Similar in tone to her amendment, my amendment will strike this verbiage and then add two important provisions. First, it will add language that allows those who receive a hospice recommendation a clear path to medically frail parole. In my experience, people who have been moved to hospice never have long to live, so it makes a lot of sense for the state to release them for their final months. Secondly, my amendment will add language that was stricken in this bill that will ensure someone who has been given 18 months to live but has not received a hospice recommendation will have to score low on a risk assessment. This is extremely important to ensure that particularly evil prisoners who still pose a threat to society are not released. Third, my amendment includes another provision which will ensure that a person who is paroled because of their terminal condition must report to their county prosecutor if they recover inside of that 18-month timeline—yes, this happens. If a parolee beats whatever illness gave them the diagnosis, then at that point they should not be allowed to remain on the streets and the prosecutor would be able to reinstate their original penalty.
I think these changes will ensure that the intent of the bill remains while also ensuring there are no unintended consequences which will allow those not deserving of release the ability to get out of prison early. This is such a simple thing to protect the American citizens. I realize that the majority will vote it down, but I would appreciate your support on my amendment.
Senator Geiss’ statement is as follows:
I want to thank all the partners who worked on this medically frail parole bill. Many of you who were here in previous sessions might recall that we did do a medically frail parole bill; however, in the time that it was introduced, passed, and signed into law, only one person has been able to be released on medically frail parole. This has been something that the families of loved ones who are incarcerated and medically frail or terminally ill have sought. Many advocacy groups have sought this. I will say it was actually a delight to work with the Department of Corrections on this bill to make it so some of our most vulnerable incarcerated people are able to not just be sent to a facility for their parole but also to be surrounded by their loved ones and so end their remaining days with dignity. I want to thank everyone on the committee who supported it and all the partners who worked on this. I urge a “yes” vote.
Senator Singh moved that the Senate proceed to consideration of the following bill:
Senate Bill No. 700
The motion prevailed.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 700, entitled
A bill to amend 2018 PA 57, entitled “Recodified tax increment financing act,” by amending section 201 (MCL 125.4201).
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows: