Brief Description: Granting earned release credits for specified offenders.

Sponsors: Representatives O'Brien, Darneille, Kagi and Upthegrove.

Hearing Date: 3/1/05

Staff: Yvonne Walker (786-7841).

Background:

Work crew is a form of partial confinement. Participation is conditioned upon the offender's acceptance into the program as well as a showing of abstinence from alcohol and controlled substances. An offender sentenced for a sex offense is not eligible for a Work Crew Program. Offender work crews generally perform civic improvement tasks that are for the benefit of the community.

Some inmates sentenced to the Department of Corrections are eligible to participate in offender work crews that are supervised by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). These particular work crews have been trained to fight fires and are dispatched after all of the DNR crews have been dispatched. In addition to forest fire fighting and forest fire suppression and prevention, the DNR work crews are also used for reforestation, wood-cutting, land clearing, stream clearance, watershed improvement, the development of parks and recreational areas, and other work to conserve the natural resources and protect and improve the public domain.

Summary of Bill:

The Department of Corrections may grant up to 30 days of additional earned early release credit, in addition to any other credit earned, to any offender participating on a DNR work crew.

Prior to an offender's release, he or she must: 1) be housed in a minimum security correctional facility; 2) have less than 12 months remaining on his or her sentence; and 3) have successfully completed all training, physical ability testing, and a minimum of six months of continuous employment in a work crew supervised by the Department of Natural Resources.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 25, 2005.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately, except for section 2, which takes effect July 1, 2005.