Bill Text: NJ S2006 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Awards credits to reduce the parole eligibility date of inmates who participate in college and associate degree educational programming.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-03-05 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S2006 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-S2006-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Awards credits to reduce the parole eligibility date of inmates who participate in college and associate degree educational programming.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning inmates and amending R.S.30:4-92.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.30:4-92 is amended to read as follows:
30:4-92. The inmates of all correctional and charitable, hospital, relief, and training institutions within the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Corrections shall be employed in productive occupations consistent with their health, strength, and mental capacity and shall receive compensation for this employment as the commissioner shall determine.
For the purposes of this section, "productive occupations" shall include all [education] educational programs, including college and associate degree educational programs, and workforce skills or vocational training programs made available to inmates in these institutions.
Compensation for inmates of correctional institutions may be in the form of cash at established inmate wage rates or remission of time from sentence or both. Remission from the time of sentence shall not exceed one day for each five days of productive occupation, but remission granted under this section shall in no way affect deductions for good behavior or provided by law.
From moneys paid to inmates of correctional institutions, the superintendent of the institution shall withdraw sufficient moneys, in an amount not to exceed one-third of the inmate's total income, as may be required to pay any assessment, restitution or fine ordered as part of any sentence, and is authorized to withdraw from the remainder of the inmate's total income an amount not to exceed one-third of the total income as may be required to pay costs and fees charged or owing, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1995, c.254 (C.30:7E-2).
In addition, all inmates classified as minimum security and who are considered sufficiently trustworthy to be employed in honor camps, farms or details shall receive further remission of time from sentence at the rate of three days per month for the first year of employment and five days per month for the second and each subsequent year of employment.
(cf: P.L.2015, c.241, s.2)
2. This act shall take
effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of
enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires credits to reduce the parole eligibility date of an inmate to be awarded to an inmate who participates in college and associate degree educational programming.
Under current law, an inmate may receive certain credits for "productive occupations" that reduce the inmate's parole eligibility date, provided the parolee has not been sentenced to a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment. These credits do not affect deductions for good behavior or other credits provided by law.
Under current law, productive occupations include all education and workforce skills or vocational training programs made available to inmates. This bill provides that productive occupations also include college and associate degree educational programming made available to inmates.
