PROBATION, PAROLE REDUCTION                            S.B. 423 (S-1) & 424 (S-1):

                                                                                         SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                         REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 423 (Substitute S-1 as reported)

Senate Bill 424 (Substitute S-1 as reported)

Sponsor:  Senator Sylvia Santana (S.B. 423)

               Senator Curtis S. VanderWall (S.B. 424)

Committee:  Health Policy and Human Services

CONTENT

Senate Bill 423 would amend Chapter 11 (Probation) of the Code of Criminal Procedure to allow a court to reduce a probation sentence under certain circumstances for a qualified probationer who complied with the requirements of a medication-assisted program for the treatment of an alcohol use disorder or opioid use disorder, and require each court to submit an annual report to the Legislature.

Senate Bill 424 would amend the Corrections Code to allow for the reduction of a parole sentence under certain circumstances for a qualified parolee who complied with the requirements of a medication-assisted program for the treatment of an alcohol use disorder or opioid use disorder, and to require certain modifications to a parole order if a reduction in parole were granted, and require the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) to submit an annual report to the Legislature.

MCL 771.2 (S.B. 423)                                Legislative Analyst:  Stephen Jackson

       791.238 & 791.242 (S.B. 424)

FISCAL IMPACT

The bills initially would have no fiscal impact on State or local governments. The medication-assisted program in the MDOC is a relatively new program so no immediate savings are expected. However, as the program gains more participants and those participants begin to reduce probation times, the Department could realize savings from reduced caseloads and supervision terms. The amount of savings is indeterminate and would depend on the actual number of probation terms that were reduced.

While the bills would change some of the calculations courts must make regarding good time and parole length determinations, no additional costs or savings for local courts systems are expected for this purpose. The bills also would require the Department, and local courts that reduce a sentence under the language of the bill, to report annually to the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Judiciary on program participation, sentence reductions, re-offense rates and the types of treatment engaged in. Minor costs would be expected related to the preparation of these reports.

Date Completed:  10-12-21                                     Fiscal Analyst:  Joe Carrasco

                                                                                            Michael Siracuse

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.