S-4062.1                   _______________________________________________

 

                                                     SENATE BILL 6326

                              _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1994 Regular Session

 

By Senators Fraser, A. Smith and Franklin

 

Read first time 01/19/94.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

 

Revising provisions relating to release of offenders.



          AN ACT Relating to release of offenders; amending RCW 9.94A.150, 9.92.151, 9.95.110, and 70.48.210; reenacting and amending RCW 9.94A.120; and adding a new section to chapter 9.94A RCW.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

          NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 9.94A RCW to read as follows:

          At least three months prior to release of any offender serving a term of total confinement for a class A felony, the department shall provide written notice of the anticipated release date to the county prosecutor where the conviction occurred.  The department shall also provide to the prosecutor any information relevant to a determination of the offender's mental state.

          Upon receipt of the notice of release, the county prosecutor may request an evaluation and investigation of the offender by a mental health professional for purposes of determining whether proceedings for involuntary commitment of the offender under chapter 71.05 RCW are appropriate.  Jurisdiction for an involuntary commitment proceeding in this situation shall be in either the jurisdiction where the original conviction was obtained or the jurisdiction where the offender is located at the time the petition for involuntary commitment is filed.

 

        Sec. 2.  RCW 9.94A.120 and 1994 c 1 s 2 (Initiative Measure No. 593) and 1993 c 31 s 3 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

          When a person is convicted of a felony, the court shall impose punishment as provided in this section.

          (1) Except as authorized in subsections (2), (4), (5), and (7) of this section, the court shall impose a sentence within the sentence range for the offense.

          (2) The court may impose a sentence outside the standard sentence range for that offense if it finds, considering the purpose of this chapter, that there are substantial and compelling reasons justifying an exceptional sentence.

          (3) Whenever a sentence outside the standard range is imposed, the court shall set forth the reasons for its decision in written findings of fact and conclusions of law.  A sentence outside the standard range shall be a determinate sentence.

          (4) A persistent offender shall be sentenced to a term of total confinement for life without the possibility of parole or, when authorized by RCW 10.95.030 for the crime of aggravated murder in the first degree, sentenced to death, notwithstanding the maximum sentence under any other law.  An offender convicted of the crime of murder in the first degree shall be sentenced to a term of total confinement not less than twenty years.  An offender convicted of the crime of assault in the first degree or assault of a child in the first degree where the offender used force or means likely to result in death or intended to kill the victim shall be sentenced to a term of total confinement not less than five years.  An offender convicted of the crime of rape in the first degree shall be sentenced to a term of total confinement not less than five years.  The foregoing minimum terms of total confinement are mandatory and shall not be varied or modified as provided in subsection (2) of this section.  In addition, all offenders subject to the provisions of this subsection shall not be eligible for community custody, earned early release time, furlough, home detention, partial confinement, work crew, work release, or any other form of early release as defined under RCW 9.94A.150 (1), (2), (3), (5), (7), or (8), or any other form of authorized leave of absence from the correctional facility while not in the direct custody of a corrections officer or officers during such minimum terms of total confinement except in the case of an offender in need of emergency medical treatment or for the purpose of commitment to an inpatient treatment facility in the case of an offender convicted of the crime of rape in the first degree.

          (5) In sentencing a first-time offender the court may waive the imposition of a sentence within the sentence range and impose a sentence which may include up to ninety days of confinement in a facility operated or utilized under contract by the county and a requirement that the offender refrain from committing new offenses.  The sentence may also include up to two years of community supervision, which, in addition to crime-related prohibitions, may include requirements that the offender perform any one or more of the following:

          (a) Devote time to a specific employment or occupation;

          (b) Undergo available outpatient treatment for up to two years, or inpatient treatment not to exceed the standard range of confinement for that offense;

          (c) Pursue a prescribed, secular course of study or vocational training;

          (d) Remain within prescribed geographical boundaries and notify the court or the community corrections officer prior to any change in the offender's address or employment;

          (e) Report as directed to the court and a community corrections officer; or

          (f) Pay all court-ordered legal financial obligations as provided in RCW 9.94A.030 and/or perform community service work.

