Provides relative to alternative conditions for violations of parole (EG SEE FISC NOTE GF EX See Note)

HB 54 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes 15:574.7(C)(2)(b) and enacts a new subsection (C)(2)(c) to expand the alternatives available to the Committee on Parole when a parolee violates the conditions of parole. The bill restructures existing law to broaden the types of programs and treatment facilities to which a parolee may be committed as an alternative to parole revocation. Under the amended statute, the Committee on Parole may now order a parolee to be committed to any of four program types deemed appropriate by the board: a community rehabilitation center, a substance abuse treatment program, a mental health treatment program, or a certified treatment and rehabilitation program as defined in R.S. 15:828. All such programs must be operated by or under contract with the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. The bill also increases the maximum duration of such commitments from six months to one year, provided that the commitment does not extend beyond the full parole term. The newly enacted subsection (C)(2)(c) clarifies that commitments serve without benefit of good time credit and establishes procedures for revocation should the Department request removal of the parolee for violations of program rules or regulations.

The practical effect of this legislation is to provide parolees who violate the conditions of parole with expanded rehabilitative alternatives rather than automatic parole revocation. Parolees facing violations may now access mental health treatment and certified treatment programs in addition to community rehabilitation and substance abuse programs. By allowing commitments of up to one year instead of six months, the statute gives the Committee on Parole extended time to address behavioral or substance abuse issues through structured programming. This change particularly benefits parolees with untreated mental health conditions or those whose violations are primarily substance abuse related, as these individuals may receive targeted treatment within the parole supervision framework. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections gains authority to request revocation if a parolee violates program rules, ensuring accountability within the alternative sanction structure.

This amendment operates within the broader parole revocation framework established in R.S. 15:574.7, which governs the Committee on Parole's response to violations of parole conditions. The statute maintains existing requirements that prerevocation proceedings occur before the Committee orders sanctions, preserving due process protections for parolees. The amendment's reference to R.S. 15:828 incorporates certified treatment and rehabilitation programs already defined elsewhere in Title 15, ensuring consistency with existing correctional law. The addition of mental health treatment as a specific program alternative reflects modern penological practice recognizing the connection between untreated mental illness and parole violations. The one-year commitment period remains constrained by the requirement that total supervision not extend beyond the full parole term, preventing the alternative sanction mechanism from effectively extending the original sentence. The credit for time served in programs upon revocation preserves the parolee's entitlement to sentence credit, maintaining consistency with fundamental principles of Louisiana criminal law.