HOUSE BILL No. 4538

 

March 10, 2009, Introduced by Rep. Rick Jones and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

     A bill to amend 1953 PA 232, entitled

 

"Corrections code of 1953,"

 

by amending section 34a (MCL 791.234a), as amended by 2008 PA 158.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 34a. (1) A prisoner sentenced to an indeterminate term of

 

imprisonment under the jurisdiction of the department, regardless

 

of when he or she was sentenced, shall be considered by the

 

department for placement in a special alternative incarceration

 

unit established under section 3 of the special alternative

 

incarceration act, 1988 PA 287, MCL 798.13, if the prisoner meets

 

the eligibility requirements of subsections (2) and (3). For a

 

prisoner committed to the jurisdiction of the department on or

 

after March 19, 1992, the department shall determine before the

 


prisoner leaves the reception center whether the prisoner is

 

eligible for placement in a special alternative incarceration unit,

 

although actual placement may take place at a later date. A

 

determination of eligibility does not guarantee placement in a

 

unit.

 

     (2) To be eligible for placement in a special alternative

 

incarceration unit, the prisoner shall meet all of the following

 

requirements:

 

     (a) The prisoner's minimum sentence does not exceed either of

 

the following limits, as applicable:

 

     (i) 24 months or less for a violation of section 110 of the

 

Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.110, if the violation

 

involved any occupied dwelling house.

 

     (ii) 36 months or less for any other crime.

 

     (b) The prisoner is physically able to participate in the

 

program.

 

     (c) The prisoner does not appear to have any mental disability

 

that would prevent participation in the program.

 

     (d) The prisoner is serving his or her first or second prison

 

sentence.

 

     (e) At the time of sentencing, the judge did not prohibit

 

participation in the program in the judgment of sentence.

 

     (f) The prisoner is otherwise suitable for the program, as

 

determined by the department.

 

     (g) The prisoner has not served, and is not serving, a

 

sentence for any of the following crimes:

 

     (i) A violation of section 11, 49, 80, 83, 89, 91, 157b, 158,

 


207, 260, 316, 317, 327, 328, 335a, 338, 338a, 338b, 349, 349a,

 

350, 422, 436, 511, 520b, 529, 529a, 531, or 544 of the Michigan

 

penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.11, 750.49, 750.80, 750.83,

 

750.89, 750.91, 750.157b, 750.158, 750.207, 750.260, 750.316,

 

750.317, 750.327, 750.328, 750.335a, 750.338, 750.338a, 750.338b,

 

750.349, 750.349a, 750.350, 750.422, 750.436, 750.511, 750.520b,

 

750.529, 750.529a, 750.531, and 750.544.

 

     (ii) A violation of section 145c, 520c, 520d, or 520g of the

 

Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.145c, 750.520c, 750.520d,

 

and 750.520g.

 

     (iii) A violation of section 72, 73, or 75 of the Michigan penal

 

code, 1931 PA 328, MCL 750.72, 750.73, and 750.75.

 

     (iv) A violation of section 86, 112, 136b, 193, 195, 213, 319,

 

321, 329, or 397 of the Michigan penal code, 1931 PA 328, MCL

 

750.86, 750.112, 750.136b, 750.193, 750.195, 750.213, 750.319,

 

750.321, 750.329, and 750.397.

 

     (v) A violation of section 2 of 1968 PA 302, MCL 752.542.

 

     (vi) An attempt to commit a crime described in subparagraphs

 

(i) to (v).

 

     (vii) A violation occurring on or after January 1, 1992, of

 

section 625(4) or (5) of the Michigan vehicle code, 1949 PA 300,

 

MCL 257.625.

 

     (viii) A crime for which the prisoner was punished pursuant to

 

section 10, 11, or 12 of chapter IX of the code of criminal

 

procedure, 1927 PA 175, MCL 769.10, 769.11, and 769.12.

 

     (3) A prisoner who is serving a sentence for a violation of

 

section 7401 or 7403 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL

 


333.7401 and 333.7403, and who has previously been convicted for a

 

violation of section 7401 or 7403(2)(a), (b), or (e) of the public

 

health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.7401 and 333.7403, is not

 

eligible for placement in a special alternative incarceration unit

 

until after he or she has served the equivalent of the mandatory

 

minimum sentence prescribed by statute for that violation.

 

     (4) If the sentencing judge prohibited a prisoner's

 

participation in the special alternative incarceration program in

 

the judgment of sentence, that prisoner shall not be placed in a

 

special alternative incarceration unit. If the prisoner is serving

 

his or her first prison sentence and the sentencing judge permitted

 

the prisoner's participation in the special alternative

 

incarceration program in the judgment of sentence, that prisoner

 

may be placed in a special alternative incarceration unit if the

 

department determines that the prisoner also meets the requirements

 

of subsections (2) and (3). If the prisoner is serving his or her

 

first prison sentence and the sentencing judge neither prohibited

 

nor permitted a prisoner's participation in the special alternative

 

incarceration program in the judgment of sentence, or if the

 

prisoner is serving his or her second prison sentence regardless of

 

whether or not the judge permitted the prisoner's participation in

 

the program, and the department determines that the prisoner meets

 

the eligibility requirements of subsections (2) and (3), the

 

department shall notify the judge or the judge's successor, the

 

prosecuting attorney for the county in which the prisoner was

 

sentenced, and any victim of the crime for which the prisoner was

 

committed if the victim has submitted to the department a written

 


request for any notification pursuant to section 19(1) of the

 