          (6) If a sentence range has not been established for the defendant's crime, the court shall impose a determinate sentence which may include not more than one year of confinement, community service work, a term of community supervision not to exceed one year, and/or other legal financial obligations.  The court may impose a sentence which provides more than one year of confinement if the court finds, considering the purpose of this chapter, that there are substantial and compelling reasons justifying an exceptional sentence.

          (7)(a)(i) When an offender is convicted of a sex offense other than a violation of RCW 9A.44.050 or a sex offense that is also a serious violent offense and has no prior convictions for a sex offense or any other felony sex offenses in this or any other state, the sentencing court, on its own motion or the motion of the state or the defendant, may order an examination to determine whether the defendant is amenable to treatment.

          The report of the examination shall include at a minimum the following:  The defendant's version of the facts and the official version of the facts, the defendant's offense history, an assessment of problems in addition to alleged deviant behaviors, the offender's social and employment situation, and other evaluation measures used.  The report shall set forth the sources of the evaluator's information.

          The examiner shall assess and report regarding the defendant's amenability to treatment and relative risk to the community.  A proposed treatment plan shall be provided and shall include, at a minimum:

          (A) Frequency and type of contact between offender and therapist;

          (B) Specific issues to be addressed in the treatment and description of planned treatment modalities;

          (C) Monitoring plans, including any requirements regarding living conditions, lifestyle requirements, and monitoring by family members and others;

          (D) Anticipated length of treatment; and

          (E) Recommended crime-related prohibitions.

          The court on its own motion may order, or on a motion by the state shall order, a second examination regarding the offender's amenability to treatment.  The evaluator shall be selected by the party making the motion.  The defendant shall pay the cost of any second examination ordered unless the court finds the defendant to be indigent in which case the state shall pay the cost.

          (ii) After receipt of the reports, the court shall consider whether the offender and the community will benefit from use of this special sexual offender sentencing alternative and consider the victim's opinion whether the offender should receive a treatment disposition under this subsection.  If the court determines that this special sex offender sentencing alternative is appropriate, the court shall then impose a sentence within the sentence range.  If this sentence is less than eight years of confinement, the court may suspend the execution of the sentence and impose the following conditions of suspension:

          (A) The court shall place the defendant on community supervision for the length of the suspended sentence or three years, whichever is greater; and

          (B) The court shall order treatment for any period up to three years in duration.  The court in its discretion shall order outpatient sex offender treatment or inpatient sex offender treatment, if available.  A community mental health center may not be used for such treatment unless it has an appropriate program designed for sex offender treatment.  The offender shall not change sex offender treatment providers or treatment conditions without first notifying the prosecutor, the community corrections officer, and the court, and shall not change providers without court approval after a hearing if the prosecutor or community corrections officer object to the change.  In addition, as conditions of the suspended sentence, the court may impose other sentence conditions including up to six months of confinement, not to exceed the sentence range of confinement for that offense, crime-related prohibitions, and requirements that the offender perform any one or more of the following:

          (I) Devote time to a specific employment or occupation;

          (II) Remain within prescribed geographical boundaries and notify the court or the community corrections officer prior to any change in the offender's address or employment;

          (III) Report as directed to the court and a community corrections officer;

          (IV) Pay all court-ordered legal financial obligations as provided in RCW 9.94A.030, perform community service work, or any combination thereof; or

          (V) Make recoupment to the victim for the cost of any counseling required as a result of the offender's crime.

          (iii) The sex offender therapist shall submit quarterly reports on the defendant's progress in treatment to the court and the parties.  The report shall reference the treatment plan and include at a minimum the following:  Dates of attendance, defendant's compliance with requirements, treatment activities, the defendant's relative progress in treatment, and any other material as specified by the court at sentencing.

