The House Courts and Criminal Code heard SB 286 on credit time sponsored by Rep. Steuerwald. Author Sen. Freeman presented the bill testifying for the need to keep habitual offenders incarcerated for longer periods of time. The bill also permits pretrial defendants to earn accrued time and good time credit time while on home detention, removes Class P credit provision, adds a provision that a person on pretrial home detention must have a hearing before they can be deprived of accrued time due to a violation and the procedural safeguards in Ind. Code 35-50-6-4 apply, and specifies that education credit time may only be earned if the defendant is incarcerated in a jail or prison. An amendment was adopted by consent providing that the additional sentence for habitual offenders is 8 years to 20 years for murder or Level 1-4 felonies, or 3 years to 6 years for Level 5-6 felonies.
The Indiana Department of Correction provided data on the future impact of the bill. The Indiana Public Defender Council testified in support of the bill. The amended bill passed 12-0.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2023/bills/senate/286