Thursday, April 24, 2008
ALTERNATIVE COURT, TRUTH-IN-SENTENCING BILL STALLS
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Legislators walked out of a House committee, leaving only a slim chance to pass a bill creating an alternative court system for nonviolent offenders and requiring prisoners to serve most of their sentences.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Legislators walked out of a House committee, leaving only a slim chance to pass a bill creating an alternative court system for nonviolent offenders and requiring prisoners to serve most of their sentences.
Attorney General Henry McMaster is pushing the idea. He says a combination of counseling, treatment and education under the alternative court system is a better way to rehabilitate people and will save the state money.
His bill would also require prisoners to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
A meeting on the bill Wednesday was forced to abruptly end without a vote after several members left for another meeting and several more walked into the hallway to avoid a vote. Not enough members were left to continue.
