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2009 Session

Budget Amendments - SB850 (Conference Report)

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Joint Subcommittee on Prison Options (language only)

Item 387 #1c

Item 387 #1c

Public Safety
Corrections, Department of

Language
Page 426, after line 12, insert:
"G.1. The Secretary of Public Safety, in cooperation with
the Supreme Court of Virginia
, the Virginia Sheriffs' Association, the Virginia Association of Regional Jails, the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, and the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission, shall
form a task force to develop recommendations to expand the utilization of alternative methods of punishment for nonviolent, lower-risk offenders who have been sentenced by a court to a term of incarceration.  The Departments of Planning and Budget, Corrections, and Criminal Justice Services, the Compensation Board, and the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission shall provide such assistance as may be necessary.
2.  The Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees shall appoint a joint subcommittee to consider steps which may be appropriate to reduce the growth in the numbers of nonviolent, lower risk offenders entering state correctional facilities.  The consideration of such steps shall recognize the need to protect public safety; to enable the courts to sentence offenders to appropriate alternative punishment options; and, to provide the Department of Corrections, regional and local jails, and local community corrections and pretrial release programs with the appropriate programs and management tools to operate within the resources available.  Consideration shall also be given to other issues as determined by the joint subcommittee.  The Chairmen may include such representatives from the Senate and House Committees on Courts of Justice as they may deem appropriate.  The Secretary of Public Safety shall provide such assistance to the joint subcommittee as may be requested by the joint subcommittee."


Explanation
(This amendment creates a joint subcommittee to review potential alternatives to manage the growth of the state correctional system within the limits of available resources.)