board of Parole into the Board of Pardons and Paroles, allows a court to depart from a mandatory minimum sentence for good cause for a number of crimes, makes a number of changes related to parole, allows the board and Department of Correction (DOC) to transfer certain inmates to facilities other than prisons under certain circumstances, and alters a number of release provisions that apply to parole and DOC.
The bill sets rules for Board of Pardons and Paroles membership and hearings, makes the board chairman the executive and administrative head of the board (the DOC commissioner currently heads the Board of Parole) , creates an executive director who has many of the responsibilities currently assigned to the DOC commissioner, and requires certain regulations.
2. changes the eligibility for administrative parole;
5. requires a board employee to conduct parole revocation and recission hearings;
The bill requires development of (1) plans to reduce the number of incarcerations due to technical violations of the conditions of probation or parole by at least 20% and (2) a comprehensive reentry strategy.
The bill makes a number of changes regarding DOC’s options with inmates. It:
4. increases, from 15 to 30 days, the length of time DOC can release an inmate on furlough to visit a dying relative, attend a relative’s funeral, get otherwise unavailable medical services, contact prospective employers, or for other compelling reasons consistent with rehabilitation; and
5. requires DOC, which is authorized to contract to send an additional 2, 000 inmates out-of-state, to submit that contract to the Appropriations and Judiciary committees for review and comment before entering the contract.
2. changes a number of provisions on recovering the costs of an inmate’s incarceration;
3. changes the credit that a person receives toward payment of a fine from $50 a day to the average daily cost of incarceration when he is held (a) only for payment of a fine or (b) in pre-sentence confinement; and
4. gives a child arrested and held in a juvenile matter credit toward his probation sentence for time spent in certain facilities.
The bill requires staff from the Legislative Program Review and Investigations Committee and Office of Fiscal Analysis to review the bill’s implementation and measure its effects. This includes studying the (1) effect on the prison population and (2) cost savings and the extent they are reinvested in improving community safety and ensuring successful transition of ex-offenders to the community. The committee must report its findings to the Appropriations and Judiciary committees by January 1, 2006 and 2008.
BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES (§§ 1-2, 32)
Under current law, the Board of Pardons and Board of Parole are part DOC. The bill combines these boards into the Board of Pardons and Paroles. It makes the new board the successor to the Board of Pardons and Board of Parole, substitutes the new board whenever the others are used in the statutes or 2003 and 2004 public acts, and requires the Legislative Commissioners’ Office to make necessary changes.
Beginning October 1, 2004, the new board consists of 13 members appointed by the governor with the consent of either house of the General Assembly (under current law, the Board of Parole has 15 members and the Board of Pardons has five members appointed in this manner) .
The bill ends the terms of members of the Parole Board on September 30, 2004. New members serve for the length of the governor’s term. Under current law, the Parole Board chairman and vice-chairman serve for the length of the governor’s term and until a successor is appointed, members serve four-year terms, and Pardons Board members serve six years.
Like the Parole Board members under current law, members of the new board are paid $110 for each day spent performing their duties and receive necessary expenses.
2. adopt policies for all areas of pardons and paroles, including granting pardons, commutations or releases including commutations of the death penalty; risk-based structured decision making; and release criteria (current law requires the DOC commissioner to set policies in all areas of parole including decision making, release criteria, and supervision standards) ;
The bill requires the chairman to appoint an executive director who has many of the functions of the DOC commissioner under current law. The executive director must:
DEPARTURE FROM MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES (§§ 22, 33)
The bill allows the court to depart from a required mandatory minimum sentence, if the defendant proves good cause, for the following crimes:
1. arson murder (penalty-60 years) (CGS § 53a-54d) ;
2. 2nd degree larceny (mandatory minimum (m.m.) 2 years if property is “taken” from elderly, blind, disabled, pregnant, or mentally retarded victim) (see 53a-60b and 53a-123) ;
3. 1st degree hindering prosecution (m.m. five years) (53a-165aa) ;
4. selling or transporting an assault weapon (m.m. 2 years, 6 years if sale is to a minor) (53-202b) ;
5. illegal sale or transfer of handgun to minor (m.m. one year) (29-34) ;
6. 2nd degree assault with a firearm (m.m. one year) (53a-60a) ;
7. 2nd degree assault or larceny of elderly, blind, disabled, pregnant, or mentally retarded person (m.m. two years) (53a-60b) ;
8. 3rd degree burglary with a firearm (m.m. one year) (53a-103a) ;
9. criminal use of a firearm (m.m. five years) (53a-216) ;
10. criminal possession of a firearm or electronic defense weapon (m.m. two years) (53a-217) ;
11. possession of an assault weapon (m.m. 1 year) (53-202c) ;
12. 3rd degree assault with a deadly weapon (m.m. one year) (53a-61) ;
13. driving during license suspension for DWI or DWI related offenses (m.m. 30 days unless mitigating circumstance) (14-215(c) ) ;
14. first DWI conviction (48 hour m.m. if not given community service) (14-227a(g) ) ;
15. subsequent DWI convictions (m.m. 120 days and one year) (14-227a(g) ) ;
16. using person under 18 to sell drugs (m.m. three years) (21a-278a(c) ) ;
17. carrying handgun without a permit (m.m. one year if no mitigating circumstances) (29-37(b) ) ; and
18. persistent felony offender (m.m. three years) (53a-40(m) ) .