William Van Regenmorter crime victim's rights act, 1985 PA 87, MCL

 

780.769, of the proposed placement of the prisoner in the special

 

alternative incarceration unit. If the prisoner is serving his or

 

her first prison sentence, the notices shall be sent not later than

 

30 days before placement is intended to occur. If the prisoner is

 

serving his or her second prison sentence, the notices shall be

 

sent not later than 45 days before the placement is intended to

 

occur. The department shall not place the prisoner in a special

 

alternative incarceration unit unless the sentencing judge, or the

 

judge's successor, notifies the department, in writing, that he or

 

she does not object to the proposed placement. In making the

 

decision on whether or not to object, the judge, or judge's

 

successor, shall review any impact statement submitted pursuant to

 

section 14 of the William Van Regenmorter crime victim's rights

 

act, 1985 PA 87, MCL 780.764, by the victim or victims of the crime

 

of which the prisoner was convicted.

 

     (5) Notwithstanding subsection (4), a prisoner shall not be

 

placed in a special alternative incarceration unit unless the

 

prisoner consents to that placement and agrees that the department

 

may suspend or restrict privileges generally afforded other

 

prisoners including, but not limited to, the areas of visitation,

 

property, mail, publications, commissary, library, and telephone

 

access. However, the department may not suspend or restrict the

 

prisoner's access to the prisoner grievance system.

 

     (6) Beginning September 30, 2008, and notwithstanding

 

subsections (4) and (5), a prisoner shall not be placed in a

 


special alternative incarceration unit unless all of the following

 

conditions are met for the prisoner at the special alternative

 

incarceration unit:

 

     (a) Upon entry into the special alternative incarceration

 

unit, a validated risk and need assessment from which a prisoner-

 

specific transition accountability plan and prisoner-specific

 

programming during program enrollment are utilized.

 

     (b) Interaction with community-based service providers through

 

established prison in-reach services from the community to which

 

the prisoner will return is utilized.

 

     (c) Prisoner discharge planning is utilized.

 

     (d) Community follow-up services are utilized.

 

     (7) A prisoner may be placed in a special alternative

 

incarceration program for a period of not less than 90 days or more

 

than 120 days. If, during that period, the prisoner misses more

 

than 5 days of program participation due to medical excuse for

 

illness or injury occurring after he or she was placed in the

 

program, the period of placement shall be increased by the number

 

of days missed, beginning with the sixth day of medical excuse, up

 

to a maximum of 20 days. However, the total number of days a

 

prisoner may be placed in this program, including days missed due

 

to medical excuse, shall not exceed 120 days. A medical excuse

 

shall be verified by a physician's statement. A prisoner who is

 

medically unable to participate in the program for more than 25

 

days shall be returned to a state correctional facility but may be

 

reassigned to the program if the prisoner meets the eligibility

 

requirements of subsections (2) and (3).

 


     (8) Upon certification of completion of the special

 

alternative incarceration program, the prisoner shall be placed on

 

parole. A prisoner paroled under this section shall have conditions

 

of parole as determined appropriate by the parole board and shall

 

be placed on parole for not less than 18 months, or the balance of

 

the prisoner's minimum sentence, whichever is greater, with at

 

least the first 120 days under intensive supervision.

 

     (9) The parole board may suspend or revoke parole for any

 

prisoner paroled under this section subject to sections 39a and

 

40a. For a prisoner other than a prisoner subject to disciplinary

 

time, if parole is revoked before the expiration of the prisoner's

 

minimum sentence, less disciplinary credits, the parole board shall

 

forfeit, pursuant to section 33(13) of 1893 PA 118, MCL 800.33, all

 

disciplinary credits that were accumulated during special

 

alternative incarceration, and the prisoner shall be considered for

 

parole pursuant to section 35.

 

     (10) On March 19, 1993, and annually after that time, the

 

department shall report to the legislature the impact of the

 

operation of this section, including a report concerning

 

recidivism.

 

     (11) The department shall contract annually for third party

 

evaluations that report on both of the following:

 

     (a) The implementation of the requirements of subsection (6).

 

     (b) The success of the special alternative incarceration

 

program as revised under subsection (6), as evidenced by the extent

 

to which participants subsequently violate the conditions of their

 

parole, have their orders of parole revoked, or revictimize as

 


evidenced by being arrested or convicted for new offenses,

 

absconding from parole, or having outstanding warrants.

 

     (12) Each prisoner or probationer placed in the special

 

alternative incarceration program shall fully participate in the

 

Michigan prisoner reentry initiative not later than the following

 

date, as applicable:

 

     (a) Each prisoner serving his or her second prison sentence

 

shall participate not later than June 1, 2008.

 

     (b) Each prisoner serving his or her first prison sentence

 

shall participate not later than August 1, 2008.

 

     (c) Each probationer shall participate not later than

 

September 1, 2008.

 

     (13) This section is repealed effective September 30, 2009.