Citations Affected: IC 35-50-6-3.3.
Synopsis: Credit time. Conference committee report for EHB 1416. Provides that, for an
imprisoned person to earn credit time for successfully completing the requirements for a high
school diploma through correspondence courses, each correspondence course must be approved
in advance by the department of correction. Specifies that a period of confinement is consecutive
even if an inmate was released on the basis of an erroneous court order, and requires the
department of correction to identify an offender to the parole board and provide certain
information if the offender has been consecutively confined for 21 to 25 years, depending on the
amount of educational credit time earned by the offender. (This committee report amends
SECTION 25 of HEA 1340 to avoid conflicting provisions.)
Effective: July 1, 2011.
MR. SPEAKER:
Your Conference Committee appointed to confer with a like committee from the Senate
upon Engrossed Senate Amendments to Engrossed House Bill No. 1416 respectfully reports
that said two committees have conferred and agreed as follows to wit:
that the House recede from its dissent from all Senate amendments and that
the House now concur in all Senate amendments to the bill and that the bill
be further amended as follows:
subsection (a) or section 3 of this chapter, a person may earn credit
time if, while confined by the department of correction, the person:
(1) is in credit Class I;
(2) demonstrates a pattern consistent with rehabilitation; and
(3) successfully completes requirements to obtain at least one (1)
of the following:
(A) A certificate of completion of a career and technical
education program approved by the department of correction.
(B) A certificate of completion of a substance abuse program
approved by the department of correction.
(C) A certificate of completion of a literacy and basic life
skills program approved by the department of correction.
(D) A certificate of completion of a reformative program
approved by the department of correction.
(c) The department of correction shall establish admissions criteria
and other requirements for programs available for earning credit time
under subsection (b). A person may not earn credit time under both
subsections (a) and (b) for the same program of study.
(d) The amount of credit time a person may earn under this section
is the following:
(1) Six (6) months for completion of a state of Indiana general
educational development (GED) diploma under IC 20-20-6
(before its repeal) or IC 22-4.1-18.
(2) One (1) year for graduation from high school.
(3) One (1) year for completion of an associate's degree.
(4) Two (2) years for completion of a bachelor's degree.
(5) Not more than a total of six (6) months of credit, as
determined by the department of correction, for the completion of
one (1) or more career and technical education programs
approved by the department of correction.
(6) Not more than a total of six (6) months of credit, as
determined by the department of correction, for the completion of
one (1) or more substance abuse programs approved by the
department of correction.
(7) Not more than a total of six (6) months credit, as determined
by the department of correction, for the completion of one (1) or
more literacy and basic life skills programs approved by the
department of correction.
(8) Not more than a total of six (6) months credit time, as
determined by the department of correction, for completion of one
(1) or more reformative programs approved by the department of
correction. However, a person who is serving a sentence for an
offense listed under IC 11-8-8-4.5 may not earn credit time under
this subdivision.
However, a person who does not have a substance abuse problem that
qualifies the person to earn credit in a substance abuse program may
earn not more than a total of twelve (12) months of credit, as
determined by the department of correction, for the completion of one
(1) or more career and technical education programs approved by the
department of correction. If a person earns more than six (6) months of
credit for the completion of one (1) or more career and technical
education programs, the person is ineligible to earn credit for the
completion of one (1) or more substance abuse programs.
(e) Credit time earned by a person under this section is subtracted
from the release date that would otherwise apply to the person after
subtracting all other credit time earned by the person.
(f) A person does not earn credit time under subsection (a) unless
the person completes at least a portion of the degree requirements after
June 30, 1993.
(g) A person does not earn credit time under subsection (b) unless
the person completes at least a portion of the program requirements
after June 30, 1999.
(h) Credit time earned by a person under subsection (a) for a
diploma or degree completed before July 1, 1999, shall be subtracted
from:
(1) the release date that would otherwise apply to the person after
subtracting all other credit time earned by the person, if the
person has not been convicted of an offense described in
subdivision (2); or
(2) the period of imprisonment imposed on the person by the
sentencing court, if the person has been convicted of one (1) of
the following crimes:
(A) Rape (IC 35-42-4-1).
(B) Criminal deviate conduct (IC 35-42-4-2).
(C) Child molesting (IC 35-42-4-3).
(D) Child exploitation (IC 35-42-4-4(b)).
(E) Vicarious sexual gratification (IC 35-42-4-5).
(F) Child solicitation (IC 35-42-4-6).
(G) Child seduction (IC 35-42-4-7).
(H) Sexual misconduct with a minor as a Class A felony, Class
B felony, or Class C felony (IC 35-42-4-9).
(I) Incest (IC 35-46-1-3).
(J) Sexual battery (IC 35-42-4-8).
(K) Kidnapping (IC 35-42-3-2), if the victim is less than
eighteen (18) years of age.
(L) Criminal confinement (IC 35-42-3-3), if the victim is less
than eighteen (18) years of age.
(M) An attempt or a conspiracy to commit a crime listed in
clauses (A) through (L).
(i) The maximum amount of credit time a person may earn under
this section is the lesser of:
(1) four (4) years; or
(2) one-third (1/3) of the person's total applicable credit time.
(j) The amount of credit time earned under this section is reduced
to the extent that application of the credit time would otherwise result
in:
(1) postconviction release (as defined in IC 35-40-4-6); or
(2) assignment of the person to a community transition program;
in less than forty-five (45) days after the person earns the credit time.
(k) A person may earn credit time for multiple degrees at the same
education level under subsection (d) only in accordance with guidelines
approved by the department of correction. The department of
correction may approve guidelines for proper sequence of education
degrees under subsection (d).
(l) A person may not earn credit time:
(1) for a general educational development (GED) diploma if the
person has previously earned a high school diploma; or
(2) for a high school diploma if the person has previously earned
a general educational development (GED) diploma.
(m) A person may not earn credit time under this section if the
person:
(1) commits an offense listed in IC 11-8-8-4.5 while the person is
required to register as a sex or violent offender under IC 11-8-8-7;
and
(2) is committed to the department of correction after being
convicted of the offense listed in IC 11-8-8-4.5.
(n) For a person to earn credit time under subsection (a)(3)(B)
for successfully completing the requirements for a high school
diploma through correspondence courses, each correspondence
course must be approved by the department before the person
begins the correspondence course. The department may approve
a correspondence course only if the entity administering the course
is recognized and accredited by the department of education in the
state where the entity is located.".
Delete pages 3 through 5.
(Reference is to EHB 1416 as reprinted April 6, 2011.)
____________________________ ____________________________
Representative McNamara Senator Waterman
Chairperson
____________________________ ____________________________
Representative Battles Senator Randolph
House Conferees Senate Conferees