Signed by Governor Bill Ritter, Jr.

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that reduces parole violation punishments.

Highlights:

-Establishes that the community parole officer is responsible for supervising offenders in the community and supporting the division of adult parole in providing assistance to parolees to secure employment, housing and other services to support their successful reintegration into the community (Sec. 1). -Establishes that if the board determines that a parolee has violated any condition of parole that does not involve the commission of a crime, the parolee has no active felony warrant, felony detainer, or pending felony criminal charge and was on parole for an offence that was a nonviolent felony, except for stalking or any unlawful sexual behavior, the board may revoke parole for a period not to exceed 180 days (Sec. 2, Sec. 3). -Authorizes the board to revoke parole for a period not to exceed 90 days rather than the previous number of 180 days if the inmate is assessed as below high risk based upon a research-based risk assessment instrument when the parolee has violated any condition of parole other than commission of a new crime (Sec. 4). -Authorizes the board to place a parolee in appropriate treatment programs based on an assessment by the Department of Human Services (Sec. 4). -Requires the General Assembly to appropriate a portion of the savings generated from this bill to be used for re-entry support services for parolees related to obtaining employment, housing, transportation, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, mental health medication, or offender specific service (Sec. 5). -Reduces the annual general appropriation to the department of corrections, management, external capacity subprogram, for payments to house state prisoners by $4.74 million (Sec. 8).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that reduces parole violation punishments.

Highlights:

-Establishes that the community parole officer is responsible for supervising offenders in the community and supporting the division of adult parole in providing assistance to parolees to secure employment, housing and other services to support their successful reintegration into the community (Sec. 1). -Establishes that if the board determines that a parolee has violated any condition of parole that does not involve the commission of a crime, the parolee has no active felony warrant, felony detainer, or pending felony criminal charge and was on parole for an offence that was a nonviolent felony, except for stalking or any unlawful sexual behavior, the board may revoke parole for a period not to exceed 180 days (Sec. 2, Sec. 3). -Authorizes the board to revoke parole for a period not to exceed 90 days rather than the previous number of 180 days if the inmate is assessed as below high risk based upon a research-based risk assessment instrument when the parolee has violated any condition of parole other than commission of a new crime (Sec. 4). -Authorizes the board to place a parolee in appropriate treatment programs based on an assessment by the Department of Human Services (Sec. 4). -Requires the General Assembly to appropriate a portion of the savings generated from this bill to be used for re-entry support services for parolees related to obtaining employment, housing, transportation, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, mental health medication, or offender specific service (Sec. 5). -Reduces the annual general appropriation to the department of corrections, management, external capacity subprogram, for payments to house state prisoners by $4.74 million (Sec. 8).

Full Bill Text