Nebraska\u2019s most violent prison inmates would have to earn \u201cgood time\u201d reductions to their sentences under legislation heard by the Judiciary Committee Feb. 12.<\/p>\n
LB832, introduced by Omaha Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh, would require violent offenders to earn sentence reductions by participating in programs approved by the state Department of Correctional Services. The bill would apply only to inmates convicted of violent crimes such as murder, manslaughter, assault, kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery and using a deadly weapon to commit a felony.<\/p>\n
Current law automatically awards all inmates a 50 percent sentence reduction based on good behavior. Under LB832, violent offenders instead would receive a 25 percent sentence reduction for good behavior and an additional 25 percent reduction for participation in rehabilitation programs. That programming would include academic and vocational education, substance abuse treatment and mental health and psychiatric treatment, which includes criminal personality programming and work programs.<\/p>\n
Lautenbaugh said the bill simply would shift more of the responsibility for sentence reductions to certain inmates.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a philosophical approach for me, I think it just makes sense to have [good time] be earned,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mike Kenney, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, testified in support of the bill, saying it would hold the most violent offenders to a higher standard of conduct while in prison.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarned time would help to develop, in prison, a pattern of behavior that is considerate of others and in keeping with good conduct in society,\u201d Kenney said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith our current system violent offenders have little motivation to work on individually crafted rehabilitation plans,\u201d said John Freudenberg of the Nebraska Attorney General\u2019s Office. \u201cIf we want rehabilitation programs to be effective, there has to be a reason for offenders to participate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Chuck Freyermuth, uncle of murder victim Andrea Kruger, testified in support of LB832, saying the bill focuses on the inmates who need the most help before rejoining society.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis demographic is the breeding ground which gives rise to violent career criminals and it is the exact population that you have a responsibility to protect us from,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Alan Peterson of American Civil Liberties Union Nebraska called LB832 an \u201cillusory nonsolution.\u201d Testifying in opposition to the bill, he said using the programs as incentive for early release will not succeed\u00a0because inmates currently do not have adequate access to rehabilitative programming.<\/p>\n
The committee took no immediate action on LB832.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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