The bill creates a new correctional facility level designation for transition centers that are used to enhance successful reintegration into the community. Under current law, there are prison population measures that can be used when the vacancy rate drops below 2 percent. The bill changes the rate to 3 percent and adds a new measure. The new measure allows the department to submit a list of inmates who meet a specified eligibility criteria, have an approved parole plan, and have been assessed to be less than high risk to the parole board for a file review. For technical parole violations related to possession of a deadly weapon, refusing or failing to comply with the requirements of sex offender treatment, absconding or willful failure to appear, unlawful contact with a victim, or willful tampering or removal of an electronic monitoring device, the bill allows the parole board to revoke parole and place the inmate back in prison for up to the remainder of the inmate's parole. For technical violations that do not involve the above conduct, the bill does not allow the parole board to revoke the inmate back to prison but can require programming at a transition center. If an inmate meets criteria and has an approved parole plan, has been assessed low or very low risk, and parole guidelines recommend release, the parole board may deny parole only by a majority vote of the full board. The bill provides an inmate released from prison without supervision the right to access reentry services for up to one year from the date of discharge. The bill requires the parole board to table a parole release decision if it finds the inmate's parole plan is inadequate and to require a new parole plan within 30 days.

Year

2019

Current status

  • Governor Signed (05/28/2019)
  • Sent to the Governor (05/10/2019)
  • Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass (04/30/2019)
  • House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (04/29/19)
  • House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee (04/27/19)
  • Introduced In House - Assigned to Judiciary (04/15/19)
  • Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (04/15/19)
  • Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee (04/12/2019)
  • Senate Committee on Judiciary Refer Amended to Appropriations (03/20/2019)

Sponsors

L. Herod /J. Gonzales / P. Lee

Bill number

SB19-143

Position

Support