          (iv) At the time of sentencing, the court shall set a treatment termination hearing for three months prior to the anticipated date for completion of treatment.  Prior to the treatment termination hearing, the treatment professional and community corrections officer shall submit written reports to the court and parties regarding the defendant's compliance with treatment and monitoring requirements, and recommendations regarding termination from treatment, including proposed community supervision conditions.  Either party may request and the court may order another evaluation regarding the advisability of termination from treatment.  The defendant shall pay the cost of any additional evaluation ordered unless the court finds the defendant to be indigent in which case the state shall pay the cost.  At the treatment termination hearing the court may:  (A) Modify conditions of community supervision, and either (B) terminate treatment, or (C) extend treatment for up to the remaining period of community supervision.

          (v) The court may revoke the suspended sentence at any time during the period of community supervision and order execution of the sentence if:  (A) The defendant violates the conditions of the suspended sentence, or (B) the court finds that the defendant is failing to make satisfactory progress in treatment.  All confinement time served during the period of community supervision shall be credited to the offender if the suspended sentence is revoked.

          (vi) Except as provided in (a)(vii) of this subsection, after July 1, 1991, examinations and treatment ordered pursuant to this subsection shall only be conducted by sex offender treatment providers certified by the department of health pursuant to chapter 18.155 RCW.

          (vii) A sex offender therapist who examines or treats a sex offender pursuant to this subsection (7) does not have to be certified by the department of health pursuant to chapter 18.155 RCW if the court finds that:  (A) The offender has already moved to another state or plans to move to another state for reasons other than circumventing the certification requirements; (B) no certified providers are available for treatment within a reasonable geographical distance of the offender's home; and (C) the evaluation and treatment plan comply with this subsection (7) and the rules adopted by the department of health.

          For purposes of this subsection, "victim" means any person who has sustained emotional, psychological, physical, or financial injury to person or property as a result of the crime charged.  "Victim" also means a parent or guardian of a victim who is a minor child unless the parent or guardian is the perpetrator of the offense.

          (b) When an offender is convicted of any felony sex offense committed before July 1, 1987, and is sentenced to a term of confinement of more than one year but less than six years, the sentencing court may, on its own motion or on the motion of the offender or the state, order the offender committed for up to thirty days to the custody of the secretary of social and health services for evaluation and report to the court on the offender's amenability to treatment at these facilities.  If the secretary of social and health services cannot begin the evaluation within thirty days of the court's order of commitment, the offender shall be transferred to the state for confinement pending an opportunity to be evaluated at the appropriate facility.  The court shall review the reports and may order that the term of confinement imposed be served in the sexual offender treatment program at the location determined by the secretary of social and health services or the secretary's designee, only if the report indicates that the offender is amenable to the treatment program provided at these facilities.  The offender shall be transferred to the state pending placement in the treatment program.  Any offender who has escaped from the treatment program shall be referred back to the sentencing court.

          If the offender does not comply with the conditions of the treatment program, the secretary of social and health services may refer the matter to the sentencing court.  The sentencing court shall commit the offender to the department of corrections to serve the balance of the term of confinement.

          If the offender successfully completes the treatment program before the expiration of the term of confinement, the court may convert the balance of confinement to community supervision and may place conditions on the offender including crime-related prohibitions and requirements that the offender perform any one or more of the following:

          (i) Devote time to a specific employment or occupation;

          (ii) Remain within prescribed geographical boundaries and notify the court or the community corrections officer prior to any change in the offender's address or employment;

          (iii) Report as directed to the court and a community corrections officer;

          (iv) Undergo available outpatient treatment.

          If the offender violates any of the terms of community supervision, the court may order the offender to serve out the balance of the community supervision term in confinement in the custody of the department of corrections.

          After June 30, 1993, this subsection (b) shall cease to have effect.

          (c) When an offender commits any felony sex offense on or after July 1, 1987, and is sentenced to a term of confinement of more than one year but less than six years, the sentencing court may, on its own motion or on the motion of the offender or the state, request the department of corrections to evaluate whether the offender is amenable to treatment and the department may place the offender in a treatment program within a correctional facility operated by the department.

