The Florida Senate

947.1405  Conditional release program.--

(1)  This section and s. 947.141 may be cited as the "Conditional Release Program Act."

(2)  Any inmate who:

(a)  Is convicted of a crime committed on or after October 1, 1988, and before January 1, 1994, and any inmate who is convicted of a crime committed on or after January 1, 1994, which crime is or was contained in category 1, category 2, category 3, or category 4 of Rule 3.701 and Rule 3.988, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure (1993), and who has served at least one prior felony commitment at a state or federal correctional institution;

(b)  Is sentenced as a habitual or violent habitual offender or a violent career criminal pursuant to s. 775.084; or

(c)  Is found to be a sexual predator under s. 775.21 or former s. 775.23,

shall, upon reaching the tentative release date or provisional release date, whichever is earlier, as established by the Department of Corrections, be released under supervision subject to specified terms and conditions, including payment of the cost of supervision pursuant to s. 948.09. Such supervision shall be applicable to all sentences within the overall term of sentences if an inmate's overall term of sentences includes one or more ¹sentences that are eligible for conditional release supervision as provided herein. Effective July 1, 1994, and applicable for offenses committed on or after that date, the commission may require, as a condition of conditional release, that the releasee make payment of the debt due and owing to a county or municipal detention facility under s. 951.032 for medical care, treatment, hospitalization, or transportation received by the releasee while in that detention facility. The commission, in determining whether to order such repayment and the amount of such repayment, shall consider the amount of the debt, whether there was any fault of the institution for the medical expenses incurred, the financial resources of the releasee, the present and potential future financial needs and earning ability of the releasee, and dependents, and other appropriate factors. If an inmate has received a term of probation or community control supervision to be served after release from incarceration, the period of probation or community control must be substituted for the conditional release supervision. A panel of no fewer than two commissioners shall establish the terms and conditions of any such release. If the offense was a controlled substance violation, the conditions shall include a requirement that the offender submit to random substance abuse testing intermittently throughout the term of conditional release supervision, upon the direction of the correctional probation officer as defined in s. 943.10(3). The commission shall also determine whether the terms and conditions of such release have been violated and whether such violation warrants revocation of the conditional release.

(3)  As part of the conditional release process, the commission shall determine:

(a)  The amount of reparation or restitution.

(b)  The consequences of the offense as reported by the aggrieved party.

(c)  The aggrieved party's fear of the inmate or concerns about the release of the inmate.

(4)  The commission shall provide to the aggrieved party information regarding the manner in which notice of any developments concerning the status of the inmate during the term of conditional release may be requested.

(5)  Within 180 days prior to the tentative release date or provisional release date, whichever is earlier, a representative of the commission shall interview the inmate. The commission representative shall review the inmate's program participation, disciplinary record, psychological and medical records, and any other information pertinent to the impending release. A commission representative shall conduct a personal interview with the inmate for the purpose of determining the details of the inmate's release plan, including the inmate's planned residence and employment. The results of the interview must be forwarded to the commission in writing.

(6)  Upon receipt of notice as required under s. 947.175, the commission shall conduct a review of the inmate's record for the purpose of establishing the terms and conditions of the conditional release. The commission may impose any special conditions it considers warranted from its review of the record. If the commission determines that the inmate is eligible for release under this section, the commission shall enter an order establishing the length of supervision and the conditions attendant thereto. However, an inmate who has been convicted of a violation of chapter 794 or found by the court to be a sexual predator is subject to the maximum level of supervision provided, with the mandatory conditions as required in subsection (7), and that supervision shall continue through the end of the releasee's original court-imposed sentence. The length of supervision must not exceed the maximum penalty imposed by the court.

(7)(a)  Any inmate who is convicted of a crime committed on or after October 1, 1995, or who has been previously convicted of a crime committed on or after October 1, 1995, in violation of chapter 794, s. 800.04, s. 827.071, or s. 847.0145, and is subject to conditional release supervision, shall have, in addition to any other conditions imposed, the following special conditions imposed by the commission:

1.  A mandatory curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The court may designate another 8-hour period if the offender's employment precludes the above specified time, and such alternative is recommended by the Department of Corrections. If the court determines that imposing a curfew would endanger the victim, the court may consider alternative sanctions.

