Senate Bill sb0322

    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 322

    By Senator Geller





    29-381-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to youthful offenders; amending

  3         s. 958.03, F.S.; redefining the term "youthful

  4         offender" to include any inmate under a

  5         specified age; amending s. 958.11, F.S.;

  6         requiring that the Department of Corrections

  7         continuously screen its institutions,

  8         facilities, and programs for the presence of

  9         inmates who are under that specified age;

10         requiring that the department classify and

11         assign any such offender as a youthful

12         offender; amending s. 944.17, F.S., relating to

13         commitments and classifications of prisoners;

14         clarifying that inmates under that specified

15         age are classified as youthful offenders and

16         assigned to facilities for youthful offenders;

17         providing an effective date.

18

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

20

21         Section 1.  Subsection (5) of section 958.03, Florida

22  Statutes, is amended to read:

23         958.03  Definitions.--As used in this act:

24         (5)  "Youthful offender" means any person who is

25  sentenced as such by the court under s. 958.04, any person who

26  or is classified as such by the department, or any inmate who

27  is less than 18 years of age pursuant to s. 958.04.

28         Section 2.  Subsection (4) of section 958.11, Florida

29  Statutes, is amended to read:

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31

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






    Florida Senate - 2001                                   SB 322
    29-381-01




  1         958.11  Designation of institutions and programs for

  2  youthful offenders; assignment from youthful offender

  3  institutions and programs.--

  4         (4)  The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Youthful

  5  Offenders shall continuously screen all institutions,

  6  facilities, and programs for the presence of any inmate who is

  7  less than 18 years of age meets the eligibility requirements

  8  for youthful offender designation specified in s. 958.04(1)(a)

  9  and (c) whose age does not exceed 24 years and whose total

10  length of sentence does not exceed 10 years, and the

11  department shall may classify and assign any such inmate as a

12  youthful offender any inmate who meets the criteria of this

13  subsection.

14         Section 3.  Subsection (2) of section 944.17, Florida

15  Statutes, is amended to read:

16         944.17  Commitments and classification; transfers.--

17         (2)  Each prisoner committed to the custody of the

18  department shall be conveyed to such institution, facility, or

19  program in the correctional system as the department shall

20  direct, in accordance with its classification scheme. However,

21  any inmate who is less than 18 years of age must be classified

22  as a youthful offender and assigned to a facility for youthful

23  offenders.

24         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

25

26            *****************************************

27                          SENATE SUMMARY

28    Requires that the Department of Corrections classify any
      offender who is less than 18 years of age as a "youthful
29    offender." Requires that such offenders be assigned to a
      facility for youthful offenders. Requires that the
30    department continuously screen its institutions,
      facilities, and programs for the presence of inmates who
31    are less than 18 years of age.

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