Bill > SB5219

This bill concerns partial confinement eligibility and alignment for incarcerated individuals in Washington state. The bill makes several key changes to existing law regarding partial confinement programs like the parenting program, graduated reentry program, and work release program. Specifically, the bill extends the maximum time an incarcerated individual can serve in partial confinement from 12 to 18 months, reduces the minimum time served in total confinement before eligibility for some programs, and adds new requirements for substance use disorder evaluations and treatment. The legislation aims to provide more flexibility in rehabilitation programs and ensure individuals with substance use disorders receive appropriate treatment. The bill mandates that before transferring an individual to these programs, the department must conduct a clinically appropriate evaluation for substance use disorder and, if diagnosed, assist the individual in enrolling in treatment services. The bill also requires providing access to medication-assisted treatment, counseling, fentanyl testing supplies, and overdose reversal medications when clinically appropriate. These changes apply both prospectively and retroactively to individuals currently serving sentences, with some sections expiring or taking effect on January 1, 2026.