          Except for an offender who has been convicted of a violation of RCW 9A.44.040 or 9A.44.050, if the offender completes the treatment program before the expiration of his or her term of confinement, the department of corrections may request the court to convert the balance of confinement to community supervision and to place conditions on the offender including crime-related prohibitions and requirements that the offender perform any one or more of the following:

          (i) Devote time to a specific employment or occupation;

          (ii) Remain within prescribed geographical boundaries and notify the court or the community corrections officer prior to any change in the offender's address or employment;

          (iii) Report as directed to the court and a community corrections officer;

          (iv) Undergo available outpatient treatment.

          If the offender violates any of the terms of his or her community supervi­sion, the court may order the offender to serve out the balance of his or her community supervision term in confinement in the custody of the department of corrections.

          Nothing in (c) of this subsection shall confer eligibility for such programs for offenders convicted and sentenced for a sex offense committed prior to July 1, 1987.  This subsection (c) does not apply to any crime committed after July 1, 1990.

          (d) Offenders convicted and sentenced for a sex offense committed prior to July 1, 1987, may, subject to available funds, request an evaluation by the department of corrections to determine whether they are amenable to treatment.  If the offender is determined to be amenable to treatment, the offender may request placement in a treatment program within a correctional facility operated by the department.  Placement in such treatment program is subject to available funds.

          (8)(a) When a court sentences a person to a term of total confinement to the custody of the department of corrections for an offense categorized as a sex offense or a serious violent offense committed after July 1, 1988, but before July 1, 1990, assault in the second degree, assault of a child in the second degree, any crime against a person where it is determined in accordance with RCW 9.94A.125 that the defendant or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon at the time of commission, or any felony offense under chapter 69.50 or 69.52 RCW, committed on or after July 1, 1988, the court shall in addition to the other terms of the sentence, sentence the offender to a one-year term of community placement beginning either upon completion of the term of confinement or at such time as the offender is transferred to community custody in lieu of earned early release in accordance with RCW 9.94A.150 (1) and (2).  When a court sentences any offender convicted of a class A felony, the court shall in addition to the other terms of the sentence, provide that the offender shall be subject to postrelease supervision until expiration of the statutory maximum period of confinement for that crime.  When the court sentences an offender under this subsection to the statutory maximum period of confinement then the community placement portion of the sentence shall consist entirely of such community custody to which the offender may become eligible, in accordance with RCW 9.94A.150 (1) and (2).  Any period of community custody actually served shall be credited against the community placement portion of the sentence.

          (b) When a court sentences a person to a term of total confinement to the custody of the department of corrections for an offense categorized as a sex offense or serious violent offense committed on or after July 1, 1990, the court shall in addition to other terms of the sentence, sentence the offender to community placement for two years or up to the period of earned early release awarded pursuant to RCW 9.94A.150 (1) and (2), whichever is longer.  The community placement shall begin either upon completion of the term of confinement or at such time as the offender is transferred to community custody in lieu of earned early release in accordance with RCW 9.94A.150 (1) and (2).  When the court sentences an offender under this subsection to the statutory maximum period of confinement then the community placement portion of the sentence shall consist entirely of the community custody to which the offender may become eligible, in accordance with RCW 9.94A.150 (1) and (2).  Any period of community custody actually served shall be credited against the community placement portion of the sentence.  Unless a condition is waived by the court, the terms of community placement for offenders sentenced pursuant to this section shall include the following conditions:

          (i) The offender shall report to and be available for contact with the assigned community corrections officer as directed;

          (ii) The offender shall work at department of corrections-approved education, employment, and/or community service;

          (iii) The offender shall not consume controlled substances except pursuant to lawfully issued prescriptions;

          (iv) An offender in community custody shall not unlawfully possess controlled substances;

          (v) The offender shall pay supervision fees as determined by the department of corrections; and

          (vi) The residence location and living arrangements are subject to the prior approval of the department of corrections during the period of community placement.

          (c) The court may also order any of the following special conditions:

          (i) The offender shall remain within, or outside of, a specified geographical boundary;

          (ii) The offender shall not have direct or indirect contact with the victim of the crime or a specified class of individuals;

          (iii) The offender shall participate in crime-related treatment or counseling services;

          (iv) The offender shall not consume alcohol; or

          (v) The offender shall comply with any crime-related prohibitions.

