HLS 20RS-699 ENGROSSED
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 529
BY REPRESENTATIVE DUPLESSIS
CRIMINAL/RECORDS: Provides relative to letters of incarceration
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 15:714, relative to prisons and prisoners; to provide for the issuance of letters
3 of incarceration; to provide that any person who was confined or under probation or
4 parole supervision is entitled to receive a letter of incarceration; to provide for the
5 time period within which a letter shall be issued; to provide for certain required
6 information; and to provide for related matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 15:714 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 ยง714. Letters of incarceration
10 A. Any person who was or is confined in any prison, jail, work release
11 facility, or correctional institution or who was or is under probation or parole
12 supervision is entitled to receive, upon request, a letter of incarceration which
13 provides documentation, verification, or proof of the person's confinement in the
14 prison, jail, work release facility, or correctional institution or supervision while on
15 probation or parole.
16 B. A request for a letter of incarceration shall be made by the person to the
17 prison, jail, facility, or institution where the person was confined or to the person's
18 local office of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, division of
19 probation and parole. A request for a letter of incarceration providing proof of
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HB NO. 529
1 probation and parole supervision shall be made by the person to the Department of
2 Public Safety and Corrections, division of probation and parole.
3 C. A letter of incarceration requested pursuant to the provisions of this
4 Section shall be issued no later than seven days after the date of receipt of the
5 request.
6 D. A letter of incarceration issued pursuant to the provisions of this Section
7 shall contain, at a minimum, the name of the person who was or is confined or under
8 supervision, the dates of incarceration or supervision, the admit date and release date,
9 and the last location of incarceration.
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)]
HB 529 Engrossed 2020 Regular Session Duplessis
Abstract: Provides for the issuance of letters of incarceration upon request of any person
who was or is confined in any correctional institution or who was or is under
probation or parole supervision.
Proposed law provides that any person who was or is confined in any prison, jail, work
release facility, or correctional institution or who was or is under the supervision of the
division of probation and parole is entitled to receive, upon request, a letter of incarceration
which provides documentation, verification, or proof of the person's confinement in the
prison, jail, work release facility, or correctional institution or supervision while on
probation and parole.
Proposed law provides for the procedure by which such requests shall be made and provides
that a requested letter shall be issued no later than seven days after the date of receipt of the
request.
Proposed law requires certain information to be provided in a letter of incarceration
including the name of the person who was or is confined or under supervision, the dates of
incarceration or supervision, the admit date and the date of release, and the last location of
the incarceration.
(Adds R.S. 15:714)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Administration of
Criminal Justice to the original bill:
1. Add that a letter of incarceration may be requested from the local office of the
Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections, division of probation and parole.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
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HB NO. 529
2. Require the letter to be issued within seven days, instead of within five days,
after the date of receipt of the request.
3. Amend the information included in the letter of incarceration to do all of the
following:
(a)Remove the requirement that the letter include information regarding the
length of time served and instead, require it to include the admit date and
the date of release.
(b)Specify that the information in the letter regarding the location of
incarceration shall include only the information about the last location of
incarceration.
(c)Remove the requirement that the letter include information regarding the
offense or offenses for which the person was confined.
4. Remove the proposed law provision which allows the person to request that the
letter include information regarding the person's conviction history and security
status or classification status at the time of release.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.