Legislators bicker over inmate release program

Tailored after an existing program in Las Vegas, SB 11-141 seeks the establishment of the same program in the CNMI in view of the poor jail conditions and lack of government efforts to help inmates reform and do something productive inside the jail.

But the House, during its session last week, amended the bill to change the distribution of the salary anticipated to be earned by inmates from the program — a move that Cing said defeated the purpose of the proposal.

Under his measure, half of the income will go to the maintenance of the jail and the housing needs of the inmate, 30 percent to his bank account, 15 percent for his pocket money and the rest for his family.

The amendment by the lower house recommended that 85 percent of this money should go to his savings, while the remaining 15 percent will be given to his family.

“The prison would look like (an employment agency) and the prisoner gets to keep all the money,” Cing told the Senate session last Wednesday, adding it does not serve as a penalty.

He also said most of the salary should stay with the Department of Public Safety to defray the costs of having the inmate incarcerated.

Both Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez and Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes backed moves to bring the issue to the conference table with members of the House to avoid disharmony in the Legislature.

“This is now completely a different bill,” Reyes explained. “We should work hand in hand with the House (for members) to see its original intent.”

Villagomez, Cing and Sen. Edward U. Maratita have been tasked by Senate President Paul A. Manglona to represent the upper house to the forthcoming bicameral conference.

This type of meeting was last held two years ago, when lawmakers deliberated on the proposed stay limit for nonresident workers, but was shot down in the Senate.A bicameral conference is expected to be held within the next few weeks after the Senate has rejected an amendment by the House of Representatives on a legislation proposing an inmate release program in the Commonwealth.

Saying the changes have altered the substance of Senate Bill 11-141, senators voted the other day to resolve their differences with the House through the conference.

Sen. David M. Cing, author of the measure passed last week by the House, stressed the need to stick with its original intent, saying “it’s a good bill to coincide with the problems” facing the island’s deteriorating jail facility.

He added it will also serve as penalty to inmates who at the same time will be able to help the government maintain the prison while they try to save money which they can use after serving out their sentence.