A House panel agreed Friday to consider two bills that would allow some convicted felons to go free sooner to relieve pressures on a state prison system that has swelled beyond capacity.

But both proposals may be nonstarters; Gov. Dirk Kempthorne in January created a special commission to examine the state's criminal sentences. And Senate Judiciary Chairman Denton Darrington has vowed to block any measure that would result in lighter sentences for the state's prison population.

Still, House Judiciary Committee members say the prison crisis at least makes the proposals worth examining now, rather than waiting for Kempthorne's commission to move.

The first proposal is from Boise Republican Rep. Steve Smylie, whose plan would allow inmates who have completed education, drug abuse and other required treatments to shave four months off their sentences.

That, Smylie said, would potentially save the state as much as $4 million a year.

Another proposal, from Kuna Republican Rep. Bill Sali, would allow prisoners who have committed nonviolent crimes to automatically be paroled as long as certain conditions are met.

Smylie said his proposal is modeled after a similar plan used in Nebraska, where the prisons have fewer inmates than Idaho's more than 6,300, even though Nebraska has half a million more people than Idaho.

Republican Rep. Jim Clark of Hayden Lake objected to considering Smylie's proposal, saying the governor's commission was going to do its own examination of the issue.

But Pocatello Democratic Rep. Donna Boe pushed for legislative review right away.

"It seems to me that were we to pass this through the Legislature, it would get more attention" from the governor's commission, Boe said.

Boe succeeded in backing the introduction of Smylie's bill, complete with her own changes, giving the Parole Commission veto authority over a reduced sentence.

Sali's proposal would restrict the Parole Commission's ability to block the parole of nonviolent offenders unless the panel can demonstrate that the release of the prisoner would be a threat to society.

If the inmate has no disciplinary issues, has finished prison treatment and other required programs, he can be let go after finishing the minimum, or fixed, portion of the prison sentence. The bill would also create a six-month mandatory parole period for inmates released from prison.

Under current law, inmates who complete their full term sentence are released without parole supervision. Inmates who are released short of completing their entire sentence are still monitored by the Department of Correction through the parole process.

"I think, very clearly, if we take efforts to reintegrate people, their chance of success is going to be much better," Sali said.

I totally agree with what this is about. I my fiance doesn't get released on parole in August, there will be hundreds of letters to those people from me, be sure of that!!! He is going to every class he has to go and more because he DOES want to make a serious change .

Senate Judiciary Chairman Denton Darrington has vowed to block any measure that would result in lighter sentences for the state's prison population..
This Senater has and always will be a road block when it comes to prison reform

The first proposal is from Boise Republican Rep. Steve Smylie, whose plan would allow inmates who have completed education, drug abuse and other required treatments to shave four months off their sentences.

That, Smylie said, would potentially save the state as much as $4 million a year..
I think this is a wonderful idea because it rewards the inmates for doing good. There are so many inmates who have worked hard and taken these programs, but nobody is willing to recognize the changes the inmate is trying to make. I'm not saying the changes are for nothing, but when anyone no matter if its an employee, student or inmate works hard to do well and gets nowhere with it then eventually they go from giving 110% to giving less and less.

Another proposal, from Kuna Republican Rep. Bill Sali, would allow prisoners who have committed nonviolent crimes to automatically be paroled as long as certain conditions are met

Sali's proposal would restrict the Parole Commission's ability to block the parole of nonviolent offenders unless the panel can demonstrate that the release of the prisoner would be a threat to society.
Right now the parole commission holds all the power. There is currently no rhyme or reason to who gets paroled and who doesnt. There has got to be some kind of critera and guidlines that are followed. As it is now not every inmate gets the same treatment from the parole commission

If the inmate has no disciplinary issues, has finished prison treatment and other required programs, he can be let go after finishing the minimum, or fixed, portion of the prison sentence. The bill would also create a six-month mandatory parole period for inmates released from prison.

Under current law, inmates who complete their full term sentence are released without parole supervision. Inmates who are released short of completing their entire sentence are still monitored by the Department of Correction through the parole process.
If I am reading this correct then they are saying that EVERYONE who is released should be on parole. Including the ones who have done all their time. If thats what they are saying then I dont see how they can regulate them on parole. Once their time is complete then it should be over. How can someone who has done their time be in a position of being violated?

"I think, very clearly, if we take efforts to reintegrate people, their chance of success is going to be much better," Sali said.
This is a key factor that really needs to be addressed. As we all know the longer you are in prison the harder it is to adjust to society. If their is any hope in rehabilitating an inmate then doing so in a reasonable time is important. Housing inmates like animals will only create animals