RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT
Summary
S2288 amends Rhode Island’s earned-time statute for the Department of Corrections to expand and clarify when incarcerated people and probationers may receive sentence reductions for good behavior, institutional work, program participation, and probation compliance. The bill preserves existing exclusions for certain serious offenses, including murder and specified sexual offenses, while adding a new exclusion for people serving probation for driving under the influence death resulting. Under the bill, those individuals would not be eligible to earn good time off their probationary period.
The measure also reorganizes and restates the earned-credit framework for prisoners and probationers. It continues to allow good-conduct credits for eligible incarcerated people, credits for institutional industries, and rehabilitative-program credits, and it creates a probation compliance credit system for eligible probationers after three years of probation. The bill applies prospectively for probation compliance credits but states that it applies to all individuals sentenced to probation, including those sentenced before enactment, for purposes of the new framework.
Impact
The bill would amend § 42-56-24 of the Rhode Island General Laws, affecting how the Department of Corrections calculates earned time for incarcerated people and probationers. Its most direct legal effect is to bar probationers serving sentences for driving under the influence death resulting from receiving probation good-time credits, while leaving intact existing exclusions for murder, sexual offenses, and other listed offenses. It also requires the department to maintain records of probation end dates based on earned credits and clarifies that probation compliance credits begin prospectively from the date of enactment.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge broad sentiment. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a public-safety and corrections-administration bill, with a clear intent to limit sentence-reduction benefits for a serious DUI-related offense while preserving earned-time incentives for other eligible offenders.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the balance between rehabilitation incentives and public safety. Supporters would likely favor excluding DUI death resulting probationers from early release credits because the offense involves a fatal outcome and heightened public concern. Opponents, if any, may argue that the bill narrows opportunities for rehabilitation or creates another sentencing distinction within the probation system. The bill also contains broader earned-credit revisions, but the specific exclusion for DUI death resulting is the most notable policy choice.
Increases the minimum wage amount for any person committed to the adult correctional institution from three dollars to five dollars a day for every day the person shall labor.
Makes it easier to vote for people eligible to vote who are incarcerated at the Rhode Island adult correctional institute and creates the position of "voting coordinator," within the department of corrections.
Establishes The Body Cameras for Correctional Facilities Act which mandates all department of corrections staff with direct supervision rolls to wear body cameras while on duty in their assigned facility.
Establishes The Body Cameras for Correctional Facilities Act which mandates all department of corrections staff with direct supervision rolls to wear body cameras while on duty in their assigned facility.
Establishes the restrictive housing oversight committee ("committee") for the purpose of monitoring the use of restrictive housing ("solitary confinement"), as well as disciplinary and administrative confinement at the department of corrections.
Establishes the restrictive housing oversight committee ("committee") for the purpose of monitoring the use of restrictive housing ("solitary confinement"), as well as disciplinary and administrative confinement at the department of corrections.
An act to amend Sections 24801, 24826, 24827, 24830, 24862, and 24908 of, to repeal Section 24861 of, and to repeal and add Section 24863 of, the Public Utilities Code, relating to transportation.