CS/HB 177

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to inmate reentry; defining the terms
3"department" and "nonviolent offender"; directing the
4Department of Corrections to develop and administer a
5reentry program for nonviolent offenders which is
6intended to divert nonviolent offenders from long
7periods of incarceration; requiring that the program
8include intensive substance abuse treatment and
9rehabilitative programming; providing for the minimum
10length of service in the program; providing that any
11portion of a sentence before placement in the program
12does not count as progress toward program completion;
13specifying eligibility criteria for a nonviolent
14offender to be placed into the reentry program;
15directing the department to notify the nonviolent
16offender's sentencing court to obtain approval before
17the nonviolent offender is placed into the reentry
18program; requiring the department to notify the state
19attorney; authorizing the state attorney to file
20objections to placing the offender into the reentry
21program within a specified period; requiring the
22sentencing court to notify the department of the
23court's decision to approve or disapprove the
24requested placement within a specified period;
25providing that failure of the court to timely notify
26the department of the court's decision constitutes
27approval by the requested placement; requiring the
28nonviolent offender to undergo an education assessment
29and a full substance abuse assessment if admitted into
30the reentry program; requiring the offender to be
31enrolled in an adult education program in specified
32circumstances; requiring that assessments of
33vocational skills and future career education be
34provided to the offender; requiring that certain
35reevaluation be made periodically; providing that the
36nonviolent offender is subject to the disciplinary
37rules of the department; specifying the reasons for
38which the offender may be terminated from the reentry
39program; requiring that the department submit a report
40to the sentencing court at least 30 days before the
41nonviolent offender is scheduled to complete the
42reentry program; setting forth the issues to be
43addressed in the report; requiring the sentencing
44court to issue an order modifying the sentence imposed
45and place the nonviolent offender on drug offender
46probation if the nonviolent offender's performance is
47satisfactory; authorizing the court to revoke
48probation and impose the original sentence in
49specified circumstances; authorizing the court to
50require the offender to complete a postadjudicatory
51drug court program in specified circumstances;
52directing the department to implement the reentry
53program using available resources; requiring the
54department to submit an annual report to the Governor
55and Legislature detailing the extent of implementation
56of the reentry program and outlining future goals and
57recommendations; authorizing the department to enter
58into contracts with qualified individuals, agencies,
59or corporations for services for the reentry program;
60authorizing the department to impose administrative or
61protective confinement as necessary; authorizing the
62department to establish a system of incentives within
63the reentry program which the department may use to
64promote participation in rehabilitative programs and
65the orderly operation of institutions and facilities;
66providing that the section does not create a right to
67placement in the reentry program or any right to
68placement or early release under supervision of any
69type; providing that the section does not create a
70cause of action related to the program; directing the
71department to develop a system for tracking
72recidivism, including, but not limited to, rearrests
73and recommitment of nonviolent offenders who
74successfully complete the reentry program, and to
75report on recidivism in its annual report of the
76program; directing the department to adopt rules;
77providing an effective date.
78
79Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
80
81     Section 1.  Nonviolent offender reentry program.-
82     (1)  As used in this section, the term:
83     (a)  "Department" means the Department of Corrections.
84     (b)  "Nonviolent offender" means an offender who has:
85     1.  Been convicted of a third-degree felony offense that is
86not a forcible felony as defined in s. 776.08, Florida Statutes;
87and
88     2.  Not been convicted of any offense that requires a
89person to register as a sexual offender pursuant to s. 943.0435,
90Florida Statutes.
91     (2)(a)  The department shall develop and administer a
92reentry program for nonviolent offenders. The reentry program
93must include prison-based substance abuse treatment, general
94education development and adult basic education courses,
95vocational training, training in decisionmaking and personal
96development, and other rehabilitation programs.
97     (b)  The reentry program is intended to divert nonviolent
98offenders from long periods of incarceration when a reduced
99period of incarceration followed by participation in intensive
100substance abuse treatment and rehabilitative programming could
101produce the same deterrent effect, rehabilitate the offender,
102and reduce recidivism.
103     (c)  The nonviolent offender shall serve at least 120 days
104in the reentry program. The offender may not count any portion
105of his or her sentence served before placement in the reentry
106program as progress toward program completion.
107     (d)  A reentry program may be operated in a secure area in
108or adjacent to an adult institution.
109     (3)(a)  The department shall screen offenders committed to
110the department for eligibility criteria to participate in the
111reentry program. In order to be eligible, an offender must be a
112nonviolent offender, must have served at least one-half of his
113or her original sentence, and must have been identified as
114having a need for substance abuse treatment. When selecting
115participants for the reentry program, the department shall
116consider the offender's criminal history and the possible
117rehabilitative benefits that substance abuse treatment,
118educational programming, vocational training, and other
119rehabilitative programming might have on the offender.
120     (b)  If an offender meets the eligibility criteria, is
121selected by the department, and space is available in the
122reentry program, the department shall request the sentencing
123court to approve the offender's participation in the reentry
124program.
125     (c)1.  The department shall notify the state attorney that
126the offender is being considered for placement in the reentry
127program. The notice must explain to the state attorney that a
128proposed reduced period of incarceration, followed by
129participation in substance abuse treatment and other
130rehabilitative programming, could produce the same deterrent
131effect otherwise expected from a lengthy incarceration.