The bill requires the court to state in open court the reasons for the sentence imposed and for departing from the mandatory minimum.
The law already allows a court to depart from a mandatory minimum for good cause under certain circumstances for the following crimes:
1. manufacture or sale of drugs and related crimes (21a-278) ;
2. manufacture or sale of drugs within 1, 500 feet of elementary or high schools, public housing, or day care centers (21a-278a(b) ) ;
3. use, possession, or delivery of drug paraphernalia within 1, 500 feet of a school by a non-student (21a-267(c) ) ; and
4. drug possession within 1, 500 feet of a school or day care center (21a-279(d) ) .
The bill eliminates the restriction that allowed a defendant to receive a departure from a mandatory minimum only once. By law, for these crimes, the court can depart from the mandatory minimum only if it finds that in committing the offense the person (1) did not use or attempt or threaten to use physical force; (2) did not cause physical or serious physical injury to another person; and (3) was unarmed and did not use, display, or represent that he had a deadly weapon (such as a gun or knife) or other instrument that could cause death or serious injury. The court must state in open court the reasons for imposing the sentence and departing from the mandatory minimum.
The bill requires anyone released under this provision to remain under DOC custody and be subject to its supervision during the parole period.
It requires a hearing to determine the suitability for parole release of inmates (1) who are eligible for parole after serving 50% of their sentences but who have not been released to parole by the board after they have served 75% of their sentences and (2) who are eligible for parole after serving 85% of their sentence when they reach the 85% mark.
The bill makes all inmates subject to the 50% rule eligible for parole without a hearing and excludes all others. By law, under this procedure, a board employee must review the inmate’s case and recommend parole, and at least two board members must approve it. The bill:
3. removes the prohibition for using this procedure for inmates convicted of certain crimes (but many of these crimes are subject to the 85% rule and would remain ineligible for this procedure under the bill) .
The bill also allows the board’s chairman to require a parole hearing if he deems it necessary. As under current law, a hearing must be held at a victim’s request.
The bill allows the board chairman to transfer inmates granted parole who are within 18 months of their parole release date to a public or private nonprofit halfway house, group home, mental health facility, or approved community or private residence. Someone released under this provision is transferred to the board’s custody but DOC remains responsible for supervising him. He may be returned to DOC custody at any time.
The bill allows the Board of Parole to grant an inmate, other than one convicted of a capital felony, a compassionate parole release if he
The bill allows people convicted of an offense committed with a firearm in, on, or within 1, 500 feet of elementary or secondary school grounds to be eligible for parole. (People convicted of these crimes would be subject to the existing parole eligibility requirements and likely would be eligible after serving 85% of their sentence because use of a firearm would be considered use, attempted use, or threatened use of force.) The bill makes someone convicted of 1st degree aggravated sexual assault ineligible for parole.
Parole Orientation Program (§ 1(j) (1) )
Incremental Sanctions for Parole Violations (§ 1(j) (2) )
The bill requires the chairman to issue an order to commit the person to DOC custody when the board revokes his special parole. The commitment period cannot exceed the unexpired portion of the special parole, and the board can allow the person to be released again on special parole at any time without a court order.
1. the Judicial Branch to develop a plan to reduce the number of incarcerations due to technical violations of the conditions of probation by at least 20%, and
The bill requires DOC to report annually on the success of the reentry strategy to the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Public Safety committees beginning January 1, 2005. It requires the strategy’s success to be measured by the:
ADMINISTRATIVE PARDONS REGULATIONS (§ 1(H) (2) )
1. convicted of a misdemeanor and (a) it is no longer a crime, (b) he was under age 21 at the time of the conviction and has no convictions during the 10 years before receiving the pardon, or (c) he was convicted before pretrial programs were created that the person would have been eligible for and likely participated in; or
The bill allows DOC to release people committed to its custody by the court to a DOC-approved residence when they are charged only with a misdemeanor or most class D felonies. This provision does not apply to the following class D felonies: 2nd degree assault with a firearm; 2nd degree assault of an elderly, blind, disabled, pregnant, or mentally retarded person (with or without a firearm) ; 2nd degree assault with a motor vehicle; 3rd degree sexual assault; 4th degree sexual assault when the victim is under age 16; or 1st degree stalking. DOC cannot exercise this authority if the court orders otherwise.
The bill allows DOC to impose conditions on the person’s release including participating in a substance abuse treatment program, electronic monitoring, or use of any other monitoring technology or services. DOC retains jurisdiction and supervision of the person and can return him to prison for violating the conditions.
The budget act (PA 03-1, June 30 Special Session) transfers $2, 000, 000 from the appropriation to DOC for Personal Services to its appropriation for Community Justice Centers during FY 2004-05.
To implement this provision, the bill requires DOC, by October 1, 2004, to issue a request for proposals for a community justice center in Hartford with at least 500 beds to be operated by a nonprofit corporation that (1) has experience in operating these facilities and (2) is exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Corporations submitting proposals must have an acceptable site for the center as of the due date for submitting proposals.
