By: Hinojosa  S.B. No. 1206
         (In the Senate - Filed February 27, 2009; March 13, 2009, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
  April 1, 2009, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 7,
  Nays 0; April 1, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the release from the Texas Department of Criminal
  Justice of certain inmates who complete a rehabilitation program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 508.141, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (b-1), (d-1), and (d-2) and amending Subsection
  (d) to read as follows:
         (b-1)  If a parole panel requires, as a condition of release,
  that an inmate complete a specific department rehabilitation
  program before release, the department shall place the inmate in
  the program specified by the parole panel, except that the
  department may place the inmate in a different program with the
  approval of the parole panel.
         (d)  A parole panel may release an inmate on parole during
  the parole month established for the inmate, or during any
  applicable range of dates established under Subsection (d-1), if
  the panel determines that the inmate's release will not increase
  the likelihood of harm to the public.
         (d-1)  A parole panel that, as a condition of release,
  requires an inmate to complete a specific department rehabilitation
  program shall specify a range of dates, based on the date the inmate
  is likely to have completed the specified program, during which the
  department may release the inmate, if the inmate has:
               (1)  successfully completed the program specified by
  the parole panel; and
               (2)  satisfied all other conditions of release
  specified by the parole panel.
         (d-2)  The range of dates specified by the parole panel under
  Subsection (d-1) may not begin earlier than the 45th day before any
  applicable release date established for the inmate and must be a
  range of at least 30 days.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to any
  inmate who is confined in a facility operated by or under contract
  with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on or after the
  effective date of this Act, regardless of when the inmate's period
  of confinement began.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
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