Under existing law, an inmate in the custody of the department of
corrections (department) may have earned time deducted from the inmate's sentence for meeting certain statutory requirements. The bill permits an inmate sentenced for a nonviolent felony offense to have earned time deducted from the inmate's sentence for each accredited degree or other credential awarded by an accredited institution of higher education to the inmate while the inmate is incarcerated, in the following amounts:
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One year of earned time for receiving an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree; and
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6 months of earned time for receiving a certificate or other credential.
The bill requires the general assembly to annually appropriate the
savings incurred during the prior state fiscal year as a result of the release of inmates from correctional facilities because of earned time granted for completion of a higher education degree or credential, as follows:
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50% of the savings to the department of corrections to facilitate inmates enrolling in and completing accredited higher education programs; and
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50% of the savings to the department of higher education for allocation to institutions of higher education that offer accredited programs in correctional facilities.
