Florida Senate - 2021                                     SB 620
       
       
        
       By Senator Bracy
       
       
       
       
       
       11-00855-21                                            2021620__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to parole eligibility; amending s.
    3         947.002, F.S.; revising legislative intent concerning
    4         the granting of parole; requiring the Commission on
    5         Offender Review to partner with the Department of
    6         Corrections to adopt a specified program with certain
    7         requirements; requiring rulemaking; providing an
    8         effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 947.002, Florida
   13  Statutes, is amended, and subsection (6) is added to that
   14  section, to read:
   15         947.002 Intent.—
   16         (5) It is the intent of the Legislature that the decision
   17  to parole an inmate from the incarceration portion of the
   18  inmate’s sentence is an act of discretion based on reliable
   19  evidence, grace of the state and parole is shall not be
   20  considered a right.
   21         (6) The commission’s primary focus should be anticipating
   22  an inmate will become parole eligible. The commission should
   23  focus on an inmate’s institutional achievements, lack of
   24  disciplinary reports, and all indications of the lack of risk to
   25  the public in parole release of the inmate. The commission shall
   26  partner with the department to create a lifer’s program for all
   27  male and female inmates eligible for parole and adopt rules
   28  ensuring that the lifer’s program is made equally available to
   29  all inmates, both male and female. The commission shall expedite
   30  those inmates who appear to have sufficient rehabilitation
   31  achievements previously attained through completion of the
   32  lifer’s program.
   33         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.