132     2.  The notice must also state that the state attorney may
133notify the sentencing court in writing of any objection the
134state attorney might have if the nonviolent offender is placed
135in the reentry program. The state attorney must notify the
136sentencing court of his or her objections within 14 days after
137receiving the notice.
138     (d)  The sentencing court shall notify the department in
139writing of the court's decision to approve or disapprove the
140requested placement of the nonviolent offender no later than 28
141days after the court receives the department's request to place
142the offender in the reentry program. Failure to notify the
143department of the court's decision within the 28-day period
144constitutes approval to place the offender into the reentry
145program.
146     (4)  After the nonviolent offender is admitted into the
147reentry program, he or she shall undergo a full substance abuse
148assessment to determine his or her substance abuse treatment
149needs. The offender shall also have an educational assessment,
150which shall be accomplished using the Test of Adult Basic
151Education or any other testing instrument approved by the
152Department of Education. Each offender who has not obtained a
153high school diploma shall be enrolled in an adult education
154program designed to aid the offender in improving his or her
155academic skills and earn a high school diploma. Further
156assessments of the offender's vocational skills and future
157career education shall be provided to the offender as needed. A
158periodic reevaluation shall be made in order to assess the
159progress of each offender.
160     (5)(a)  If a nonviolent offender in the reentry program
161becomes unmanageable, the department may revoke the offender's
162gain-time and place the offender in disciplinary confinement in
163accordance with department rule. Except as provided in paragraph
164(b), the offender shall be readmitted to the reentry program
165after completing the ordered discipline. Any period of time
166during which the offender is unable to participate in the
167reentry program shall be excluded from the specified time
168requirements in the reentry program.
169     (b)  The department may terminate an offender from the
170reentry program if:
171     1.  The offender commits or threatens to commit a violent
172act;
173     2.  The department determines that the offender is unable
174to participate in the reentry program due to the offender's
175medical condition;
176     3.  The offender's sentence is modified or expires;
177     4.  The department reassigns the offender's classification
178status; or
179     5.  The department determines that removing the offender
180from the reentry program is in the best interest of the offender
181or the security of the institution.
182     (6)(a)  The department shall submit a report to the court
183at least 30 days before the nonviolent offender is scheduled to
184complete the reentry program. The report must describe the
185offender's performance in the reentry program. If the
186performance is satisfactory, the court shall issue an order
187modifying the sentence imposed and place the offender on drug
188offender probation subject to the offender's successful
189completion of the remainder of the reentry program. The term of
190drug offender probation may include placement in a community
191residential or nonresidential substance abuse treatment facility
192under the jurisdiction of the department or the Department of
193Children and Family Services or any public or private entity
194providing such services. If the nonviolent offender violates the
195conditions of drug offender probation, the court may revoke
196probation and impose any sentence that it might have originally
197imposed.
198     (b)  If an offender being released pursuant to paragraph
199(a) intends to reside in a county that has established a
200postadjudicatory drug court program as described in s. 397.334,
201Florida Statutes, the sentencing court may require the offender
202to successfully complete the postadjudicatory drug court program
203as a condition of drug offender probation. The original
204sentencing court shall relinquish jurisdiction of the offender's
205case to the postadjudicatory drug court program until the
206offender is no longer active in the program, the case is
207returned to the sentencing court due to the offender's
208termination from the program for failure to comply with the
209terms thereof, or the offender's sentence is completed. If
210transferred to a postadjudicatory drug court program, the
211offender shall comply with all conditions and orders of the
212program.
213     (7)  The department shall implement the reentry program to
214the fullest extent feasible within available resources.
215     (8)  The department shall submit an annual report to the
216Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
217House of Representatives detailing the extent of implementation
218of the reentry program and outlining future goals and any
219recommendation the department has for future legislative action.
220     (9)  The department may enter into performance-based
221contracts with qualified individuals, agencies, or corporations
222for the provision of any or all of the services for the reentry
223program.
224     (10)  A nonviolent offender in the reentry program is
225subject to rules of conduct established by the department and
226may have sanctions imposed, including loss of privileges,
227restrictions, disciplinary confinement, alteration of release
228plans, or other program modifications in keeping with the nature
229and gravity of the program violation. Administrative or
230protective confinement, as necessary, may be imposed.
231     (11)  This section does not create or confer any right to
232any inmate to placement in the reentry program or any right to
233placement or early release under supervision of any type. No
234inmate may have a cause of action under this section against the
235department, a court, or the state attorney related to the
236reentry program.
237     (12)  The department may establish a system of incentives
238within the reentry program which the department may use to
239promote participation in rehabilitative programs and the orderly
240operation of institutions and facilities.
241     (13)  The department shall develop a system for tracking
242recidivism, including, but not limited to, rearrests and
243recommitment of nonviolent offenders who successfully complete
244the reentry program, and shall report the recidivism rate in its
245annual report of the program.
246     (14)  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to ss.
247120.536(1) and 120.54, Florida Statutes, to administer the
248reentry program.
249     Section 2.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2012.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.