Florida Senate - 2012                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 92
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Barcode 964090                          
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  11/03/2011           .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
                                       .                                
       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————




       —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
       The Committee on Criminal Justice (Smith) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. This act may be cited as the “Second Chance for
    6  Children Act.”
    7         Section 2. Section 921.167, Florida Statutes, is created to
    8  read:
    9         921.167 Juvenile offender reduction or suspension of
   10  sentence.—
   11         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   12         (a) “Department” means the Department of Corrections.
   13         (b) “Juvenile offender” means an offender who was sentenced
   14  to a single or cumulative term of imprisonment of 10 or more
   15  years for one or more offenses committed while he or she was 17
   16  years of age or younger.
   17         (c) Reentry program” means a program that promotes
   18  effective reintegration of an offender back into the community
   19  upon release and provides one or more of the following
   20  activities:
   21         1. Vocational training;
   22         2. Placement services;
   23         3. Transitional housing;
   24         4. Mentoring; or
   25         5. Drug rehabilitation.
   26         (2) Notwithstanding any other law, a juvenile offender may
   27  be eligible for a reduced or suspended sentence under this
   28  section.
   29         (a) A juvenile offender must have a sentencing hearing to
   30  determine whether she or he has been sufficiently rehabilitated
   31  while in the custody of the department before he or she can be
   32  eligible for a reduced or suspended sentence under this section.
   33         (b) Upon reaching 25 years of age, a juvenile offender may
   34  petition the court to reduce or suspend his or her sentence. The
   35  petition shall be filed in the court that initially sentenced
   36  the juvenile offender. In order to be eligible for a reduced or
   37  suspended sentence, the petition must allege that the juvenile
   38  offender has:
   39         1. Successfully completed the general education development
   40  (GED) program, if he or she does not have a high school diploma,
   41  unless this requirement has been waived because of the juvenile
   42  offender’s disability as shown by the juvenile offender’s
   43  previous individual education plan , 504 accommodation plan
   44  under s. 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or by a
   45  psychological evaluation; and
   46         2. Not received any disciplinary reports issued by the
   47  department for a period of at least 3 years immediately before
   48  filing the petition.
   49         (c) The court shall schedule a sentencing hearing within 90
   50  days after the filing of the petition to determine whether the
   51  juvenile offender’s sentence should be reduced or suspended.
   52  When determining whether the juvenile offender has been
   53  sufficiently rehabilitated, the court shall consider:
   54         1.The juvenile offender’s age, maturity, and psychological
   55  development at the time of the offense or offenses.
   56         2.Any physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of the juvenile
   57  offender before the commission of the offense or offenses.
   58         3.Any showing of insufficient adult support or supervision
   59  of the juvenile offender before the offense or offenses.
   60         4.Whether the juvenile offender was a principal or an
   61  accomplice, was a relatively minor participant, or acted under
   62  extreme duress or domination by another person.
   63         5. The wishes of the victim or the opinions of the victim’s
   64  next of kin.
   65         6. The results of any available psychological evaluation
   66  administered by a mental health professional as ordered by the
   67  court before the sentencing hearing.
   68         7.Any showing of sincere and sustained remorse by the
   69  juvenile offender for the offense or offenses.
   70         8. The juvenile offender’s behavior while in the custody of
   71  the department including disciplinary reports.
   72         9. Whether the juvenile offender has successfully completed
   73  or participated in educational, technical, or vocational
   74  programs and any available self-rehabilitation programs while in
   75  the custody of the department.
   76         10. Any showing by the juvenile offender of a post-release
   77  plan including, but not limited to, contacts made with
   78  transitional organizations, faith- and character-based
   79  organizations, or other reentry service programs.
   80         11. Any other factor relevant to the juvenile offender’s
   81  rehabilitation while in the custody of the department.
   82         (3) A juvenile offender whose sentence is not reduced or
   83  suspended under this section may petition the court for a
   84  subsequent sentencing hearing 7 years after the date of the
   85  previous sentencing hearing and every 7 years thereafter.
   86         (4) If the court determines that the petitioner’s sentence
   87  should be reduced or suspended under this section, the juvenile
   88  offender shall participate in any available reentry program for
   89  2 years upon release.
   90         (5) The court may appoint an attorney to represent the
   91  juvenile offender at the sentencing hearing.
   92         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
   93  
   94  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   95         And the title is amended as follows:
   96         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   97  and insert:
   98  
   99                        A bill to be entitled                      
  100         An act relating to reducing or suspending the sentence
  101         of a juvenile offender; providing a short title;
  102         creating s. 921.167, F.S.; defining terms; providing
  103         that a juvenile offender who was 17 years of age or
  104         younger at the time of commission of an offense and
  105         who was sentenced to 10 or more years of imprisonment
  106         may be eligible for a reduced or suspended sentence;
  107         providing that the juvenile offender may petition the
  108         court after a specified age for a hearing to reduce or
  109         suspend the sentence; setting forth the eligibility
  110         criteria to reduce or suspend a sentence; authorizing
  111         the juvenile offender to petition for subsequent
  112         sentencing hearings if the court does not reduce or
  113         suspend the juvenile offender’s sentence; providing an
  114         effective date.