Honorable John Whitmire, Chair, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB582 by Whitmire (Relating to the discharge of a prisoner from a county jail.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend Article 43.13 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to require certain defendants to be released from a county jail at any time beginning at 6:00 a. m. and ending at 5:00 p. m. on the day the sentence is discharged. The bill would permit a sheriff or county jail administrator to credit a defendant with up to 18 hours if the defendant's sentence expires at 12:01 a.m. or to release the defendant within the required timeframe on the day prior to the sentence expiration. The bill would amend Government Code, Section 511.009, to permit the Commission on Jail Standards to monitor compliance with the provisions of the bill related to the release of a prisoner from county jail. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards anticipates no significant fiscal impact.
Local Government Impact
According to TCJS, there were 29,682 convicted misdemeanants incarcerated in county jails in fiscal year 2016. The average daily cost of incarcerating a county jail inmate was $60.09 in fiscal year 2016.
According to the Texas Association of Counties, the fiscal impact to implement the provisions of the bill is not anticipated to be significant. TCJS reports there may be cost savings to units of local government as inmates would be released up to 18 hours earlier.
Source Agencies:
409 Commission on Jail Standards, 696 Department of Criminal Justice