          (d) Prior to transfer to, or during, community placement, any conditions of community placement may be removed or modified so as not to be more restrictive by the sentencing court, upon recommendation of the department of corrections.

          (9) If the court imposes a sentence requiring confinement of thirty days or less, the court may, in its discretion, specify that the sentence be served on consecutive or intermittent days.  A sentence requiring more than thirty days of confinement shall be served on consecutive days.  Local jail administrators may schedule court-ordered intermittent sentences as space permits.

          (10) If a sentence imposed includes payment of a legal financial obligation, the sentence shall specify the total amount of the legal financial obligation owed, and shall require the offender to pay a specified monthly sum toward that legal financial obligation.  Restitution to victims shall be paid prior to any other payments of monetary obligations.  Any legal financial obligation that is imposed by the court may be collected by the department, which shall deliver the amount paid to the county clerk for credit.  The offender's compliance with payment of legal financial obligations shall be supervised by the department.  All monetary payments ordered shall be paid no later than ten years after the last date of release from confinement pursuant to a felony conviction or the date the sentence was entered.  Independent of the department, the party or entity to whom the legal financial obligation is owed shall have the authority to utilize any other remedies available to the party or entity to collect the legal financial obligation. Nothing in this section makes the department, the state, or any of its employees, agents, or other persons acting on their behalf liable under any circumstances for the payment of these legal financial obligations.  If an order includes restitution as one of the monetary assessments, the county clerk shall make disbursements to victims named in the order.

          (11) Except as provided under RCW 9.94A.140(1) and 9.94A.142(1), a court may not impose a sentence providing for a term of confinement or community supervision or community placement which exceeds the statutory maximum for the crime as provided in chapter 9A.20 RCW.

          (12) All offenders sentenced to terms involving community supervision, community service, community placement, or legal financial obligation shall be under the supervision of the secretary of the department of corrections or such person as the secretary may designate and shall follow explicitly the instructions of the secretary including reporting as directed to a community corrections officer, remaining within prescribed geographical boundaries, notifying the community corrections officer of any change in the offender's address or employment, and paying the supervision fee assessment.  The department may require offenders to pay for special services rendered on or after July 25, 1993, including electronic monitoring, day reporting, and telephone reporting, dependent upon the offender's ability to pay.  The department may pay for these services for offenders who are not able to pay.

          (13) All offenders sentenced to terms involving community supervision, community service, or community placement under the supervision of the department of corrections shall not own, use, or possess firearms or ammunition.  Offenders who own, use, or are found to be in actual or constructive possession of firearms or ammunition shall be subject to the appropriate violation process and sanctions.  "Constructive possession" as used in this subsection means the power and intent to control the firearm or ammunition.  "Firearm" as used in this subsection means a weapon or device from which a projectile may be fired by an explosive such as gunpowder.

          (14) The sentencing court shall give the offender credit for all confinement time served before the sentencing if that confinement was solely in regard to the offense for which the offender is being sentenced.

          (15) A departure from the standards in RCW 9.94A.400 (1) and (2) governing whether sentences are to be served consecutively or concurrently is an exceptional sentence subject to the limitations in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, and may be appealed by the defendant or the state as set forth in RCW 9.94A.210 (2) through (6).

          (16) The court shall order restitution whenever the offender is convicted of a felony that results in injury to any person or damage to or loss of property, whether the offender is sentenced to confinement or placed under community supervision, unless extraordinary circumstances exist that make restitution inappropriate in the court's judgment.  The court shall set forth the extraordinary circumstances in the record if it does not order restitution.

          (17) As a part of any sentence, the court may impose and enforce an order that relates directly to the circumstances of the crime for which the offender has been convicted, prohibiting the offender from having any contact with other specified individuals or a specific class of individuals for a period not to exceed the maximum allowable sentence for the crime, regardless of the expiration of the offender's term of community supervision or community placement.

          (18) In any sentence of partial confinement, the court may require the defendant to serve the partial confinement in work release, in a program of home detention, on work crew, or in a combined program of work crew and home detention.

