Raised Bill No. 1233 Summary

• Judicial Department shall oversee implementation and evaluation of alternative sanctions for criminal and juvenile dockets, including programs for primary caretakers and eligible caretakers, effective October 1, 2023.

• Courts must determine if convicted defendants are primary caretakers of dependent children and impose individually assessed sentences without imprisonment based on community rehabilitation if they qualify, except for offenses with mandatory minimum sentences.

• Expands eligibility to other caretakers (pregnant persons, caregivers for disabled or elderly relatives, spouses of caregivers) who can be diverted to community sentencing alternatives instead of incarceration based on 11 specific court-considered factors.

• Courts may incorporate supportive services into community sentences including substance abuse treatment, counseling, parenting classes, education programs, employment assistance, healthcare, housing support, and benefits enrollment aid, with no fees imposed unless defendant can pay.

• Courts may require periodic appearances to monitor progress, modify conditions, reduce sentence duration based on rehabilitation success, or impose confinement for violations of sentence conditions.