SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5664

              As Passed Senate, February 1, 2000

Title:  An act relating to community service.

Brief Description:  Renaming, with regard to adult and juvenile offenders, "community service" as "community restitution."

Sponsors:  Senators Costa, Long, Kline, Hargrove, Thibaudeau, Wojahn, Franklin and Jacobsen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Human Services & Corrections:  2/12/99, 2/18/99 [DP].

Passed Senate, 3/8/99, 45-0; 2/1/00, 46-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Costa, Vice Chair; Franklin, Kohl‑Welles, Long, Patterson, Sheahan, Stevens and Zarelli.

Staff:  Jennifer Strus (786-7484)

Background:  The Legislature believes that citizens and crime victims need to be active partners in responding to crime, in the management of resources, and in the disposition of decisions regarding adult and juvenile offenders in their community.  Involvement of citizens and crime victims increases offender accountability and builds healthier communities which will reduce recidivism and crime rates in Washington State.  Offender accountability should be based upon the offender=s acknowledgment of responsibility and an effort to repair the harm done to both the victim of the crime and the community in which the crime took place.  The Legislature intends to encourage more frequent opportunities to repair the victim and community through the criminal and juvenile justice process.  In order to promote the concept of justice, the Legislature finds that there needs to be a distinction between those individuals who perform a service to the community because they wish to, and those individuals who are ordered to serve the community because of an offense that they have committed.

Summary of Bill:  The term "community service" is changed to "community restitution."

A technical correction is made to correct a reference to another statute.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  People who willingly volunteer to serve the community should be distinguished from those offenders who are ordered to provide service to the community.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO: Paola Maranan, The Children's Alliance; Jenny Wielend, Washington Coalition of Crime Victims Advocates.