SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6131

BYSenators Deccio and Johnson

Revising provisions relating to county jails.

Senate Committee on Health Care & Corrections

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 21, 1988

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6131 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Deccio, Chairman; Johnson, Vice Chairman; Kreidler, Niemi, Smith, West, Wojahn.

Senate Staff:Dee Knapp (786-7452)

                  January 21, 1988

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE & CORRECTIONS, JANUARY 21, 1988

BACKGROUND:

County jail inmates are currently released when their sentence expires at the same time of day they were admitted.  This means that if a person comes into jail at 3:00 a.m., release time will also be at 3:00 a.m.  In other words, credit for time served in jail is figured on a 24 hour clock.

This creates problems for the community when those people who have no transportation or friends to meet them are released into what may be a downtown area in the middle of the night.

Jail overcrowding occurs when a person is not released earlier because an additional bed for the night is taken for only part of the night.

SUMMARY:

If a person's term of confinement is scheduled to end between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., the county jail has the discretion to release the person at 5:00 p.m.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

This section does not apply to persons required to serve confinement time in consecutive hours under the mandatory sentencing provisions of the Driving While Intoxicated statute.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      available

Senate Committee - Testified: Kurt Sharar, Washington State Association of Counties; Jim Rabie, Washington State Law Enforcement Association; Mike Redman, Prosecuting Attorneys Association