OFA Bill Analysis
AN ACT CONCERNING PRISON OVERCROWDING.
The bill provides for various proposals aimed at reducing the state's prison population, including (1) requiring the court to order suspension of prosecution in certain cases involving substance abuse, (2) equalizing the amount of cocaine in free-base form necessary to trigger mandatory minimum sentences; (3) allowing judges to depart from certain mandatory minimum sentences; (4) changing the Board of Parole to a full-time, five member operation; (5) instituting a system of conditional parole after completion of at least 75% of a term of incarceration; (6) expanding the pool of those eligible for administrative parole; (7) clarifying the system of incremental sanctions for special parole and traditional parole; (8) authorizing the Board of Parole to release offenders to community corrections programs; (9) increasing the credit earned toward payment of fines and bail from $ 50 to the average daily cost of incarceration; (10) shifting release authority of the Board of Parole and the Department of Correction and (11) authorizing additional inmates to be sent out of state.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2003 (except section 1 - July 1 2004)
COMMITTEE ACTION
Appropriations Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea |
44 |
Nay |
6 |