JAIL DAY RELEASE PROGRAM: 

TECHNICAL AMENDMENT

Senate Bill 581                                                                       (Enacted as Public Act 21 of 2014)

Sponsor:  Sen. Rick Jones

House Committee:  Criminal Justice

Senate Committee:  Judiciary

Complete to 1-28-14

A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 581 AS PASSED BY THE SENATE 10-29-13

The bill amends a provision relating to the circumstances under which a county jail inmate may be released for periods during the day.  The bill aims to correct an incorrect citation.

Senate Bill 581 would make a technical amendment to Public Act 60 of 1962 (MCL 801.251), which provides for the day release of prisoners in county jails, to change an incorrect reference to a subsection to the appropriate subsection.  When Public Act 613 of 2012 amended Section 1, the numbers of the subsections were changed.  Thus, what had been in subsection (2) is now in subsection (3).  The bill would merely properly reference subsection (3) instead of subsection (2).

[Currently, Section 1(1) specifies that except as provided in subsection (2), a sentence or commitment of a person to a county jail may grant the person the privilege of leaving jail during necessary and reasonable hours for certain purposes, including employment, education, and medical treatment.  An exception applies to inmates incarcerated for certain offenses as described  in what is now subsection (3):  a person is prohibited from being granted release privileges except for the purpose of medical treatment, substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, or psychological counseling, if he or she is serving a sentence for involvement in child sexually abusive activity or material; criminal sexual conduct (CSC); assault with attempt to commit CSC; or murder in connection with sexual misconduct; or an attempt to commit any of those crimes.  Subsection (2), which previously had been part of subsection (1) prior to the changes made by PA 613, allows a person to petition the court for release privileges at the time of sentence or commitment.]

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would have no fiscal impact on state or local government.

                                                                                        Legislative Analyst:   Susan Stutzky

                                                                                                Fiscal Analyst:   Robin Risko

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.