Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

Fiscal Note
                                       Fiscal Services Division
SF 2164 – Earned Time, Eligible Offenses (LSB5253SV)
Staff Contact: Molly Kilker (515.725.1286) molly.kilker@legis.iowa.gov
Fiscal Note Version – New
Description
Senate File 2164 removes the requirement that earned time accrued be applied to reduce the
mandatory minimum sentences being served under the following Iowa Code sections:
• Iowa Code section 902.7 (minimum sentence for forcible felony while possessing a
   dangerous weapon).
• Iowa Code section 902.8 (minimum sentence of habitual offender).
• Iowa Code section 902.11 (eligibility of prior forcible felon for parole or work release).
Background
Earned time allows inmates to earn a reduction in their sentence and is defined under Iowa
Code section 903A.2. To gain earned time, inmates must demonstrate good conduct and
satisfactorily participate in programs identified by the Director of the Department of Corrections
(DOC) to earn the reduction.
Under Iowa Code section 903A.5, incarcerated individuals convicted under the following Iowa
Code sections are eligible to accrue earned time that can reduce the time of a mandatory
minimum sentence:
• 124.406 (distribution of certain controlled substances to a person under age 18).
• 124.413 (mandatory minimum sentence for certain controlled substance offenses).
• 902.7 (minimum sentence for forcible felony while possessing a dangerous weapon).
• 902.8 (minimum sentence of habitual offender).
• 902.8A (minimum sentence for conspiring to manufacture or deliver amphetamine or
   methamphetamine to a minor).
• 902.11 (eligibility of prior forcible felon for parole or work release).
Under Iowa Code section 902.7, the minimum sentence for an individual convicted of a forcible
felony while possessing a dangerous weapon is five years. Under Iowa Code section 902.8, the
minimum sentence for habitual offenders convicted of a Class C or Class D felony is three
years. Under Iowa Code section 902.11, the minimum sentence for an individual convicted of a
felony who has a criminal record of one or more prior convictions for a forcible felony is at least
one-half of the maximum term of the defendant’s sentence. However, there are exceptions to
Iowa Code section 902.11 based on the defendant’s criminal history.
Assumptions
• The following will not change over the projection period: charge, conviction, and sentencing
   patterns and trends; prisoner length of stay (LOS); revocation rates; plea bargaining; and
   other criminal justice system policies and practices.
• A delay of six months is assumed from the effective date of this Bill to the date of first entry
   of affected offenders into the correctional system.
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•   Marginal costs for county jails cannot be estimated due to a lack of data. For purposes of
    this analysis, the marginal cost for county jails is assumed to be $50 per day.
•   The marginal cost per day in prison is $24.94.
Correctional Impact
Senate File 2164 may increase the LOS in prison for individuals serving mandatory minimum
sentences under Iowa Code sections 902.7, 902.8, and 902.11. This may increase the prison
population, but the extent of the increase in LOS and prison population cannot be estimated. In
FY 2023, there were 479 individuals admitted to prison on the most serious offense related to
Iowa Code section 902.7, 902.8, or 902.11 who can accrue earned time to reduce their
sentences under current law but who could not under the Bill. Refer to the Legislative Services
Agency (LSA) memo addressed to the General Assembly, Cost Estimates Used for Correctional
Impact Statements, dated January 16, 2024, for information related to the correctional system.
Minority Impact
Senate File 2164 removes the ability to accrue earned time for certain crimes. Although the
LOS under which the group of individuals affected by the Bill would be released is unknown,
SF 2164 may disproportionately impact Black individuals if trends remain constant. Of the 479
incarcerated individuals currently serving mandatory minimum sentences under Iowa Code
sections 902.7, 902.8, and 902.11 for whom the LOS may increase under the Bill, 66.0% are
White, 25.7% are Black, and 8.3% are other races. Iowa’s population is 89.8% White, 4.4%
Black, and 5.8% other races. Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly,
Minority Impact Statement, dated January 16, 2024, for information related to minorities in the
criminal justice system.
Fiscal Impact
Senate File 2164 may have a fiscal impact to the DOC, but the extent of the increase in costs to
the DOC cannot be estimated because the extent of the increase in LOS and prison population
is unknown. The DOC’s marginal cost per day per individual in prison is $24.94.
Sources
Department of Corrections
Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning, Department of Management
Legislative Services Agency
                                                                               /s/ Jennifer Acton
                                                                               February 14, 2024
Doc ID 1446154
The fiscal note for this Bill was prepared pursuant to Joint Rule 17 and the Iowa Code. Data used in developing this
fiscal note is available from the Fiscal Services Division of the Legislative Services Agency upon request.
                                                 www.legis.iowa.gov
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Statutes affected: 
Introduced: 903A.5