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        PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1572, 1580               PRINTER'S NO. 1793

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 1239 Session of 1998


        INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, O'PAKE, GERLACH, WILLIAMS, EARLL,
           WAGNER, AFFLERBACH, ARMSTRONG, COSTA, KASUNIC, LEMMOND,
           RHOADES, TOMLINSON, ULIANA, SCHWARTZ, HOLL, MELLOW AND
           SALVATORE, JANUARY 16, 1998

        AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, MARCH 17, 1998

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of August 6, 1941 (P.L.861, No.323), entitled,
     2     as amended, "An act to create a uniform and exclusive system
     3     for the administration of parole in this Commonwealth;
     4     providing state probation services; establishing the
     5     'Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole'; conferring and
     6     defining its jurisdiction, duties, powers and functions;
     7     including the supervision of persons placed upon probation
     8     and parole in certain designated cases; providing for the
     9     method of appointment of its members; regulating the
    10     appointment, removal and discharge of its officers, clerks
    11     and employes; dividing the Commonwealth into administrative
    12     districts for purposes of probation and parole; fixing the
    13     salaries of members of the board and of certain other
    14     officers and employes thereof; making violations of certain
    15     provisions of this act misdemeanors; providing penalties
    16     therefor; and for other cognate purposes, and making an
    17     appropriation," further providing for supervision of persons
    18     paroled or on probation in other states; providing for
    19     proceedings subsequent to parole; and imposing a penalty.

    20     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    21  hereby enacts as follows:
    22     Section 1.  Section 21 of the act of August 6, 1941 (P.L.861,
    23  No.323), referred to as the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and
    24  Parole Law, amended June 1, 1995 (1st Sp.Sess., P.L.1020,
    25  No.16), is amended to read:


     1     Section 21.  The board is hereby authorized to release on
     2  parole any convict confined in any penal institution of this
     3  Commonwealth as to whom power to parole is herein granted to
     4  said board, except convicts condemned to death or serving life
     5  imprisonment, whenever in its opinion the best interests of the
     6  convict justify or require his being paroled and it does not
     7  appear that the interests of the Commonwealth will be injured
     8  thereby. Parole shall be subject in every instance to the
     9  Commonwealth's right to immediately retake and hold in custody
    10  without further proceedings any parolee charged after his parole
    11  with an additional offense, until a determination can be made
    12  whether to continue his parole status. The power to parole
    13  herein granted to the Board of Parole may not be exercised in
    14  the board's discretion at any time before, but only after, the
    15  expiration of the minimum term of imprisonment fixed by the
    16  court in its sentence or by the Pardon Board in a sentence which
    17  has been reduced by commutation. The board may not release a
    18  person on parole unless the person achieves a negative result
    19  within forty-five days prior to the date of release in a
    20  screening test approved by the Department of Health for the
    21  detection of the presence of controlled substances or designer
    22  drugs under the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as
    23  "The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act." The
    24  cost of these pre-parole drug screening tests for inmates
    25  subject to the parole release jurisdiction of the board, whether
    26  confined in a State or local correctional facility, shall be
    27  paid by the board. The board shall establish rules and
    28  regulations for the payment of these costs and may limit the
    29  types and cost of these screening tests that would be subject to
    30  payment by the board. The board shall establish, as a condition
    19980S1239B1793                  - 2 -

     1  of continued parole for a parolee who, as an inmate, tested
     2  positive for the presence of a controlled substance or a
     3  designer drug or who was paroled from a sentence arising from a
     4  conviction under "The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and
     5  Cosmetic Act," or from a drug-related crime, the parolee's
     6  achievement of negative results in such screening tests randomly
     7  applied. The random screening tests shall be performed at the
     8  discretion of the board, and the parolee undergoing the tests
     9  shall be responsible for the costs of the tests. The funds
    10  collected for the tests shall be applied against the contract
    11  for such testing between the board and a testing laboratory
    12  approved by the Department of Health. Said board shall have the
    13  power during the period for which a person shall have been
    14  sentenced to recommit one paroled for violation of the terms and
    15  conditions of his parole and from time to time to reparole and
    16  recommit in the same manner and with the same procedure as in
    17  the case of an original parole or recommitment, if, in the
    18  judgment of the said board, there is a reasonable probability
    19  that the convict will be benefited by again according him
    20  liberty and it does not appear that the interests of the
    21  Commonwealth will be injured thereby.
    22     Section 2.  Section 21.1 of the act is amended by adding a
    23  subsection to read:
    24     Section 21.1.  * * *
    25     (a.1)  Subsequent Arrest. The formal filing of a charge after
    26  parole against any parolee within this Commonwealth for any
    27  violation of the laws STATUTES of this Commonwealth shall         <--
    28  constitute an automatic detainer and permit him to be taken into
    29  and held in custody. The automatic detainer shall dissolve on
    30  the fifteenth day after he is taken into custody, unless sooner
    19980S1239B1793                  - 3 -

     1  waived or otherwise superseded by direction of the supervising
     2  parole office. The automatic detainer shall be in addition to
     3  and not in lieu of any other detainer that heretofore may have
     4  been lodged in such circumstances.
     5     * * *
     6     Section 3.  Section 33 of the act, amended December 18, 1996
     7  (P.L.1098, No.164), is amended to read:
     8     Section 33.  (a)  (1)  In compliance with the Federal
     9  Interstate Compact Laws and the provisions of this section, the
    10  [Parole Board] Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole is
    11  authorized to supervise persons paroled by other states and now
    12  residing in Pennsylvania, where such other states agree to
    13  perform similar services for the Pennsylvania Board of Probation
    14  and Parole.
    15     (2)  Additionally, the [Parole Board] Pennsylvania Board of
    16  Probation and Parole is authorized to relinquish jurisdiction
    17  over a parolee to the proper Federal authorities where the
    18  parolee is placed into the [Federal] Witness Protection Program
    19  of the United States Department of Justice.
    20     (b)  The contracting states must adhere to Pennsylvania's
    21  laws regarding the Interstate Compact, which are as follows:
    22     (1)  The contracting states solemnly agree that it is
    23  competent for the duly constituted judicial and administrative
    24  authorities of a state party to this compact, herein called
    25  "sending state," to permit any person convicted of an offense
    26  within such state and placed on probation or released on parole
    27  to reside in any other state, herein called "receiving state,"
    28  while on probation or parole, if:
    29     (i)  a confirmed offer of viable employment or other
    30  verifiable means of support exists; and
    19980S1239B1793                  - 4 -