The bill authorizes DOC to transfer an inmate on work or education release to an approved community or private residence if he already participated satisfactorily in a residential program. The law allows DOC to transfer someone to a different correctional institution, public or private nonprofit halfway house, group home, or mental health facility as part of this program. The bill eliminates the requirement that the warden, superintendent, or other person in charge of a facility concur with DOC’s decision before transferring a person to that facility. As under current law, a transferred inmate remains under DOC jurisdiction.
The bill increases, from 15 to 30 days, the length of time DOC can release an inmate on furlough to visit a dying relative, attend a relative’s funeral, get otherwise unavailable medical services, contact prospective employers, or for other compelling reasons consistent with rehabilitation.
By law, DOC must have a reasonable belief that the inmate will honor the trust, must specifically designate the place to be visited, and prescribe conditions. DOC has discretion to renew a furlough. By law, failure to return from a furlough is 1st degree escape, a class C felony punishable by one to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $10, 000, or both.
The law authorizes the DOC commissioner to enter into contracts with government or private vendors to supervise up to 500 inmates out of state and, during the 2003-05 bienium, to enter into contracts with government or private vendors to supervise up to 2, 000 additional inmates out of state. The law also authorizes the commissioner to enter into a contract for some or all of the additional 2, 000 inmates with the Virginia Department of Corrections (which has an existing contract to supervise 500 inmates) without following the competitive bidding or negotiation requirements.
The bill requires the commissioner to submit the proposed contracts for the additional 2, 000 inmates to the Appropriations and Judiciary committees for review and comment before entering the contract.
2. money from a contract for reenacting the inmate’s violent crime in various media (such as movies and books) or from the expression of the person’s thoughts or feelings about the crime which is required to be paid to the Office of Victim Services; and
3. property acquired by the inmate after he is released from incarceration
But the state’s claim does apply to lottery and pari-mutuel winnings after the person’s release from prison; his estate, inheritance, and proceeds won in a law suit after his release from prison; and certain federal, state, or municipal pension, annuity, insurance contracts, and similar items that are for government employee retirement benefits (subject to the rights of an alternate payee under a qualified domestic relations order) (§ 21 also makes a technical change regarding this) .
The bill authorizes the attorney general to bring an action to enforce the claim in Superior Court in the Hartford judicial district at the DOC commissioner’s request. The action must be brought within two years of the inmate’s release from prison or within two years of his death if he dies while in DOC custody. This restriction does not apply to property that is fraudulently concealed.
The bill’s provisions on property subject to state claim apply to actions and proceedings pending or commencing on or after its effective date.
The bill limits the state’s claim to an inmate’s estate, lawsuit proceeds, and inheritance to (1) the estate of someone who dies within 20 years of his release from incarceration, (2) lawsuits brought within 20 years of release, and (3) inheritance received within 20 years of release.
By law, DOC can allow inmates to participate in a labor program with private industry and work-release and education-release programs. Any compensation inmates earn must be paid to DOC and put into an account for the inmate. The money can be used for one of eight prioritized purposes. The bill changes the eighth priority from paying the inmate’s costs of board as determined by the DOC commissioner to the inmate’s cost of incarceration as determined by the statutes and regulations. Similarly, it requires a self-employed inmate to pay the costs of incarceration rather than the costs of his board.
By law, compensation rates are set for services performed by inmates for the state. The money they earn is paid to them on discharge unless the prison warden or administrator pays it for one of nine prioritized purposes. The bill changes the eighth priority from paying the inmate’s costs of board as determined by the DOC commissioner to the inmate’s cost of incarceration as determined by the statutes and regulations.
The bill changes the credit that a person receives for time spent in prison for a crime when he is held in prison only for payment of a fine. It changes the credit from $50 a day to a rate equal to the average daily cost of incarceration, as determined by the DOC commissioner. By law, the person is released when the amount of the credit equals the amount of the fine.
The bill changes the credit that a person receives for time spent in pre-sentence confinement (confinement by order or because he was denied or could not obtain bail) toward payment of a fine imposed after conviction. The bill changes the credit from $50 per day to a rate equal to the average daily cost of incarceration, as determined by the DOC commissioner.
Prison and Jail Overcrowding Commission Membership (§ 14)
The bill adds the Mental Health and Addiction Services commissioner, or his designee, to the membership of the Commission on Prison and Jail Overcrowding. It also adds the Board of Parole chairman, or his designee, to the commission. The Board of Pardons and Paroles chairman would become a member when that board is created. The bill also allows the DOC and Public Safety commissioners to designate someone to serve in their place on the commission.
As under current law, the commission also consists of the chief court administrator (or his designee) , chief state’s attorney (or his designee) , chief public defender (or his designee) , Court Support Services executive director or another designee of the chief court administrator, and the following gubernatorial appointments: three government officials, a police chief, two people representing offender and victim services in the private community, and two members of the public.
2 The current Board of Pardons meets twice per year and has a budget of $37, 434.
6 Currently, DOC and Parole consider over 3, 000 offenders per month for community supervision.