This offense would carry a sentence of 20 to 60 years or life. Became Law Apr 11, 2023 Signed by Governor Cosponsor Arkansas Senate Bill 477 This website uses cookies to allow you to log into the, Senate -- Notification that SB495 is now Act 659. Tucker asked. Arkansas has one of the highest crime rates in the U.S. because of the revolving door in the states justice system, Gilmore said. Meanwhile, the average time served in Arkansas prisons has increased by 91% over the last 20 years. It requires a person convicted of the most serious, violent felony . Rowell said lengthening prison stays would reduce caseloads for parole officers. 495 TO CREATE THE PROTECT ARKANSAS ACT; TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING SENTENCING AND PAROLE; TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING CERTAIN CRIMINAL OFFENSES; AND TO CREATE THE LEGISLATIVE RECIDIVISM REDUCTION TASK FORCE. Rep. David Ray, R-Maumelle, spoke for the bill, citing a case in which he said a man committed a quadruple homicide after being released from parole nine times. House Amendment No. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. While Gazaway agreed the state should invest in these areas, he said it would take decades to bolster education and employment opportunities in ways that would improve crime rates. Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Attorney General Tim Griffin, returns to the Senate for consideration of an amendment. The Committee on Judiciary passed Senate Bill 495 in a voice vote with audible dissent from Democratic lawmakers who have questioned whether harsher sentences would reduce crime rates. Calendars. Commonsense is that when youve got people killing and raping at some point youve gotta say youre not going to take it. Attorney General Tim Griffin, one of the prime behind-the-scenes figures shaping the bill, told a Senate committee on Wednesday that Arkansass criminal justice system is too focused on releasing offenders. Representatives from the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Arkansas County Judges Association and the Arkansas Sheriffs Association all testified in favor the bill. Collins noted that along with funding SB495, the state also will have to cover the costs of increasing prison capacity, which is covered in other legislation. Those who commit the offense of "predatory marketing of fentanyl to minors" by packaging the drug in a way to appeal to children could face a sentence of life in prison and a $1 million fine. / Bills. The bill says that determination of what offenses fall into 25% vs. 50% would fall to the Arkansas Sentencing Commission and the Arkansas Legislative Council sometime down the road. A SWAT Team Destroyed an Innocent Man's Shop. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, moves to the full House for further action. Getting out a little early theoretically incentivizes prisoners to not wreak havoc. Hall of the House of Representatives - Arkansas General Assembly Search for a Bill: . House minority leader Tippi McCullough, D-Little Rock, questioned if community supervision initiatives intended to reduce the likelihood of recidivism, including education and workforce development, would receive additional support through the bill. The bill, which is part of a wide-ranging criminal justice package backed by Gov. Those convicted of felonies not addressed in the bill could be eligible to serve 50% or 25% of their sentence depending on a seriousness grid or table established by the Arkansas Sentencing Commission and approved by the Legislative Council. "We will not rest until we hold criminals in Arkansas accountable and enforce the law on the books," the Republican governor said during a news conference. "What is the cost to family members who had loved ones murdered by people who should have been in prison?" Amendment No. Copyright 2023, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. Sheriffs have told legislators that conditions are becoming more dangerous for jail staff and minimum security prisoners, as county jails fill up with serious offenders. One goal is to provide juries in criminal trials with . The Protect Arkansas Act calls for 3,000 additional prison beds to be built. Sponsor Rep. Jimmy Gazaway, R-Paragould, presented the bill as a much-needed fix for the state's parole system. SB 495 Prison Reform: To create the Protect Arkansas Act; to amend Arkansas law concerning sentencing and parole; to amend Arkansas law concerning certain criminal offenses; and to create. "This is what I would consider a very comprehensive and balanced approach," he said. All rights reserved. Griffin echoed that point, arguing that Arkansas uses parole too often. Gazaway said he understood Hudson's concerns. Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass concur in House Amendment No. Those new beds will be in addition to the 400 beds recently approved by prison officials. In fact, the latest data available, from 2021, shows that 58% of prisoners (excluding parole violators) were held beyond their parole eligibility date. Instead of directing funds toward lengthening sentences, Collins asked legislators to back programs that would raise wages, increase graduation rates and improve other metrics he said were shown to reduce crime rates. Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass concur in House Amendment No. The Arkansas Advocate has a helpful, easy-to-read breakdown of the offenses. "It will improve the state of criminal justice in Arkansas and truly hold accountable the people who we are afraid of.". State Capitol Building500 Woodlane StreetSuite 320Little Rock, Arkansas72201-1090, State Capitol Building500 Woodlane Street, Suite 320Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1090, Out of Session: 501-682-6107In Session: 501-682-2902. Gilmore promised the bill would make Arkansas safer and hold violent, repeat offenders accountable. Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. Gazaway said he disagreed with the premise that incarceration doesn't reduce crime. This legislation is saying, lets double down on that approach. pic.twitter.com/NFMsmGf4CX, Democratic Party of Arkansas (@ArkDems) April 3, 2023. SB 495 | Bills and Resolutions | Kansas State Legislature "If you don't fix one of those parts, you don't fix anything," he said during the news conference. An amendment adopted by the House Committee on Judiciary on Wednesday would address concerns raised by legislators regarding increased penalties for theft and negligent homicide. Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1, Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE. "The current parole system that we have in Arkansas is broken," he said. Whats that mean? It doesnt include Sanders promise to build a prison to house 3,000 inmates or money to retain and recruit correctional officers, a problem so severe in Arkansas that part of a maximum security prison has been closed since January 2021 because of insufficient staffing. All rights reserved. "But this bill doesn't do that. Under the amended version of the bill, a person would be guilty of a Class D felony if they are convicted of theft where the value of the property is $1,000 or less and they have a prior theft conviction of any classification that is less than 10 years old. Rep. Andrew Collins, D-Little Rock, pointed to extensive research showing that extended sentences do not improve crime rates. "This is an extremely important bill, one that carries significant consequences for people of the state of Arkansas and will carry those consequences for years to come," he said. Arkansas' 94th General Assembly enacted education and public safety overhauls and income tax bills during its regular session, yet social issue bills overshadowed them at times. Sarah Huckabee Sanders last week will put an end to the practice known as credit bonding and likely contribute to a clearer understanding of sentences, according to the prosecuting attorney for the Little Rock metro area. "Our current system with respect to parole in Arkansas is deceptive," Gazaway said. As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know were dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. He noted that, while Arkansas has one of the highest crime rates in the country, it also has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, so what were doing isnt working for well, and theres no reason to believe that doing more of the same would help. 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Gov. The prison expansion and bills are part of a broader Safer, Stronger Arkansas public safety package advanced by Sanders. SENATE BILL 43 5 4 By: Senators G. Stubblefield, J. Bryant, B. Johnson, K. Hammer, Rice, Flippo, C. Penzo, Gilmore, Stone, 6 M. McKee, A. Clark, Hester, Dees, D. Sullivan, Caldwell, Hill 7 By: Representatives Bentley, Barker, C. Cooper, Crawford, Haak, D. Hodges, Ladyman, Long, 8 Lundstrum, McAlindon, R. Scott Richardson, Rose, Rye, Tosh 9 Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. After the news conference, Profiri told reporters he hoped to start adding interim beds to the state prison system by next month. Bills & Resolutions - Arkansas State Legislature AR State Legislature page for SB94 Summary Sponsors Texts Votes Research Comments Track Status Completed Legislative Action Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0) Status: Passed on March 24 2023 - 100% progression Action: 2023-03-24 - Notification that SB94 is now Act 302 Text: Latest bill text (Chaptered) [PDF] Summary AR SB495 | 2023 | 94th General Assembly | LegiScan Arkansas House passes parole overhaul bill - The Northwest Arkansas A bill requiring Arkansans convicted of the most serious crimes to serve 100% of their sentences passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a voice vote Wednesday (March 29). House Bill 1456, or the Fentanyl Enforcement and Accountability Act of 2023, establishes "death by delivery" offenses with strict criminal penalties. Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment. If a person who is convicted of a crime that requires them to serve 100% or 85% of their sentence violates their terms of release, they would have to serve the remainder of their previous sentence in addition to the entirety of the sentence they receive for the violation, said Gazaway. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It means putting them in a place where they cant hurt you. An. The current default is you go to prison and your parole eligibility date is your sentence, he said. Senate Bill 495, known as the Protect Arkansas Act, will require people convicted of violent felonies to serve the majority if not the entirety of their sentences in prison. In a recent interview, Will Jones, the newly elected prosecuting attorney for the 6th Judicial District, which encompasses Pulaski and Perry counties, endorsed the idea that the Protect Arkansas Act will improve public safety. Senate Bill 495, known as the Protect Arkansas Act, is now headed to Gov. Supporting the Arkansas Times' independent journalism is more vital than ever. 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For 48 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond with your support, we can do even more. Click "Confirm" to continue to State Government Directory or click the "Cancel" button to stay on the site. Tucker pointed out that while Arkansas has one of the highest crime rates in the country, the average time offenders serve for the most violent crimes is either the highest in the country or among the highest.
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