AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 40 and Title 41, relative to persons serving criminal sentences.
Summary
HB2203 amends Tennessee law governing work release for prisoners. The bill replaces Tennessee Code Annotated section 41-2-138 with a requirement that the warden of the workhouse submit a monthly report to the sentencing judge for each prisoner in the work release program. The report must be filed by the 15th day of the month following the reporting period and must address the prisoner’s conduct and financial achievement.
The measure is narrow and administrative in scope. It does not change eligibility for work release or sentencing rules, but it formalizes ongoing judicial oversight of inmates participating in work release by requiring regular reporting from the workhouse warden to the original sentencing judge.
Impact
The bill amends Title 41 of the Tennessee Code Annotated by deleting and replacing section 41-2-138. Its practical effect is to impose a monthly reporting duty on workhouse wardens and to give sentencing judges updated information about prisoners’ behavior and earnings while in work release. The affected parties are workhouse administrators, sentencing judges, and prisoners participating in work release programs.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition. Based on the text alone, the bill appears procedural and likely noncontroversial, focusing on administrative oversight rather than substantive criminal justice policy changes.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the available materials. If any concerns were raised, they would most likely relate to the added administrative burden on workhouse wardens or the increased monitoring of prisoners in work release, but the record provided does not show any expressed opposition or support.