The Tennessee General Assembly just passed a new bill known as the “truth in sentencing” legislation. This bill mandates all people convicted of a number of felonies to serve the whole sentence. This means they would not have the option of parole through things like good behavior, credits, or any other reason.
This was a large controversy in the State of Tennessee due to many people believing this shouldn’t pass. Opposers of this bill said prisons are already understaffed and this would create further safety issues. However, the governor claims he is already ahead of the game by budgeting 150 million dollar Violent Crime Intervention Fund.
However, on the other hand, supporters of this bill also have reason to believe it could help the justice system. For starters, they believe that it could put fewer people behind bars. In hopes that this bill will serve as a deterrent before a person enters into the prison system. Many believe this is the only way to lower their crime rate and hopefully get people to follow the law.
There are certain criteria the person must meet in order for them to have no option of parole with this bill. This includes attempted first degree murder, second degree murder, criminally negligent homicide, vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. Those who are not in the criteria to do so can have early release for eighty five percent of their sentence.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
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