SPONSOR: Peters
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Emerging Issues by a vote of 11 to 0. Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Rules-Adminstrative by a vote of 9 to 0.
This bill repeals the Missouri Incarceration Reimbursement Act.
The Missouri Incarceration Reimbursement Act is a statutory process in which the State of Missouri may seek to recover up to 10% of the cost to house an offender for up to two years during the offender's stay in a Department of Corrections institution. The State may seize up to 90% of the value of an offender's assets in order to secure this reimbursement.
Under this bill, the State would no longer be able to seize an offender's assets in order to recover the costs to house the offender.
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that just because someone is jailed and serves time, that person should not have all of his or her assets and belongings seized and never returned. Supporters further say that a formerly incarcerated individual needs access to his or her assets when released so that the individual might begin to rebuild his or her life. When such a person is able to rebuild after a jail sentence, there is far less recidivism.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Peters; Gwen Smith, Empower Missouri; Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; David Jackson; Jeff Smith, Missouri Appleseed; Empower MO; and W. Bevis Schock.
OPPONENTS: Those who oppose the bill say that giving the government too much power or authority over citizens chips away at our fundamental rights.
Testifying in person against the bill was Arnie C.Dienoff.
Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.
Statutes affected: