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Criminal justice reform hits snag in state Senate

Rachel Baye

  An effort to reform the state’s criminal justice laws hit a stumbling block Monday. The state Senate delayed a vote on the legislation just hours before a procedural deadline when it became clear the changes wouldn’t save as much money as originally anticipated.

The bill is a bipartisan effort to save money by reducing prison populations. It was expected to save more than $240 million in 10 years. But then the bill was amended, cutting anticipated savings to about $30 million.

At issue are provisions within the bill that would make it easier for offenders to get and keep parole.

"Sixty percent of the people in prison are [there] because they violated probation or parole," said Senate President Mike Miller. "Question is, do you send them back to do all their backup time — five years, 10 years, 15 years or 20 years — because they might have screwed up a piss test or not reported to a probation agent, or do you send them back for a month?"

Miller said the decrease in prison populations that result from paroling more offenders earlier in their sentences would generate savings that pay for more probation and parole officers. That, in turn, helps keep recidivism rates down and prison populations low. 

Legislators reexamined the bill for potential savings Monday afternoon. They are now scheduled to vote on it Monday night.