Wash. lawmakers approve less offender oversight

The state would save millions of dollars by cutting back the supervision of released criminals - including murderers and rapists - under a bill that has passed the Washington Legislature.

Lawmakers are scrambling for virtually every dollar they can find to patch a $9 billion deficit, and the trimming of community supervision could save about $48 million through mid-2011.

The measure calls for the state to supervise fewer criminals when they're not behind bars, and cut the maximum length of supervision for those who are watched. Senators passed the bill Saturday on a 26-23 vote, sending it to Gov. Chris Gregoire for final approval.

Supporters said the changes will make supervision schemes more efficient, eliminating practices that are not shown to improve public safety. But minority Republicans, including some who supported earlier versions of the reforms, found the version approved Saturday unacceptable.

Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, read from a list of crimes for which community supervision could be cut, including murder, manslaughter, assault, kidnapping and rape.

"The number one thing that we should be doing is public safety," Carrell said.

Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, countered that studies show no significant effect on crime rates under the kind of supervision changes spelled out in the bill. Hargrove also pointed to support from prosecutors and sheriffs for the changes.

"At some point in time, all of these heinous crimes you are talking about, people will be off supervision," Hargrove said. "We do not supervise them for life."

The bill would remove the current blanket requirement for community supervision of anyone sentenced to probation in superior court for a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor.

The measure also would remove the requirement that Washington's Department of Corrections oversee released felons who rank in the two lowest risk categories for committing other crimes.

Instead, the state would supervise:

-Sex offenders, whether convicted of a felony or misdemeanor.

-High-risk felons and felons serving indeterminate sentences.

-Offenders considered to be dangerously mentally ill, and those required to be sentenced under agreements with other states.

-Criminals subject to alternative sentencing programs for drugs, sex crimes and first-time offenses.

-Those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, if they have certain prior convictions.

A separate bill approved by the Senate early Sunday morning changed the supervision policy further: Serious violent offenders would continue to be supervised even if they are classified as low or moderate risk.

Community supervision also would be assigned as a flat term, rather than in a range of time set by corrections officials.

For example, sex offenders would be supervised for three years, rather than a range of three to four years. Serious violent offenders would get a flat three years of supervision, rather than the current two to four years.

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The community supervision is bill is Senate Bill 5288.

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On the Net:

Legislature: http://www.leg.wa.gov

Governor: http://www.governor.wa.gov