          (19) All court-ordered legal financial obligations collected by the department and remitted to the county clerk shall be credited and paid where restitution is ordered.  Restitution shall be paid prior to any other payments of monetary obligations.

 

        Sec. 3.  RCW 9.94A.150 and 1992 c 145 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

          No person serving a sentence imposed pursuant to this chapter and committed to the custody of the department shall leave the confines of the correctional facility or be released prior to the expiration of the sentence except as follows:

          (1) Except as otherwise provided for in subsection (2) of this section, the term of the sentence of an offender committed to a correctional facility operated by the department, may be reduced by earned early release time in accordance with procedures that shall be developed and promulgated by the correctional agency having jurisdiction in which the offender is confined.  The earned early release time shall be for good behavior and good performance, as determined by the correctional agency having jurisdiction.  The correctional agency shall not credit the offender with earned early release credits in advance of the offender actually earning the credits.  Any program established pursuant to this section shall allow an offender to earn early release credits for presentence incarceration.  If an offender is transferred from a county jail to the department of corrections, the county jail facility shall certify to the department the amount of time spent in custody at the facility and the amount of earned early release time.  In the case of an offender convicted of a serious violent offense or a sex offense that is a class A felony committed on or after July 1, 1990, the aggregate earned early release time may not exceed fifteen percent of the sentence.  In no other case shall the aggregate earned early release time exceed one-third of the total sentence.  The sentence of an offender may not be reduced by earned early release time for any periods of time during which the offender is using psychotropic drugs;

          (2) A person convicted of a sex offense or an offense categorized as a serious violent offense, assault in the second degree, assault of a child in the second degree, any crime against a person where it is determined in accordance with RCW 9.94A.125 that the defendant or an accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon at the time of commission, or any felony offense under chapter 69.50 or 69.52 RCW may become eligible, in accordance with a program developed by the department, for transfer to community custody status in lieu of earned early release time pursuant to subsection (1) of this section;

          (3) An offender may leave a correctional facility pursuant to an authorized furlough or leave of absence.  In addition, offenders may leave a correctional facility when in the custody of a corrections officer or officers;

          (4) The governor, upon recommendation from the clemency and pardons board, may grant an extraordinary release for reasons of serious health problems, senility, advanced age, extraordinary meritorious acts, or other extraordinary circumstances;

          (5) No more than the final six months of the sentence may be served in partial confinement designed to aid the offender in finding work and reestablish­ing ((him)) himself or herself in the community;

          (6) The governor may pardon any offender;

          (7) The department of corrections may release an offender from confinement any time within ten days before a release date calculated under this section; and

          (8) An offender may leave a correctional facility prior to completion of his or her sentence if the sentence has been reduced as provided in RCW 9.94A.160.

 

        Sec. 4.  RCW 9.92.151 and 1990 c 3 s 201 are each amended to read as follows:

          The sentence of a prisoner confined in a county jail facility for a felony, gross misdemeanor, or misdemeanor conviction may be reduced by earned release credits in accordance with procedures that shall be developed and promulgated by the correctional agency having jurisdiction.  The earned early release time shall be for good behavior and good performance as determined by the correctional agency having jurisdiction.  Any program established pursuant to this section shall allow an offender to earn early release credits for presentence incarceration.  The correctional agency shall not credit the offender with earned early release credits in advance of the offender actually earning the credits.  In the case of an offender convicted of a serious violent offense or a sex offense that is a class A felony committed on or after July 1, 1990, the aggregate earned early release time may not exceed fifteen percent of the sentence.  In no other case may the aggregate earned early release time exceed one-third of the total sentence.  The sentence of an offender may not be reduced by earned early release time for any periods of time during which the offender is using psychotropic drugs.

 

        Sec. 5.  RCW 9.95.110 and 1955 c 133 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

          The indeterminate sentence review board ((of prison terms and paroles)) may permit a convicted person to leave the buildings and enclosures of the penitentiary or the reformatory on parole, after such convicted person has served the period of confinement fixed for him or her by the board, less time credits for good behavior and diligence in work:  PROVIDED, That in no case shall an inmate be credited with more than one-third of his or her sentence as fixed by the board.  The sentence of an offender may not be reduced by earned early release time for any periods of time during which the offender is using psychotropic drugs.

