2022 -- H 7142

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LC003374

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINALS -- CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS -- PAROLE

     Introduced By: Representatives Casimiro, Noret, Alzate, Kislak, Donovan, Cortvriend,
Henries, Morales, Williams, and Potter

     Date Introduced: January 20, 2022

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 13-8-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 13-8 entitled "Parole" is

hereby amended to read as follows:

     13-8-6. Duties of administrator -- Case folders.

     (a) The duties of the administrator shall include the following:

     (1) To administer the office of the parole board;

     (2) To supervise the collection of data for each applicant for parole;

     (3) To summarize collected data and prepare a folder on each applicant for parole,

including the summary of the information collected from the above sources, or any other sources

which are deemed appropriate, together with the original supporting documents, and all

communications addressed to the board and its members concerning the applicant for parole;

     (4) To maintain, in the folder of each applicant, the report of the board provided for in §

13-8-23;

     (5) To arrange for each meeting of the board;

     (6) To prepare all reports required of the board;

     (7)(i) To send to the state and local police a list of all persons, including their date of birth

and last known address prior to incarceration, lead offenses, and the name of the police department

which prosecuted the person, whose application for parole is to be considered by the board, not less

than six (6) weeks prior to the meeting to consider the applications, so that the state police and the

local police departments may return any comment deemed appropriate at least two (2) weeks prior

to the scheduled meeting; and to make a reasonable effort to notify the victim of the crime

committed by the prisoner, or, in homicide cases, the victim's next of kin, and/or, in cases where

the victim is a minor, the victim's parent and/or legal guardian, not less than thirty (30) days prior

to the meeting, of his or her right to provide a victim impact statement to the board;

     (ii) For the purposes of this subdivision the following words and phrases have the following

meanings:

     (A) "Victim" means an individual who has suffered direct or threatened physical,

emotional, or financial harm as the result of the commission of a crime, or an immediate family

member of a minor or a homicide victim.

     (B) "Victim impact statement" means a statement providing information about the

financial, emotional, and physical effects of a crime on the victim and the victim's family, and

specific information about the victim, the circumstances surrounding the crime, and the manner in

which it was perpetrated.

     (8) To furnish the attorney general, the state police, and the local police departments set

forth in § 13-8-9.1 with a photograph (or a reasonable facsimile) of each prisoner released, taken

at the time of his or her release on parole;

     (9) To notify the police department of the town or city in which the prisoner resided before

sentence and the police department of the city or town in which he or she is to reside, at least five

(5) days prior to the release of any prisoner on parole, of the release;

     (10) To have published in a newspaper of general circulation, once a month, the names of

the persons whose applications for parole are to be considered within the upcoming month and the

hearing date or dates of the applications;

     (11) To prepare a list of all individuals released by the board;

     (12) To maintain that list in the permanent files of the office of the board, which list shall

be a public record;

     (13) To confer with the director of corrections on all matters relating to the activities of the

board; and

     (14) To perform related duties as required.; and

     (15) To send notice to an inmate’s immediate family of the upcoming parole hearing as

provided in this subsection.

     (i) An inmate shall provide a list of immediate family members he or she would like to

have notified, along with their current addresses, to the administrator not less than sixty (60) days

prior to the date of the hearing.

     (ii) Notice shall be mailed to the inmate’s selected immediate family not less than thirty

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(30) days prior to the meeting. Said notice shall inform the family member of his or her right to

attend the parole hearing.

     (b) Case folders shall be made available to each member of the board not less than a week

prior to its meeting to interview applicants for parole and shall be maintained in the permanent files

of the board.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINALS -- CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS -- PAROLE

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     This act would allow an inmate’s immediate family to be notified of and attend a parole

hearing.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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