The House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code heard HB 1120 authored by Rep. Steuerwald and Rep. McNamara regarding educational credit time. The bill repeals old guidelines related to educational credit time and sets forth new guidelines related to educational credit time for a person incarcerated in the Department of Correction (DOC) after June 30, 2020. Specifically, the bill creates new IC 35-50-6-3.5, repeals 35-50-6-3.3, and mandates that DOC implement individualized evidence-based case management plans, successful completion of which will entitle an inmate to educational credit time. The bill also provides DOC discretion to determine the amount of credit to award an inmate who successfully completes a case management plan subject to their rulemaking authority. The maximum amount of credit a person may earn for completion of a case management plan is the lesser of two (2) years; or one-third (1/3) of the person’s total applicable credit time.
The bill was amended by consent. The amendment nullified the repeal of IC 35-50-6-3.3 and merely added the language concerning individualized evidence-based case management plans to the current statute.
The Department of Correction, the Indiana Public Defender Council, the Governor’s Office, and Ivy Tech testified in support of the bill. The bill passed 12-0.
Read the bill at: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2020/bills/house/1120.