     1     (ii)  a residence approved by the receiving state is
     2  available.
     3     (2)  The following information must be made available to the
     4  receiving state from the sending state at the time the
     5  application for acceptance to the receiving state is filed:
     6     (i)  Institutional adjustment information on parolees or
     7  probationers.
     8     (ii)  Current supervision history on parolees or
     9  probationers.
    10     (iii)  A psychological report or psychological update,
    11  completed no more than one year prior to the receiving state's
    12  consideration for persons convicted of a violent offense.
    13     (iv)  The following information must be made available to the
    14  receiving state for those cases defined as a sexual offense:
    15     (A)  a summary of any type of treatment received and dates of
    16  completion; and
    17     (B)  a description of behavioral characteristics that may
    18  have contributed to the parolee or probationer's conduct.
    19     (3)  Any parolee or probationer convicted of a sexual offense
    20  shall be required to:
    21     (i)  submit to mandatory registration and public notification
    22  of all current addresses with the Pennsylvania State Police;
    23     (ii)  provide a signed copy of Pennsylvania State Police
    24  Sexual Offender Registration Notification form and Pennsylvania
    25  State Police Sexual Offender Registration form to receiving
    26  state; and
    27     (iii)  provide a signed copy of Addendum to Application for
    28  Compact Services/Agreement to Return form to receiving state.
    29     (4)  Except as hereafter provided, the receiving state shall
    30  not consider the acceptance of supervision if the parolee is
    19980S1239B1793                  - 5 -

     1  already physically present in this State. Investigation and
     2  consideration of a case shall occur only after the parolee
     3  returns to the sending state and proper application is filed.
     4  The receiving state may consider the acceptance of supervision
     5  if the probationer is already physically present in this State,
     6  where the probationer has established domicile in the receiving
     7  state before adjudication on the criminal offense.
     8     (5)  Electronic monitoring and/or other special conditions of
     9  supervision shall be imposed as deemed necessary by the
    10  receiving state.
    11     (6)  At the request of the receiving state, the sending state
    12  shall agree to retake the parolee or probationer if that
    13  individual violates any condition of probation or parole.
    14     (c)  Any person who is on parole or probation in another
    15  state and who resides in this Commonwealth in violation of this
    16  section shall be COMMITS A MISDEMEANOR OF THE FIRST DEGREE AND    <--
    17  SHALL BE sentenced to pay a fine of not more than ten thousand
    18  dollars ($10,000) or to imprisonment for not more than five
    19  years, or both.
    20     (d)  As used in this section, the following words and phrases
    21  shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:
    22     "Other verifiable means of support."  The term includes, but
    23  is not limited to, support by parent, grandparent, sibling,
    24  spouse or adult child. The term shall not include public
    25  assistance.
    26     "Sexual offense."
    27     (1)  Any of the following or equivalent offenses that is
    28  classified as a felony and involves a victim who is a minor:
    29         18 Pa.C.S. § 2901 (relating to kidnapping).
    30         18 Pa.C.S. § 5902(b) (relating to prostitution and
    19980S1239B1793                  - 6 -

     1     related offenses).
     2         18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(a)(3), (4), (5) or (6) (relating to
     3     obscene and other sexual materials and performances).
     4     (2)  Any of the following or equivalent offenses that is
     5  classified as a felony and involves a victim who is less than
     6  thirteen years of age:
     7         18 Pa.C.S. § 3126 (relating to indecent assault).
     8     (3)  Any of the following or equivalent offenses, regardless
     9  of the victim's age:
    10         18 Pa.C.S. § 3121 (relating to rape).
    11         18 Pa.C.S. § 3123 (relating to involuntary deviate sexual
    12     intercourse).
    13         18 Pa.C.S. § 3125 (relating to aggravated indecent
    14     assault).
    15     "Violent offense."  Any of the following or equivalent
    16  offenses:
    17         18 Pa.C.S. § 2502 (relating to murder).
    18         18 Pa.C.S. § 2503 (relating to voluntary manslaughter).
    19         18 Pa.C.S. § 2702 (relating to aggravated assault).
    20         18 Pa.C.S. § 2703 (relating to assault by prisoner).
    21         18 Pa.C.S. § 2704 (relating to assault by life prisoner).
    22         18 Pa.C.S. § 2901 (relating to kidnapping) where the
    23     victim is a minor.
    24         18 Pa.C.S. § 3121 (relating to rape).
    25         18 Pa.C.S. § 3123 (relating to involuntary deviate sexual
    26     intercourse).
    27         18 Pa.C.S. § 3301 (relating to arson and related
    28     offenses).
    29         18 Pa.C.S. § 3502 (relating to burglary).
    30         18 Pa.C.S. § 3701 (relating to robbery).
    19980S1239B1793                  - 7 -

     1         18 Pa.C.S. § 3923 (relating to theft by extortion) where
     2     a threat of violence is made.
     3         A criminal attempt, criminal solicitation or criminal
     4     conspiracy to commit any offenses set forth in this clause.
     5     Section 4.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

















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