This bill amends Iowa's probation laws to introduce new credit systems aimed at incentivizing compliance and rehabilitation for defendants on probation. Effective July 1, 2026, defendants will earn discharge credits for each full calendar month of compliance, educational credits for obtaining educational qualifications, and workforce credits for maintaining verifiable employment. Specifically, a discharge credit will reduce the probation term by fourteen days per month of compliance, an educational credit will provide a ninety-day reduction for completing educational programs, and a workforce credit will offer a thirty-day reduction for every six-month period of employment. The bill also mandates that probation officers provide defendants with an accounting of their accrued credits at least twice a year.

Additionally, the bill specifies that these credits will not apply to defendants in adult criminal problem-solving courts or special probation programs unless those programs choose to adopt the credit provisions. The Department of Corrections is tasked with collecting and reporting data on the credits earned by defendants annually, including the number of defendants who have benefited from these credits and the total days of supervision reduced. The bill aims to enhance rehabilitation efforts and improve outcomes for individuals on probation while ensuring that financial obligations are met before discharge from probation.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 907.1, 907.9