05/04/2001 05:22 PM Senate JUD

                                                                                                                                
          HB  49-EXTEND TERMINATION DATE FOR BD OF PAROLE                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
Ms.  Candace  Brower, Legislative   Liaison for  the  Department  of                                                            
Corrections, explained  that the legislation extends the termination                                                            
date of the board of parole.  Originally the extension date was 2006                                                            
and the House  amended the date to maintain the parole  board in its                                                            
current status until 2008.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR  announced that the CS before the  committee was the                                                            
House bill.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   THERRIAULT   asked   what   percentage   of  incarcerated                                                             
individuals comes before  the parole board and how the dynamics have                                                            
changed since mandatory minimums were instituted.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. BROWER did not know  that the percentage of individuals eligible                                                            
for discretionary  parole  had changed but  the number of  mandatory                                                            
paroles has increased with  the number of offenders. The workload on                                                            
the mandatory parole has  to do with the number of parole violators.                                                            
Individuals  who are released  on mandatory  parole have their  case                                                            
reviewed  by  a  parole   board  member  who  then  determines   the                                                            
supervisory requirements  for that offender. Because the paroles are                                                            
mandatory, there are some  parolees who are not successful and their                                                            
parole is revoked. At that  time, there is a full board adjudicatory                                                            
hearing.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Although  she did  not  have any  figures,  she thought  the  annual                                                            
parole board report should  give percentages of discretionary parole                                                            
hearings held  as well as the number of mandatory  parole revocation                                                            
hearings.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THERRIAULT  stated his  reason for  asking  stemmed from  a                                                            
constituent  who was  on probation  and  questioned the  need for  a                                                            
parole  board since  instituted mandatory  good  time and  mandatory                                                            
minimums had automated so much of the system.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. BROWER responded  that there were still a significant  number of                                                            
discretionary parole hearings held.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THERRIAULT  noted   that  the monetary   outlay  was  about                                                            
$450,000.00 per year.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS. BROWER agreed.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  TAYLOR   asked  that  the  record  reflect   his  pleasure                                                            
regarding  the work  that  has been  done by  the  current and  past                                                            
parole boards. There has  been no abuse of discretion in this state,                                                            
which indicates that good judgment is being exercised.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY  moved CSHB 49(FIN)  from committee with  individual                                                            
recommendations.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
There being  no objection,  CSHB 49(FIN)  moved from committee  with                                                            
individual recommendations.