House Bill No. 168 establishes a transitional reentry program specifically for female parolees, administered by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C). This program aims to facilitate the safe and successful reintegration of female offenders into the community. To be eligible for this program, female offenders must meet several criteria, including having served at least five years in custody, not having a sex offense conviction, being within six months of their projected release date, not having been denied parole in the past twelve months, and not having committed any major disciplinary offenses in the year prior to entering the program. Additionally, they must voluntarily agree to comply with any further requirements set by the DPS&C.

The bill also repeals the existing law that established a transitional residential pilot program for female offenders, which was set to terminate on August 1, 2024. This repeal is part of the effort to streamline and enhance the support provided to female parolees through the newly created transitional reentry program. The new program is designed to replace the previous pilot program and aims to provide a more structured approach to reentry for female offenders.

Statutes affected:
HB168 Engrossed: