The provisions of the bill addressing terminating the sentence of certain parolees are the subject of this analysis. The bill would amend various codes as they relate to the authority of a court to terminate the sentence for certain persons released on parole.  Under the provisions of the bill, if the constitutional amendment is approved by voters, parolees meeting certain requirements would be eligible to file a motion with the convicting court requesting termination of their sentence which, if granted, would fully discharge their sentence.

Allowing for qualifying parolees, at the discretion of the courts, to serve a shorter term under parole supervision, is expected to result in fewer demands upon the correctional resources of the counties and of the State due to a decrease in the number of people requiring prolonged supervision.  After removing those individuals who had not been under parole supervision for at least 10 years and those who were required to register as a sex offender, 6,930 people remained who would potentially be eligible to fully discharge their sentence on August 31, 2020. This number would be further reduced by excluding those who had their supervision previously revoked during that ten year period. This analysis assumes implementing the provisions of the bill would not result in a significant impact on the demand for state correctional resources.