          The indeterminate sentence review board ((of prison terms and paroles)) may establish rules and regulations under which a convicted person may be allowed to leave the confines of the penitentiary or the reformatory on parole, and may return such person to the confines of the institution from which he or she was paroled, at its discretion.

 

        Sec. 6.  RCW 70.48.210 and 1990 c 3 s 203 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) All cities and counties are authorized to establish and maintain farms, camps, and work release programs and facilities, as well as special detention facilities.  The facilities shall meet the requirements of this chapter ((70.48 RCW)) and any rules adopted ((thereunder)) under this chapter.

          (2) Farms and camps may be established either inside or outside the territorial limits of a city or county.  A sentence of confinement in a city or county jail may include placement in a farm or camp.  Unless directed otherwise by court order, the chief law enforcement officer or department of corrections, may transfer the prisoner to a farm or camp.  The sentencing court, chief law enforcement officer, or department of corrections may not transfer to a farm or camp a greater number of prisoners than can be furnished with constructive employment and can be reasonably accommodated.

          (3) The city or county may establish a city or county work release program and housing facilities for the prisoners in the program.  In such regard, factors such as employment conditions and the condition of jail facilities should be considered.  When a work release program is established the following provisions apply:

          (a) A person convicted of a felony and placed in a city or county jail is eligible for the work release program.  A person sentenced to a city or county jail is eligible for the work release program.  The program may be used as a condition of probation for a criminal offense.  Good conduct is a condition of participation in the program.

          (b) The court may permit a person who is currently, regularly employed to continue his or her employment.  The chief law enforcement officer or department of corrections shall make all necessary arrangements if possible.  The court may authorize the person to seek suitable employment and may authorize the chief law enforcement officer or department of corrections to make reasonable efforts to find suitable employment for the person.  A person participating in the work release program may not work in an establishment where there is a labor dispute.

          (c) The work release prisoner shall be confined in a work release facility or jail unless authorized to be absent from the facility for program-related purposes, unless the court directs otherwise.

          (d) Each work release prisoner's earnings may be collected by the chief law enforcement officer or a designee.  The chief law enforcement officer or a designee may deduct from the earnings moneys for the payments for the prisoner's board, personal expenses inside and outside the jail, a share of the administrative expenses of this section, court-ordered victim compensation, and court-ordered restitution.  Support payments for the prisoner's dependents, if any, shall be made as directed by the court.  With the prisoner's consent, the remaining funds may be used to pay the prisoner's preexisting debts.  Any remaining balance shall be returned to the prisoner.

          (e) The prisoner's sentence may be reduced by earned early release time in accordance with procedures that shall be developed and promulgated by the work release facility.  The earned early release time shall be for good behavior and good performance as determined by the facility.  The facility shall not credit the offender with earned early release credits in advance of the offender actually earning the credits.  In the case of an offender convicted of a serious violent offense or a sex offense that is a class A felony committed on or after July 1, 1990, the aggregate earned early release time may not exceed fifteen percent of the sentence.  In no other case may the aggregate earned early release time exceed one-third of the total sentence.  The sentence of an offender may not be reduced by earned early release time for any periods of time during which the offender is using psychotropic drugs.

          (f) If the work release prisoner violates the conditions of custody or employment, the prisoner shall be returned to the sentencing court.  The sentencing court may require the prisoner to spend the remainder of the sentence in actual confinement and may cancel any earned reduction of the sentence.

          (4) A special detention facility may be operated by a noncorrectional agency or by noncorrectional personnel by contract with the governing unit.  The employees shall meet the standards of training and education established by the criminal justice training commission as authorized by RCW 43.101.080.  The special detention facility may use combinations of features including, but not limited to, low-security or honor prisoner status, work farm, work release, community review, prisoner facility maintenance and food preparation, training programs, or alcohol or drug rehabilitation programs.  Special detention facilities may establish a reasonable fee schedule to cover the cost of facility housing and programs.  The schedule shall be on a sliding basis that reflects the person's ability to pay.

 


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