Justice Reinvestment (H 5312, S 541)

We strongly supported legislation which would make two important advances towards enhanced criminal justice policy in Rhode Island.

We strongly supported legislation which would have made two important advances towards enhanced criminal justice policy in Rhode Island. Presently, any crime that carries more than a $1,000 penalty, even if it provides for no prison time, is classified as a felony. This bill would have changed any such crimes to misdemeanors, ensuring that convicted individuals do not inappropriately carry the stigma that a felony conviction can.

Second, this bill would have required preparation of a prison impact statement for any legislation which would create a new crime, putting Rhode Island in line with many other states with similar policies and ensuring clarity as to the fiscal impact of overcriminalization. A companion bill introduced in the Senate, S 541, would additionally require such prison impact statements. While S 541 passed the Senate, it died in the House. H 5312 died in committee in the House.