DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of
the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of
the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Katrina Jackson HB No. 682
Abstract: Provides relative to parole for persons convicted of certain crimes of violence, creates
the Programs to Reduce Recidivism Fund, and provides for the administration of,
distribution from, and appropriation of monies into the fund.
Present law provides for parole eligibility for offenders convicted of a crime of violence upon
serving 85% of the sentence imposed.
Proposed law amends present law to provide parole eligibility for these offenders upon serving
75% of the sentence imposed. Provides for prospective application of this provision of proposed
law.
Present law provides that a unanimous vote of the committee on parole is required to grant parole
for any person convicted of a crime of violence.
Present law provides that the committee on parole may grant parole with a majority vote for non-
violent, non-sex offenders when certain conditions are met.
Proposed law amends present law to authorize the granting of parole by majority vote for persons
convicted of certain crimes of violence who meet the conditions set forth in present law
including completion of at least 100 hours of a reentry preparation program as provided by
present law.
Proposed law amends present law to authorize persons convicted of the following crimes of
violence to be eligible to participate in the program and thus be eligible for the granting of parole
by majority vote: solicitation for murder, manslaughter, aggravated battery, second degree
battery, aggravated assault, mingling harmful substances, simple kidnapping, aggravated criminal
damage to property, first degree robbery, simple robbery, purse snatching, extortion, assault by
drive-by-shooting, illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities, terrorism, aggravated
second degree battery, aggravated assault upon a peace officer with a firearm, aggravated assault
with a firearm, stalking, second degree cruelty to juveniles, aggravated flight from an officer, and
battery of a police officer.
Proposed law creates the Programs to Reduce Recidivism Fund which shall be administered by
the La. Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Criminal Justice to establish
a grant program which shall distribute funds to local prison facilities to assist in establishing and
to reimburse operations costs of local corrections rehabilitative programs that provide inmates with fundamental resources in the areas of employment, life skills training, and job placement
and that provide the inmates with access to as many support services as possible in order to
appreciably increase the likelihood of successful reentry into free society and to reduce
recidivism.
Proposed law provides that any savings realized from the proposed law reduction in the amount
of time a person convicted of a crime of violence is required to serve prior to being eligible for
parole consideration shall be appropriated into the fund.
(Amends R.S. 15:574.2(C)(2), 574.4(B)(1), and 827.1(E)(3)(b); Adds R.S. 15:824.2)