SB 968

An Act amending Titles 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) and 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in judicial boards and commissions, further providing for definitions and for publication of guidelines for sentencing, resentencing and parole, risk assessment instrument and recommitment ranges following revocation; in depositions and witnesses, further providing for confidential communications involving law enforcement officers and for confidential communications to peer support members; in juvenile matters, further providing for inspection of court files and records; in particular rights and immunities, further providing for immunity of State parole officers and for immunity of program administrators and supervisors; in post-trial matters, further providing for postconviction DNA testing; in sentencing, further providing for mandatory period of probation for certain sexual offenders, for disposition of persons found guilty but mentally ill, for information required upon commitment and subsequent disposition, for judicial power to release inmates, for transfer of inmates in need of medical treatment, for applicability, for registry, for initial registration, for duty to inform, for enforcement, for assessments, for verification by sexual offenders and Pennsylvania State Police, for administration, for global positioning system technology, for immunity for good faith conduct, for Pennsylvania State Police, for duties of probation and parole officials, for board, for annual performance audit, for applicability, for registration, for registration procedures and applicability, for assessments, for administration, for global positioning system technology, for immunity for good faith conduct, for duties of Pennsylvania State Police, for duties of Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, for board and for annual performance audit; in other criminal provisions, further providing for supervisory relationship to offenders; in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in general administration, providing for powers of peace officers; in community corrections centers and community corrections facilities, further providing for definitions, for department, for offenders who may be housed, for authority of Commonwealth employees, for authority of chairman and for escape and providing for certain offenders residing in group-based homes and for reporting; in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, further providing for definitions, for operation of parole system generally, for Pennsylvania Parole Board, for board chairperson, for board action, for meetings and for offices, repealing provisions relating to district directors, to district office employees, to disciplinary action and to certain offenders residing in group-based homes, further providing for general powers of board and for specific powers of board involving parolees, repealing provisions relating to probation services, further providing for sentencing court to transmit records to board, for general criteria for parole by court, for right of access to inmates, for parole power, for violation of terms of parole, for parole procedure, for victim statements, testimony and participation in hearing, for general rules and special regulations and for early parole of inmates subject to Federal removal order and repealing provisions relating to definitions, to status as peace officers and to supervisory relationship to offenders; providing for supervision of offenders and for agents; in county probation officers' firearm education and training, further providing for definitions; in Interstate Compacts, further providing for Interstate Compact for the Supervision of Adult Offenders application fee, for deputization and for supervision of persons paroled by other states;  providing for Board of Pardons; conferring powers and imposing duties on the Department of Corrections; providing for the transfer of functions, powers and duties of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole and for appropriations for the Office of Victim Advocate; making related repeals; and making editorial changes.