SB 556 Summary

• Establishes the Emergency Credit Activation Plan (CAP) creating emergency time credits when state prison population exceeds 95% capacity for 30 consecutive days.

• Governor must declare prison overcrowding state of emergency within 15 days of Department of Corrections request; if no declaration of non-emergency, emergency is automatically in effect.

• Upon emergency declaration, Director of Corrections grants 60 days of emergency time credit to medium security and lower security inmates convicted of nonviolent offenses (excludes repeat violent offenders); grants additional 60-day credits every 60 days if overcrowding continues, capped at 360 days per year.

• Pardon and Parole Board must assess conduct and determine parole eligibility for inmates receiving emergency credits; inmates not recommended for parole lose eligibility for further emergency credits.

• Emergency provisions do not apply if overcrowding results from natural disaster or deliberate property destruction; effective November 1, 2011.