§ 22-1514. Purposes and policies of the criminal justice and corrections systems.

The following purposes and policies of the criminal justice and corrections systems are hereby established:

1.  Protection of the public.  Incarceration should be viewed by the court both as punishment and as a means of protecting the public.  Limitations on the freedom of the offender and the appropriate level of custody should be dictated in the first instance by the nature of the offense, the violent character of the offender, the proclivity of the offender to engage in criminal conduct as demonstrated by his criminal record, and the sound judgment of the sentencing court after taking into account all of the relevant aggravating and mitigating factors involved in the offender's record of criminal conduct.

2.  Punishment of the offender.  After the interests of public protection have been addressed, consideration should be given to restriction of the liberty of the offender in such manner and to such extent as is necessary to demonstrate clearly that the offender's conduct is unacceptable to society and to discourage a repetition of such conduct.  In determining the appropriate punishment, the court should consider a range of sanctions at the state or community level which may include incarceration, various degrees of restrictions on the offender's liberty including house arrest, electronic monitoring, various degrees of supervision, community penalties, community service, restitution, reparation, or fines.

3.  Rehabilitation of the offender.  Every sentencing plan should consider treatment and rehabilitative needs of the offender to the extent that it addresses the cause of the criminal behavior and, therefore, might assist in correcting such behavior.  The offender should be enrolled in a program of rehabilitation over a definite minimal period of time.  The program of rehabilitation should involve work and recreation and may involve education, psychological or psychiatric counseling, treatment for alcohol or drug abuse and sexual aggression either within or without the prison walls as the individual case may indicate.  The court may recommend remedies for alcoholism, substance abuse, mental illness, education and employment deficiencies, and may order community-based offenders to pay for such treatment to the extent the offender is able.  Public institutions should respond to the court order at no cost to the indigent offender.  Where treatment is not available from public institutions, the state should purchase appropriate treatment from the private sector.

4.  Restitution and reparation.  When appropriate, the sentencing plan should provide for restitution or reparation to the victim or victims, whether they be individual citizens, corporations, or society as a whole, to be paid as soon as practicable.  Such restitution or reparation should include repayment for any property stolen or damaged, medical costs and lost wages of the victims, court costs and reasonable costs to cover pretrial detention, and restitution to the community through community service.  In those cases where the offender can be punished and rehabilitated outside of prison without jeopardizing the security of the society at large in their persons or property, it is appropriate and encouraged that the offender pay his debt to society through a range of punishments which are alternative to incarceration.  The court should order such supervision or restrictions as deemed necessary for the offender to comply with the restitution orders.  Failure to comply should result in stricter measures.

5.  Work policy for offenders.  It is the policy of this state that offenders should work when reasonably possible, either at jobs in the private sector to pay restitution and support their dependents, or at community service jobs that benefit the public, or at useful work while in prison or jail, or at educational or treatment endeavors as a part of a rehabilitation program.  Offenders should be offered the opportunity to reduce the duration of their sentences by earning "time" credit for work endeavors in achieving vocational or educational skill levels.  Prisoners who are able and do not work or who refuse to participate in treatment programs should be prohibited from enjoying privileges which may be provided to inmates beyond those required by law.

6.  Responsibility of Department of Corrections.  It is the goal of the Department of Corrections to provide adequate prison space to ensure that those sentenced to prison will remain incarcerated until such time as they can be safely released, or until their active sentences are completed, and to provide community-based supervision for those offenders selected for supervised probation and parole by the courts and the Pardon and Parole Board.

It is the mission of the Department to provide housing, clothing, food and medical care to its inmates, to maintain a safe and secure prison system, to keep accurate records, to offer job training, education, counseling, work and treatment programs deemed appropriate to monitor and advance the rehabilitative progress of its inmates, to provide a fair and orderly progression through custody levels, and to make data and recommendations regarding parole available to the Pardon and Parole Board.  As an inmate demonstrates that he is no longer a threat to society, that the punishment has been effective and that a program of rehabilitation is showing progress, the inmate's level of custody may be commensurately reduced in an orderly progression through custody levels to parole and release from supervision.

It is the mission of the Department of Corrections to receive convicted offenders selected by the courts and the Pardon and Parole Board and to protect society through a coordinated program of community supervision which provides realistic opportunities for probationers and parolees to develop skills necessary to adjust to free society.  As a probationer or parolee demonstrates that the supervision has been effective and that a community treatment program is showing progress, the level of supervision may be commensurately reduced in an orderly progression to prepare for release from supervision.

Added by Laws 1994, c. 355, § 14, eff. July 1, 1994.