Bill > A03368

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 their offense. Specifically, it 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, as long as they are not serving a sentence for certain violent or drug-related felonies. The bill provides guidance on how the parole board should determine whether substance abuse was a significant contributing factor in the commission of the offense. It also allows the court to make a finding that substance abuse was a significant contributing factor when imposing a sentence of imprisonment for a controlled substance or marijuana offense.