Governor Signs Two New Crime Reform Bills

While the Tennessee General Assembly has been adjourned for a couple weeks, Governor Bill Lee is still busy signing legislation passed during that last session. Yesterday, the governor signed two new bills into law dealing with his criminal justice reform agenda.

The first bill is The Alternative To Incarceration Act…which establishes a way for local governments to offer community based alternatives to prison…except in cases where a dangerous weapon was used. The bill also caps the timeframe of probation sentences at 10 years for multiple felony offenses. If only one probation sentence is given, the courts can’t give more than eight years.

The second bill is called the Re-entry Success Act which creates mandatory supervision programs for people recently released from prison. It also establishes what is referred to as an employer liability shield for felons, basically to help people with criminal records find jobs by making employers more confident in hiring them. That program is meant to help former inmates better reintegrate into their local communities.

Both of those laws will go into effect on July 1st.