2.  If the victim was under the age of 18, a prohibition on living within 1,000 feet of a school, day care center, park, playground, or other place where children regularly congregate.

3.  Active participation in and successful completion of a sex offender treatment program with therapists specifically trained to treat sex offenders, at the releasee's own expense. If a specially trained therapist is not available within a 50-mile radius of the releasee's residence, the offender shall participate in other appropriate therapy.

4.  A prohibition on any contact with the victim, directly or indirectly, including through a third person, unless approved by the victim, the offender's therapist, and the sentencing court.

5.  If the victim was under the age of 18, a prohibition, until successful completion of a sex offender treatment program, on unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 18, unless authorized by the commission without another adult present who is responsible for the child's welfare, has been advised of the crime, and is approved by the commission.

6.  If the victim was under age 18, a prohibition on working for pay or as a volunteer at any school, day care center, park, playground, or other place where children regularly congregate, as prescribed by the commission.

7.  Unless otherwise indicated in the treatment plan provided by the sexual offender treatment program, a prohibition on viewing, owning, or possessing any obscene, pornographic, or sexually stimulating visual or auditory material, including telephone, electronic media, computer programs, or computer services that are relevant to the offender's deviant behavior pattern.

8.  A requirement that the releasee must submit two specimens of blood to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to be registered with the DNA database.

9.  A requirement that the releasee make restitution to the victim, as determined by the sentencing court or the commission, for all necessary medical and related professional services relating to physical, psychiatric, and psychological care.

10.  Submission to a warrantless search by the community control or probation officer of the probationer's or community controllee's person, residence, or vehicle.

(b)  For a releasee whose crime was committed on or after October 1, 1997, in violation of chapter 794, s. 800.04, s. 827.071, or s. 847.0145, and who is subject to conditional release supervision, in addition to any other provision of this subsection, the commission shall impose the following additional conditions of conditional release supervision:

1.  As part of a treatment program, participation in a minimum of one annual polygraph examination to obtain information necessary for risk management and treatment and to reduce the sex offender's denial mechanisms. The polygraph examination must be conducted by a polygrapher trained specifically in the use of the polygraph for the monitoring of sex offenders, where available, and at the expense of the sex offender. The results of the polygraph examination shall not be used as evidence in a hearing to prove that a violation of supervision has occurred.

2.  Maintenance of a driving log and a prohibition against driving a motor vehicle alone without the prior approval of the supervising officer.

3.  A prohibition against obtaining or using a post office box without the prior approval of the supervising officer.

4.  If there was sexual contact, a submission to, at the probationer's or community controllee's expense, an HIV test with the results to be released to the victim or the victim's parent or guardian.

5.  Electronic monitoring when deemed necessary by the community control or probation officer and his or her supervisor, and ordered by the court at the recommendation of the Department of Corrections.

(8)  It is the finding of the Legislature that the population of offenders released from state prison into the community who meet the conditional release criteria poses the greatest threat to the public safety of the groups of offenders under community supervision. Therefore, the Department of Corrections is to provide intensive supervision by experienced correctional probation officers to conditional release offenders. Subject to specific appropriation by the Legislature, caseloads may be restricted to a maximum of 40 conditional release offenders per officer to provide for enhanced public safety and to effectively monitor conditions of electronic monitoring or curfews, if so ordered by the commission.

History.--s. 19, ch. 88-122; ss. 12, 17, ch. 89-531; ss. 11, 20, ch. 90-337; s. 2, ch. 91-225; s. 8, ch. 91-280; s. 14, ch. 92-310; s. 1, ch. 93-2; s. 4, ch. 93-277; s. 4, ch. 93-417; s. 2, ch. 94-121; s. 3, ch. 94-294; s. 5, ch. 95-264; s. 57, ch. 95-283; s. 64, ch. 96-388; s. 10, ch. 97-78; s. 1872, ch. 97-102; s. 1, ch. 97-308.

¹Note.--As enacted by s. 1, ch. 97-308. As enacted by s. 10, ch. 97-78, the language reads: "conditional release eligible sentences as provided herein."