CS/HB 329

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to parole interview dates for certain
3inmates; amending ss. 947.16, 947.174, and 947.1745,
4F.S.; extending from 2 years to 7 years the period
5between parole interview dates for inmates convicted
6of committing specified crimes; requiring a periodic
7parole interview for an inmate convicted of kidnapping
8or robbery, burglary of a dwelling, or burglary of a
9structure or conveyance in which a human being is
10present and a sexual act is completed or attempted;
11providing an effective date.
12
13Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15     Section 1.  Paragraph (g) of subsection (4) of section
16947.16, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
17     947.16  Eligibility for parole; initial parole interviews;
18powers and duties of commission.-
19     (4)  A person who has become eligible for an initial parole
20interview and who may, according to the objective parole
21guidelines of the commission, be granted parole shall be placed
22on parole in accordance with the provisions of this law; except
23that, in any case of a person convicted of murder, robbery,
24burglary of a dwelling or burglary of a structure or conveyance
25in which a human being is present, aggravated assault,
26aggravated battery, kidnapping, sexual battery or attempted
27sexual battery, incest or attempted incest, an unnatural and
28lascivious act or an attempted unnatural and lascivious act,
29lewd and lascivious behavior, assault or aggravated assault when
30a sexual act is completed or attempted, battery or aggravated
31battery when a sexual act is completed or attempted, arson, or
32any felony involving the use of a firearm or other deadly weapon
33or the use of intentional violence, at the time of sentencing
34the judge may enter an order retaining jurisdiction over the
35offender for review of a commission release order. This
36jurisdiction of the trial court judge is limited to the first
37one-third of the maximum sentence imposed. When any person is
38convicted of two or more felonies and concurrent sentences are
39imposed, then the jurisdiction of the trial court judge as
40provided herein applies to the first one-third of the maximum
41sentence imposed for the highest felony of which the person was
42convicted. When any person is convicted of two or more felonies
43and consecutive sentences are imposed, then the jurisdiction of
44the trial court judge as provided herein applies to one-third of
45the total consecutive sentences imposed.
46     (g)  The decision of the original sentencing judge or, in
47her or his absence, the chief judge of the circuit to vacate any
48parole release order as provided in this section is not
49appealable. Each inmate whose parole release order has been
50vacated by the court shall be reinterviewed within 2 years after
51the date of receipt of the vacated release order and every 2
52years thereafter, or earlier by order of the court retaining
53jurisdiction. However, each inmate whose parole release order
54has been vacated by the court and who has been:
55     1.  Convicted of murder or attempted murder;
56     2.  Convicted of sexual battery or attempted sexual
57battery; or
58     3.  Convicted of kidnapping;
59     4.  Convicted of robbery, burglary of a dwelling, or
60burglary of a structure or conveyance in which a human being is
61present and a sexual act is completed or attempted; or
62     5.3.  Sentenced to a 25-year minimum mandatory sentence
63previously provided in s. 775.082,
64
65shall be reinterviewed once within 7 years after the date of
66receipt of the vacated release order and once every 7 years
67thereafter, if the commission finds that it is not reasonable to
68expect that parole would be granted during the following years
69and states the bases for the finding in writing. For any inmate
70who is within 7 years of his or her tentative release date, the
71commission may establish a reinterview date prior to the 7-year
72schedule.
73     Section 2.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
74947.174, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
75     947.174  Subsequent interviews.-
76     (1)
77     (b)  For any inmate convicted of murder;, attempted
78murder;, sexual battery;, or attempted sexual battery;
79kidnapping; or robbery, burglary of a dwelling, or burglary of a
80structure or conveyance in which a human being is present and a
81sexual act is completed or attempted;, or any inmate who has
82been sentenced to a 25-year minimum mandatory sentence
83previously provided in s. 775.082, and whose presumptive parole
84release date is more than 7 years after the date of the initial
85interview, a hearing examiner shall schedule an interview for
86review of the presumptive parole release date. The interview
87shall take place once within 7 years after the initial interview
88and once every 7 years thereafter if the commission finds that
89it is not reasonable to expect that parole will be granted at a
90hearing during the following years and states the bases for the
91finding in writing. For any inmate who is within 7 years of his
92or her tentative release date, the commission may establish an
93interview date before the 7-year schedule.
94     Section 3.  Subsection (6) of section 947.1745, Florida
95Statutes, is amended to read:
96     947.1745  Establishment of effective parole release date.-
97If the inmate's institutional conduct has been satisfactory, the
98presumptive parole release date shall become the effective
99parole release date as follows:
100     (6)  Within 90 days before the effective parole release
101date interview, the commission shall send written notice to the
102sentencing judge of any inmate who has been scheduled for an
103effective parole release date interview. If the sentencing judge
104is no longer serving, the notice must be sent to the chief judge
105of the circuit in which the offender was sentenced. The chief
106judge may designate any circuit judge within the circuit to act
107in the place of the sentencing judge. Within 30 days after
108receipt of the commission's notice, the sentencing judge, or the
109designee, shall send to the commission notice of objection to
110parole release, if the judge objects to such release. If there
111is objection by the judge, such objection may constitute good
112cause in exceptional circumstances as described in s. 947.173,
113and the commission may schedule a subsequent review within 2
114years, extending the presumptive parole release date beyond that
115time. However, for an inmate who has been:
116     (a)  Convicted of murder or attempted murder;
117     (b)  Convicted of sexual battery or attempted sexual
118battery; or
119     (c)  Convicted of kidnapping;
120     (d)  Convicted of robbery, burglary of a dwelling, or
121burglary of a structure or conveyance in which a human being is
122present and a sexual act is completed or attempted; or
123     (e)(c)  Sentenced to a 25-year minimum mandatory sentence
124previously provided in s. 775.082,
125
126the commission may schedule a subsequent review under this
127subsection once every 7 years, extending the presumptive parole
128release date beyond that time if the commission finds that it is
129not reasonable to expect that parole would be granted at a
130review during the following years and states the bases for the
131finding in writing. For any inmate who is within 7 years of his
132or her release date, the commission may schedule a subsequent
133review prior to the 7-year schedule. With any subsequent review
134the same procedure outlined above will be followed. If the judge
135remains silent with respect to parole release, the commission
136may authorize an effective parole release date. This subsection
137applies if the commission desires to consider the establishment
138of an effective release date without delivery of the effective
139parole release date interview. Notice of the effective release
140date must be sent to the sentencing judge, and either the
141judge's response to the notice must be received or the time
142period allowed for such response must elapse before the
143commission may authorize an effective release date.
144     Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.


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