The proposed bill amends the Probation and Parole Act to establish a system of graduated responses for handling technical violations by parolees and probationers. It mandates the corrections department to develop a structured approach that includes presumptive sanctions based on the severity of violations, the individual's criminal history, and previous supervision violations. The bill also emphasizes the importance of positive reinforcements for compliant behavior and outlines the procedures for reviewing sanctions imposed on individuals. The corrections department is required to provide training for probation and parole officers on these new procedures and to report the system plan to the legislature by January 1, 2026, with implementation by July 1, 2026.

Additionally, the bill introduces new definitions related to supervision violations, including "absconding," "technical violation," and "validated risk and needs assessment instrument." It specifies the sanctions for technical violations, which escalate with repeated offenses, and allows for harsher penalties for individuals with serious violent offenses if a direct relationship to the violation is established. The bill also clarifies the process for arresting and detaining individuals who violate their probation or parole conditions, ensuring that graduated responses are exhausted before pursuing revocation. Overall, the bill aims to create a more structured and rehabilitative approach to managing probation and parole violations.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 31-21-5, 31-21-14