Bill > S00278

This bill amends the Executive Law and Penal Law to authorize early parole release for inmates where substance abuse was a significant contributing factor in the commission of the offense. Specifically, the bill allows inmates who have successfully completed a substance abuse treatment program and have not been disciplined for drug, marijuana, or alcohol use for at least two years to be eligible for early release to community supervision after completing half of their minimum sentence, provided they are not serving a sentence for certain felonies. The bill also allows the sentencing court or the Department of Corrections to make a finding that substance abuse was a significant contributing factor in the commission of the offense, based on various types of evidence. The bill also allows the court to order substance abuse treatment as part of a prison sentence for certain drug-related offenses.