Jimnbeth
08-15-2005, 06:01 PM
This may be old news to some, but others may not be aware....
Weekly House Update
< Back (http://www.arkansas.gov/house/weekly_update.html)
Date: March 11, 2005
Contact: House Information Office, 501-682-7771
For Release Immediately
Prison crowding and saving teachers' insurance plans gain House approvalLITTLE ROCK - The state House of Representatives approved a seven-part legislative package to help the state Department of Correction deal with prison crowding and another bill to shore up school employees' health insurance plans.
Also during the ninth week of the 85th General Assembly, lawmakers saw the eclipse of the 60th day of the session, the length of time set by the state's 1874 constitution for legislative sessions. The Arkansas General Assembly last had a 60-day session in 1965, and that year featured three special sessions. Lawmakers of every regular session since then have routinely passed extensions with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. The House on Monday, March 7, approved an extension setting April 15 for recess and May 13 for formal adjournment. The Senate approved that extension three days later.
With inmate populations and costs of running prisons exploding over the past 15 years, lawmakers fashioned a seven-bill package seeking to deal with both. Rep. Will Bond of Jacksonville presented the bills in the House, and the governor's office is the next stop for all seven.
Senate Bill 387 repeals a 1997 law requiring those convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine, among other crimes, to serve at least 70 percent of their sentence. Approved by a unanimous vote in the Senate and by a 56-32 vote in the House, SB 387 allows those inmates to serve half of their sentence if they've earned "good time" for good behavior.
The change affects only people convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in the future. Also, people convicted and sentenced to up to 10 additional years in prison for making the drug near a school or daycare must serve all of that "enhanced sentence" before becoming eligible for release after completing half of their regular sentence.
The six other bills are:
SB 383 changes the name of the Post Prison Transfer Board to simply the state Parole Board.
SB 384 authorizes the Board of Correction to set up rules and regulations to license and monitor halfway houses.
SB 385 allows the Post Prison Transfer Board to place certain offenders in halfway houses up to a year before their parole-eligibility dates.
SB 386 allows inmates who are terminally ill and likely to die within 12 months to be placed in a halfway house or to serve out their sentences under home detention.
SB 388 allows for the early release of well-behaved inmates once they've completed certain treatment programs and earned their general equivalency degrees.
SB 389 allows the Post Prison Transfer Board to release inmates to the Department of Community Correction after they've completed a therapeutic rehabilitation program.
Weekly House Update
< Back (http://www.arkansas.gov/house/weekly_update.html)
Date: March 11, 2005
Contact: House Information Office, 501-682-7771
For Release Immediately
Prison crowding and saving teachers' insurance plans gain House approvalLITTLE ROCK - The state House of Representatives approved a seven-part legislative package to help the state Department of Correction deal with prison crowding and another bill to shore up school employees' health insurance plans.
Also during the ninth week of the 85th General Assembly, lawmakers saw the eclipse of the 60th day of the session, the length of time set by the state's 1874 constitution for legislative sessions. The Arkansas General Assembly last had a 60-day session in 1965, and that year featured three special sessions. Lawmakers of every regular session since then have routinely passed extensions with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. The House on Monday, March 7, approved an extension setting April 15 for recess and May 13 for formal adjournment. The Senate approved that extension three days later.
With inmate populations and costs of running prisons exploding over the past 15 years, lawmakers fashioned a seven-bill package seeking to deal with both. Rep. Will Bond of Jacksonville presented the bills in the House, and the governor's office is the next stop for all seven.
Senate Bill 387 repeals a 1997 law requiring those convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine, among other crimes, to serve at least 70 percent of their sentence. Approved by a unanimous vote in the Senate and by a 56-32 vote in the House, SB 387 allows those inmates to serve half of their sentence if they've earned "good time" for good behavior.
The change affects only people convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in the future. Also, people convicted and sentenced to up to 10 additional years in prison for making the drug near a school or daycare must serve all of that "enhanced sentence" before becoming eligible for release after completing half of their regular sentence.
The six other bills are:
SB 383 changes the name of the Post Prison Transfer Board to simply the state Parole Board.
SB 384 authorizes the Board of Correction to set up rules and regulations to license and monitor halfway houses.
SB 385 allows the Post Prison Transfer Board to place certain offenders in halfway houses up to a year before their parole-eligibility dates.
SB 386 allows inmates who are terminally ill and likely to die within 12 months to be placed in a halfway house or to serve out their sentences under home detention.
SB 388 allows for the early release of well-behaved inmates once they've completed certain treatment programs and earned their general equivalency degrees.
SB 389 allows the Post Prison Transfer Board to release inmates to the Department of Community Correction after they've completed a therapeutic rehabilitation program.