Bill
HB 8452
The bill changes how prisoners and probationers earn time credits for good behavior, programs, and compliance, with new limits and retroactive rules.
HB 8452 would modify provisions related to earned time and probation compliance credits within Rhode Island’s Corrections Department. The bill clarifies how prisoners, probationers, and offenders sentenced for certain crimes accrue (or lose) time credits for good behavior, participation in programs, institutional work, and rehabilitation efforts. It also adds targeted restrictions on earned time for a specific subset of offenders and addresses probation credits, including how credits are awarded, calculated, and potentially retroactive.
Key stated intent includes promoting community safety, recognizing the seriousness of certain offenses, and maintaining the department’s ability to supervise rehabilitation and supervision of offenders.
Lifetime/special-offense exceptions (a): Offenders convicted of certain severe offenses (e.g., murder-related offenses and specified sex offenses) are not eligible to earn time off for good behavior. The listed offenses include murder-related crimes, sexual offenses, and related statutes.
Good conduct credit for sexual offense offenders (b): For certain sex-offense convictions, if an inmate (not serving a life term) maintains good behavior for a month and meets conditions, the department can deduct from the sentence an amount equal to the number of years in the term, with caps:
This provision emphasizes penalties for sex offenders and preserves departmental oversight of rehabilitation.
General good conduct credit (c): For prisoners serving more than one month (not life or excluded sexual/offense categories), good behavior for a month can result in a deduction of 10 days per month, with consent and recommendation from the director or designee.
Disciplinary reductions (d): For disciplinary infractions, 1 day is deducted for each day of official punishment, reducing time gained for good conduct.
Restoration of lost time (e): The assistant director can restore lost good conduct time in whole or in part for improved behavior.
Institutional industries credit (f): Participation in institutional industries can yield an additional 2–5 days per month, with director’s consent and recommendation.
Programs addressing individual needs (g): For non-excluded offenders, participation in approved rehabilitative programs can yield up to an additional 5 days per month, and completion of such programs can yield up to an additional 30 days, subject to director/assistant director approvals.
Eligibility for probation credits (h)(1): Probationers serving a term of one year or longer can earn time off after serving three years of probation, including those who have completed a period of incarceration prior to probation; except for certain murder or sexual offenses.
Monthly compliance credits (h)(2): For each month of probation compliance (no judicial finding of violation), the probationer can earn 10 days credit per month, with director/designee approval and recommendation from the assistant director.
No credits during pending violations (h)(3): If a probation violation is pending, no compliance credits accrue. If no violation is found, credits are awarded retroactively from the date the violation was filed. If a violation is found, credits may be revoked for the period of the violation.
Record-keeping (h)(4): The probation department within the Corrections Department must track the probationer’s sentence and end-date based on earned credits.
Retroactive applicability (h)(5): The credit system applies to all individuals sentenced to probation, including those sentenced before enactment, but credits are prospective from the date of enactment.
The explanatory section notes that the act would prohibit defendants on DUI-related probation death cases from earning good-time credits during their probation period, and reiterates the act’s effective date upon passage.
If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current Rhode Island law or outline potential fiscal and operational impacts for the Department of Corrections.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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