Senate Bill 2188

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2188

    By Senator Jones





    40-1233-00

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the parole of certain

  3         offenders; providing for nonviolent offenders

  4         convicted of possessing a controlled substance

  5         to be released on parole; prohibiting the

  6         release of a prisoner convicted as a violent

  7         career criminal, a habitual violent felony

  8         offender, or a habitual criminal offender;

  9         providing that a person convicted of the sale,

10         manufacture, or transportation of a controlled

11         substance is not eligible for parole; requiring

12         that the Secretary of Corrections notify the

13         Parole Commission of the prisoners who are

14         eligible for parole under the act; requiring

15         that paroled prisoners participate in

16         drug-treatment programs; authorizing the court

17         to impose certain sanctions against any paroled

18         prisoner who violates the terms and conditions

19         of parole or who is convicted a second time of

20         possessing a controlled substance; providing

21         for the revocation of the parole of any paroled

22         prisoner convicted a third or subsequent time

23         of possessing a controlled substance; requiring

24         that the Legislature redirect any savings

25         realized by the release of nonviolent drug

26         offenders to fund drug-treatment programs and

27         programs that involve parents in preventing

28         drug abuse by their children; providing an

29         effective date.

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31  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2188
    40-1233-00




  1         Section 1.  (1)  Notwithstanding any other law to the

  2  contrary and except as otherwise provided in this section, if

  3  a prisoner has been convicted of possessing a controlled

  4  substance and is not concurrently serving another sentence,

  5  that prisoner is eligible for parole.

  6         (2)  A prisoner is not eligible for parole under this

  7  section if the prisoner has previously been:

  8         (a)  Convicted as a violent career criminal, as defined

  9  in section 775.084, Florida Statutes;

10         (b)  Convicted as a habitual violent felony offender,

11  as defined in section 775.084, Florida Statutes; or

12         (c)  Convicted, sentenced, or subject to sentencing as

13  a habitual criminal offender in any other jurisdiction within

14  the United States.

15         (3)  As used in this section, the term "possessing a

16  controlled substance" does not include the sale of a

17  controlled substance or producing, manufacturing, or

18  transporting a controlled substance for sale.

19         (4)  By October 1, 2000, the Secretary of Corrections

20  shall submit to the Parole Commission the name of each

21  prisoner who is eligible for parole under this section.

22         (5)  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary,

23  each prisoner who is eligible for parole under this section

24  shall be released on parole if the Parole Commission

25  determines that the prisoner is not a danger to the public.

26         (6)  As a condition of parole, each prisoner released

27  under this section must participate in an appropriate

28  drug-treatment program or education program administered by a

29  qualified agency or organization that provides treatment for

30  persons who abuse controlled substances. The prisoner released

31  under this section must pay the cost of the drug-treatment

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2188
    40-1233-00




  1  program or education program to the best of his or her

  2  financial ability.

  3         (7)  A prisoner released under this section shall

  4  remain on parole until the Parole Commission revokes the

  5  person's parole, grants the person a full discharge from

  6  parole supervision, or discharges the person from parole

  7  supervision due to attainment of his or her release date.

  8         (8)(a)  If the court finds that a prisoner paroled

  9  under this section is in violation of the terms and conditions

10  of his or her parole or if the prisoner is convicted a second

11  time of possessing a controlled substance, the court may order

12  additional conditions of parole, including intensified drug

13  treatment, community service, intensive probation, house

14  arrest, or any other sanction that does not include

15  incarceration.

16         (b)  If a prisoner paroled under this section is

17  convicted a third or subsequent time of possessing a

18  controlled substance, the court shall revoke the prisoner's

19  probation and sentence the paroled prisoner to a term of

20  incarceration in accordance with section 893.13, Florida

21  Statutes.

22         Section 2.  Any funds saved by eliminating prison

23  sentences for nonviolent persons convicted of possessing

24  controlled substances shall be redirected by the Legislature

25  for use in establishing drug-treatment and education programs

26  and for programs that increase the involvement of parents in

27  preventing drug use by their children.

28         Section 3.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2000.

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    Florida Senate - 2000                                  SB 2188
    40-1233-00




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  2                          SENATE SUMMARY

  3    Provides for nonviolent offenders who are serving prison
      terms for possessing controlled substances to be released
  4    on parole. Prohibits the parole of a person convicted of
      the sale, manufacture, or transportation of a controlled
  5    substance. Requires that a prisoner paroled under the act
      participate in a drug-treatment program. Provides for
  6    additional sanctions if a prisoner paroled under the act
      violates the terms and conditions of parole or is
  7    convicted a second time of possessing a controlled
      substance. Provides for revoking the parole of any
  8    paroled prisoner convicted a third or subsequent time of
      possessing a controlled substance. Requires that any
  9    savings realized by releasing nonviolent drug offenders
      on parole be used to fund drug-treatment and prevention
10    programs.

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