SENATE BILL REPORT

                           SHB 1389

   AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE, APRIL 1, 1993

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to work crews.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Corrections (originally sponsored by Representative Riley)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CORRECTIONS

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators A. Smith, Chairman; Quigley, Vice Chairman; Hargrove, McCaslin, Nelson, Niemi, Rinehart, Roach, and Spanel.

Staff:  Susan Carlson (786‑7418)

Hearing Dates: April 1, 1993

BACKGROUND:

Under the Sentencing Reform Act, punishment options available to judges include partial confinement for felons subject to a standard range of less than twelve months in jail.  Partial confinement includes participation in inmate work crews.  Offenders on work crews perform civic improvement tasks involving unskilled labor, such as picking up litter in parks and along roadways, or landscaping maintenance.

Work crew projects may only be performed on public property or on private property owned by a nonprofit entity.  For emergency purposes only, work crews may perform snow removal on any private property.

SUMMARY:

Offender work crews are allowed to perform civic improvement tasks for the benefit of the community without restriction to ownership of the property where the work is performed.

The state, in addition to counties, is authorized to arrange work crews for offenders on community supervision.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:

The bill will allow work crews greater opportunities to provide assistance to disabled and elderly people.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Representative Riley, prime sponsor; Kurt Sharar, WA Assn. of Counties